England would be based in Cagliari, capital of Sardinia, where it was hoped the hooligans could be contained. Alas, there would be at least one bloody pre-match confrontation in which the English fans, by and large, were more sinned against than sinning.

Gazza would go although, given his fragile character, it was distressing to see how insensitively Bobby Robson treated him. ‘Daft as a brush,’ Robson called him, but, with the definitive exclusion of Glenn Hoddle, he was plainly England’s one real hope of invention and surprise in midfield, with his supreme technique, his powerful right foot, his instant ability to sum up situations. Yet Robson stuck him on the left wing in a B-team international in Brighton and, shortly before the squad for Italy was announced, put him under ferocious pressure. Picking him for a friendly against the Czechs at Wembley, Robson insensitively announced that this was Paul Gascoigne’s last chance.

In the tunnel before the start, Gascoigne was kicking a ball against the wall in his anxiety, but he went out, played superbly, had a hand in three goals and got one himself, with a glorious solo.

Holland, Egypt and the Republic of Ireland, still led by Jackie Charlton, would be England’s group opponents in Cagliari. The opening match against the Irish was of a blinding sterility, which led one Italian paper to head its match report, ‘No Football Please, We’re British’. In a harsh wind, even Gascoigne found life difficult. Lineker scored a characteristically opportunist goal in eight minutes, taking the ball past the Irish keeper Packy Bonner with his chest, running on to score. Steve McMahon, on as a substitute, ineptly gave the ball away to Kevin Sheedy, who shot the left-footed equaliser.

Holland came next but this was a diminished Dutch team, beset by quarrels within the camp. Previously, in press conferences, Bobby Robson had insisted that the sweeper defence was utterly foreign to English footballers, and a four-in-line defence would be maintained. England’s senior professionals now persuaded him otherwise, though in the event their caution proved excessive. Mark Wright, rehabilitated after his blunders against the Yugoslavs in 1986, filled the role capably but Terry Butcher found himself virtually playing at right back. The dynamic pace of Des Walker closed any gaps, though Bobby Robson had constantly criticised him for being reluctant to cross the halfway line. Further invaluable pace was given to the defence by little Paul Parker. In Katowice, Jacek Ziober and Roman Kosecki, the long-haired little Polish wingers, had overrun the English backs.

It was yet another goalless draw but England deserved to win, making far the greater number of chances, with Gary Lineker, paired up front with John Barnes hitting the keeper’s body and missing a clear opportunity later. Gascoigne now was emphatically up and running. This was a revitalised England.

Press relations meanwhile were at rock bottom, the consequence of those tabloid ‘revelations’ about the two Robsons. Naïvely, Bobby gave free run of the England camp to a novelist called Pete Davies who rewarded him in his subsequent book with a string of indiscretions; many, such as Gascoigne’s telephone rant at his girlfriend, of the kind which any professional sports journalist would have excluded. The news media’s lack of reticence, however, appeared to have no obvious effect on the team’s performance.

Against Egypt, England reverted to a four-in-line defence. Ultra cautious, the Egyptians hardly deserved the praise afforded them by Bobby Robson after the game. Mark Wright headed the only goal from a searching free kick by Gascoigne and England were through to the next round.

Their opponents would be Belgium in Bologna, where, after 119 minutes England prevailed with a goal superbly and gymnastically struck by substitute David Platt, a late-developing attacker, discarded by Manchester United, groomed by Crewe Alexandra, burnished by Aston Villa. It was Gazza’s free kick – again – from the left which enabled Platt to swivel and volley his goal. Once again, England played with a sweeper, which seemed somewhat redundant, since the Belgians used only one striker. Belgium twice hit the post. Barnes, after a splendid move, had a goal contentiously ruled out for a dubious offside.

Next, to Naples, where the opposition was the tournament’s surprise package,Cameroon, none more so than their astonishing centre forward Roger Milla, aged (at least) thirty-eight, who was wont to come on and score as a second-half substitute. Cameroon had shocked Argentina by beating the holders in the curtain-raising game.

They very nearly beat England, too. ‘A flat back four saved us,’ said Bobby Robson, the following day. The point being that England had again started with a sweeper, in the shape of Wright. In the event, the three English centre backs served only to confuse one another. Though the abrasive Cameroon team had no fewer than four players suspended, they were vigorously effective, all the more so when the veteran Milla made his usual entry at half time. Without Bryan Robson, injured yet again and back in Blighty, and with David Platt starting for the first time, England took the lead when Platt headed in a left-flank cross from an adventurous Stuart Pearce. But yet again, only the defiance of Peter Shilton kept England’s goal intact.

An erratic Mexican referee, Codesal, gave anomalous decisions in the second half, above all on penalties. Platt should have had one when brought down by the keeper, Thomas N’Kono, Cameroon got one when Gascoigne, fitfully inspired, felled Milla; Emmanuel Kunde scored. Eugene Ekeke, served by Milla, made it 2–1, whereupon Bobby Robson jettisoned the sweeper system which was never natural to him, taking off Butcher and finally putting on Trevor Steven. It was hard to know why Steven, who would now excel, had been out in the cold so long, but now he transformed the right flank, while Paul Parker subdued Milla.

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