A victory for England before they even step on the pitch

We’ll start, given the week that’s in it, with a nod to the Leaving Cert.

“England’s football team has suffered a succession of calamitous exits from major tournaments in the last 50 years — and in the 16 prior to their World Cup win in 1966. Pinpoint the year when the ‘Three Lions’ scraped the bottom of the barrel and support your answer with examples.”

Golly, where to start? You could say the low point had to be the loss to the USA in Belo Horizonte in 1950. Or back in 1974. Or ’78. Or ’94. You know, any of the World Cup finals that didn’t even bear the stamp of an England team?