The England-Germany rivalry through the years: Stuck in the mittel with you

The modern climate surrounding England matches against Germany is radically changed - though this is not to say that old attitudes have disappeared altogether

PENALTY PAIN: A dejected Gareth Southgate after his penalty shootout miss against Germany ended England’s Euro 96 adventure. Southgate enraged many England fans by turning the miss into a joke with a lampooning advert for Pizza Hut. Picture: Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images

I was 21, that first time I fell for a German. Shoulder-length straw blond hair. Leggy. Moved well. Touch of arrogance. Dressed in green. Piercing blue eyes. Liked Dylan and the Stones. You know the type.

It was 1972 and we met in North London, Gunter Netzer and I. Place called Wembley.