When England were great at football

[Guilbert]

With a couple of England matches coming up, where we are likely to struggle, it may be worth looking back nearly 50 years when we were GREAT at football.

Here are six England results between October 1960 and May 1961.

Six wins and 40 goals scored.

I am just about old enough to remember this, I was 11 years old.

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08/10/1960 Northern Ireland, Home C, Won 5-2

Scorers: Bobby Smith, Jimmy Greaves 2, Bobby Charlton, Bryan Douglas
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19/10/1960 Luxembourg, WC Qualifier, Won 9-0

Scorers: Jimmy Greaves 3, Bobby Charlton 3, Bobby Smith 2, Johnny Haynes
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26/10/1960 Spain, Friendly, Won 4-2

Scorers: Jimmy Greaves, Bryan Douglas, Bobby Smith 2
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23/11/1960 Wales, Home C, Won 5-1

Scorers: Jimmy Greaves 2, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Smith, Johnny Haynes
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15/04/1961 Scotland, Home C, Won 9-3

Bobby Robson, Jimmy Greaves 3, Bryan Douglas, Bobby Smith 2, Johnny Haynes 2
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10/05/1961 Mexico, Friendly, Won 8-0

Gerry Hitchens, Bobby Charlton 3, Bryan Douglas 2, Bobby Robson, Ron Flowers (pen)
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[IdolLiesDroog2]

So what you're saying is Jimmy Greaves wasn't always annoying? To be honest I didn't realise he was ever that good though - no one really mentions him

[leobloom]

44 goals in 57 internationals, 357 in 516 First Division matches, He missed the quarter finals against Argentina(through injury) in 1966 and never really got much chances after that, I think Sir Alf didn't like him much from what I know.

[Guilbert]

And didn't Greaves score in every one of his "first" games.

First game for Spurs, for WHU, for Milan (?), for England under 21, full England etc.

In his prime Greaves was a GREAT goal scorer.

If he was around today he would be worth more than Torres!

Clip here from 1965 with Spurs stuffing Man Utd (with Charlton, Best etc)



See Greaves wonderful goal about 45 seconds in