When Football Came Home is the story of the 1996 European Championship played out in England, the centerpiece of a momentous and unforgettable summer, Britain's second summer of love. In the space of a month the England team went from staggering out of a Hong Kong nightclub in disgrace to within a stud's width of reaching the final at Wembley. It was a summer that nobody really wanted to end—and certainly not as it did, losing against Germany on penalties. With a spirit of togetherness, Terry Venables and his players captured the hearts of the nation in a way not seen since Italia 90—but Euro 96 had an extra edge. Played on home soil, it took place at an extraordinary time in British history. New Labour were poised to end a generation of Tory rule and Cool Britannia was on the rise, as a comatose culture had been revived and Britpop provided the soundtrack to it all. That communal spirit of June 1996 is recaptured in these pages. It wasn't all euphoria—during that month there were riots on the streets of the UK, accusations of spying, race fights, and even a terrorist attack during the tournament. Every single aspect is brought back to life for the first time here—the fraught and often controversial build-up, the tournament in full, and the lasting impact it had on English soccer and the nation.
