Top 10: England's Worst Defeats

[notsosilentbob]

1) USA 1 England 0 - 1950. The scale of humiliation not only depends on the margin of defeat but the level of expectation. England were believed to be the best football team in the world, to get beaten by American part-timers shattered this illusion.

2) England 3 Hungary 6 - 1953. Maybe it was a fluke in Brazil. Due to conditions and travel, England were still the best team in the world right? Wrong. A Ferenc Puskas-inspired Hungary came to Wembley and took England to school. This ended any perception that the nation who taught the world to play football were the masters of the art.

3) England 2 Scotland 3 - 1967. The world champions knew their unbeaten run would come to and end at some time but not to their arch-rivals on home turf. In fairness, Scotland had a very talented side but the sight of Jim Baxter juggling the ball in the second half really rubbed it in.

4) England 18 Argentina 25 - 2006. A defeat on the road in Argentina might have been forgiven but not at the home of English rugby - especially barely three years after the World Cup triumph. This more than anything else made Andy Robinson's exit inevitable.

5) England lose by 83 runs to New Zealand - 1999. This defeat in the Fourth Test at The Oval meant England lost the Test series 2-1 and were ranked the seventh best Test team in the world, or to put it another way the worst Test playing nation in the world.

6) New Zealand 45 England 29 - 1995. The scoreline did not reflect the disparity in this game. Jonah Lomu's four tries ensured an All Black victory but the manner of the scores, running over England defenders made it look like men against boys.

7) England lose by 277 runs to Australia - 2006. The first defeat in 1989 runs this close and that was at home, but the humiliating events of the first three days puts this in the top ten.

8) USA 2 England 0 - 1993. The best part of half a century down the line, a defeat to the United States still stung as badly. Yanks 2 Planks 0, was the memorable headline the following day. The fact that England under Graham Taylor were already in disarray, having lost in Norway and with World Cup qualification meant hopes were not high for their tour of America, but to lose in this manner, especially to a goal from a part-time wannabe rock star with a bad haircut showed how low England had stooped.

9) Northern Ireland 1 England 0 - 2005. Defeat to Northern Ireland 20 years earlier would not have caused much of a storm, but this Irish team was without their best player Neil Lennon and most of the team did not have any top flight experience. Sven Goran Eriksson's disastrous tactic of playing David Beckham as 'quarterback' backfired and David Healy's goal sealed victory for the Windsor Park faithful.

10) England lose by seven runs to Australia. 1882. England had lost tests to Australia away from home but with a depleted side. This was the first time they had been humbled by the visitors at home and led to the famous Sporting Times headline proclaiming the death of English cricket.