As the final German penalty condemned a nation to another round of soul-searching, George Cohen rose from his seat and shook his head.
In 1966, when Cohen played every minute of England's World Cup triumph, Sir Alf Ramsey's players were paid a £667 bonus after tax – and they were given a free raincoat each after the manager struck a private deal on Savile Row.
Thirty years of hurt later, Cohen was sitting next to an earnest Daily Mirror scribe at the Euro 96 semi-final where Gazza's despairing lunge, Darren Anderton hitting the post and the inevitable shoot-out persecution felt like a game show based on cruelty.
