No Place Like Home?

With all the Home Nations playing this week (we've included the Republic of Ireland in this just because we can!), we thought we'd have a look back at some of the memorable goals scored by our home grown players. The opinions expressed are mine, we've tried to pick from all nations and I expect a full debate to follow...

Joe Cole - England V Sweden 2006

We'll start with a player who showed so much potential at West Ham & Chelsea and was expected to go on to even better things with his Summer move to Liverpool. Joe Cole against Sweden, perhaps one day we'll see him again pulling on the an England jersey and scoring a beauty like this?

 Archie Gemmill - Scotland V Holland 1978

Now, I'm one of the older member's of the 442 staff so I remember watching this and Scotland's World Cup campaign on the telly back in the day. With England not qualifying I was cheering on the Tartan Army and although they won the game against the former finalists goal difference saw them go home early. But Archie Gemmill's goal was one recreated over and over again in the school playground!

                                         

Michael Owen England V Argentina 1998

What a way to announce yourself on the world stage, he look's about twelve in this clip! It was a game of "what if's?" to follow, Beckham's kick, Simone's reaction, a disallowed goal and two squandered penalties, but the goal by Owen lives longer in people's memories.

Gerry Armstrong Northern Ireland V Spain 1982

Another World Cup another Home Nation triumphant, maybe not the best goal that Gerry Armstrong has ever scored but arguably the most important. Northern Ireland were the underdogs against Spain but managed to hold on for an historic victory and passage through to the second round.

 Bobby Charlton England V Mexico 1966

 Next up, England's highest goalscorer. And how much as an England supporter, would you wish that we had a player now who could drive through the midfield before unleashing such an unstoppable, venomous shot into the back of the net?

David Narey - Scotland V Brazil 1982

To open the scoring for your country would be a dream for any international player, to do that and it to be such a well worked and taken goal you'd expect some plaudits, for it to be against Brazil in the World Cup Finals well you'd be on cloud nine! Oh and Jimmy Hill claimed it was a toe poke!

 

John Barnes - England V Brazil 1984

Ok, so it was a friendly but it was against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium and it is the first and only time that an England team have beaten Brazil in Brazil. Many people may say that this goal also guaranteed Barnes' place in England Squads for the rest of his career, but although not consistently, Barnes did show glimpses of brilliance again in the Three Lions shirt on several other occasions to follow.

 

 

Ronnie Whelan - Rep of Ireland V USSR 1988

 

Prior to any training ground bust up, the Republic of Ireland team, particularly under Jack Charlton showed alot of other International Teams how it should be done, how to play as a team with spirit, pride and a will to win. They were I guess the Crazy Gang of world football and some how they kept on upsetting the odds, no more so than in this game against the Soviet Union.

Paul Gascoigne - England V Scotland 1996

There's not much else that can be said about this goal that hasn't already been soliloquized, many a bar room pundit will pick this as their greatest ever England goal.

 Geoff Hurst - England V West Germany 1966

But for me, it's this one. In the 120th minute of the World Cup Final? Did he mean it? I think he did, still the only player to score a hat-trick in the Final of a World Cup Tournament. We can give them the dodgy "did it didn't it" goal and maybe karma paid us back in South Africa. But no one can take this moment away from any Englishman.

So there we have it, our pick of the Home Nations' goals. Yes we missed some out, I wanted to keep it to a nice round number and didn't want to be blogging all night! 

Feel free to tell us your views,we're hoping to do more features like this.What's your favourite goal? What would you like us to blog on? After all, football is all about opinion and we wouldn't be here without yours!