England set out to win hearts and minds and then win games in Germany.
England far better travellers than in the era of snubbing hosts and diplomatic incidents.
England infamously caused a diplomatic incident in Beijing in 1996 when fielding the two Neville brothers against China at the Workers’ Stadium. Those of us covering the tour celebrated an historic occasion, the first time siblings had played for England since Bobby Charlton and Jack Charlton against Czechoslovakia in Guadalajara at the 1970 World Cup. Others were less impressed, furious even.
For the Chinese, the decision to have two brothers play against them was seen as a deliberate Western taunt given the incredibly sensitive issue of China’s one-child policy to control population growth. A lot of explaining, apologising and conciliatory hand-shaking was required.
Having eventually emerged from that storm, England flew on to Hong Kong to play the pink-clad Golden Select XI in a ridiculous exhibition match the FA wisely decided not to award caps for. England’s peerless capacity for upsetting hosts continued when they snubbed their offer of training facilities and then moaned about the length of grass at the Happy Valley stadium. Not so happy hosts.