Keegan, the Toilet and Why England Fans Should Cherish The Current Era

Bog Standard

Toilet humor has long been the comfort zone of your Daily, and writers stay alert of notable bog-related stories and milestones, particularly within football. Readers were entertained to find out that a prominent writer a well-known presenter has a West Brom-themed urinal in his house. Reflect for a moment about the Tykes follower who interpreted the restroom somewhat too seriously, and had to be saved from a deserted Oakwell post-napping in the lavatory midway through a 2015 losing match versus the Cod Army. “His footwear was missing and had lost his mobile phone and his hat,” elaborated an official from the local fire department. And who can forget during his peak popularity at Manchester City, the controversial forward popped into a local college to access the restrooms during 2012. “His luxury car was stationed outside, then entered and inquired the location of the toilets, then he went to the teachers’ staff room,” a pupil informed a Manchester newspaper. “Subsequently he wandered around the college grounds acting like the owner.”

The Lavatory Departure

Tuesday marks 25 years since Kevin Keegan stepped down as the England coach following a short conversation in a toilet cubicle together with Football Association official David Davies in the underground areas of Wembley, following that infamous 1-0 defeat versus Germany during 2000 – the national team's concluding fixture at the famous old stadium. As Davies recalls in his journal, FA Confidential, he had entered the sodden troubled England locker room immediately after the match, discovering David Beckham crying and Tony Adams energized, both of them pleading for the official to reason with Keegan. After Dietmar Hamann's set-piece, Keegan moved wearily along the passageway with a blank expression, and Davies discovered him collapsed – reminiscent of his 1996 Liverpool behavior – in the dressing room corner, whispering: “I’m off. I’m not for this.” Stopping Keegan, Davies tried desperately to save the circumstance.

“What place could we identify [for a chat] that was private?” stated Davies. “The passageway? Swarming with media. The changing area? Crowded with emotional footballers. The bathing section? I couldn't conduct an important discussion with an England manager as players dived into the water. Only one option presented itself. The lavatory booths. A dramatic moment in England’s long football history took place in the vintage restrooms of a venue scheduled for destruction. The impending destruction could almost be smelled in the air. Dragging Kevin into a cubicle, I closed the door after us. We stood there, facing each other. ‘You cannot persuade me,’ Kevin stated. ‘I'm leaving. I'm not capable. I'll announce to journalists that I'm not competent. I cannot inspire the squad. I can’t get the extra bit out of these players that I need.’”

The Aftermath

Therefore, Keegan stepped down, later admitting that he had found his period as Three Lions boss “without spirit”. The two-time European Footballer of the Year stated: “I found it hard to fill in the time. I found myself going and training the blind team, the deaf squad, assisting the women's team. It's an extremely challenging position.” The English game has progressed significantly during the last 25 years. Whether for good or bad, those stadium lavatories and those iconic towers have long disappeared, although a German now works in the technical area Keegan previously used. Tuchel's team is considered among the frontrunners for next year’s Geopolitics World Cup: Three Lions supporters, appreciate this period. This particular anniversary from one of the Three Lions’ darkest days acts as a memory that circumstances weren't consistently this positive.

Live Updates

Tune in with Luke McLaughlin at 8pm British Summer Time for Women's major tournament coverage concerning Arsenal's match against Lyon.

Today's Statement

“We stood there in a lengthy line, wearing only our undergarments. We represented Europe's top officials, elite athletes, role models, grown-ups, parents, determined individuals with great integrity … but no one said anything. We hardly glanced at one another, our looks wavered slightly nervously while we were called forward two by two. There Collina inspected us completely with an ice-cold gaze. Quiet and watchful” – ex-international official Jonas Eriksson reveals the humiliating procedures referees were previously subjected to by former Uefa head of referees Pierluigi Collina.
A fully dressed Jonas Eriksson
A fully dressed Jonas Eriksson, earlier. Photograph: Example Source

Daily Football Correspondence

“What does a name matter? There’s a poem by Dr Seuss titled ‘Too Many Daves’. Has Blackpool experienced Excessive Steves? Steve Bruce, along with aides Steve Agnew and Steve Clemence have been shown through the door marked ‘Do One’. So is that the end of the club’s Steve obsession? Not quite! Steve Banks and Steve Dobbie remain to manage the main squad. Total Steve progression!” – John Myles

“Now you have loosened the purse strings and provided some branded items, I have decided to put finger to keypad and share a brief observation. Ange Postecoglou states that he picked fights in the school playground with kids he expected would overpower him. This self-punishing inclination must explain his decision to join Nottingham Forest. As an enduring Tottenham follower I'll continue appreciating the subsequent season award yet the only follow-up season honor I predict him achieving by the Trent, if he lasts that long, is the Championship and that would be some struggle {under the present owner” – Stewart McGuinness.|

Cassandra Boyle
Cassandra Boyle

A passionate horticulturist with over a decade of experience in organic gardening and landscape design.