21 January 1997 - Shilton Finally Stops

On 21 January 1997, goalkeeper Peter Shilton played in his last match, setting the current League record of 1,005 appearances.

Shilton, who set the England cap record at 125 seven years earlier, started his club career in 1966 with Leicester City, where he soon ousted England's World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks. He went on to make 286 appearances for Leicester before leaving for Stoke City in 1974. There, he added another 110 appearances to his total, then moved on to Nottingham Forest (202), Southampton (188), and Derby County (175).

By the time he left Derby in 1992, his career was in decline, but he made another 34 appearances in three seasons for Plymouth Argyle. Between 1994 and 1996, he spent brief periods with Wimbledon, Bolton Wanderers, West Ham, and Coventry, but played in only a single League match for the lot of them.

In 1996, he joined Leyton Orient, where he made his last nine appearances. The final one was a Division Three contest at home against Wigan, but it wasn't a storybook ending for the 47-year old Shilton. The hosts took a first half lead with a goal from Scott McGleish (33'), but surrendered late strikes to Ian Kilford (62') and Graeme Jones (77') to lose 1-2.

25 November 1970 - Shilton Starts His Record Run

On 25 November 1970, England beat East Germany 3-1 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium. It was the debut for goalkeeper Peter Shilton who went on to become England's all-time appearances leader.

The 21-year old Shilton was a star for Leicester City, where he had displaced England World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks three years earlier. His performances for Leicester impressed Sir Alf Ramsey, who called him up for the match against East Germany.

He delivered a strong performance, surrendering only a 27th-minute goal to Eberhard Vogel, the 1969 East German Player of the Year. England, meanwhile, got goals from Francis Lee (12'), Martin Peters (21'), and Allan Clarke (63') en route to a comfortable win.

Injuries from a car accident ended Banks' career in 1972, with Shilton battling Liverpool keeper Ray Clemence to become the new England number one. The two split time for the next decade, though Shilton got the lion's share of appearances. By the time he retired in 1990, he had accumulated a total of 125, blowing past the previous record of 108 set by Bobby Moore.

4 May 1966 - Shilton Robs Banks

On 4 May 1966, goalkeeper Peter Shilton made the first of his Football League record 1,005 appearances, starting for Leicester in a 3-0 win over Everton.

Shilton joined Leicester's youth academy in 1963 at the age of 13, then moved up to the first team in 1966 at the insistence of their starting goalkeeper, Gordon Banks. He was only 16 when he got his first start, replacing Banks for a home match against Everton and keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 victory.

Banks went on to win the World Cup with England the following summer, but Leicester traded him away to Stoke soon after, preferring to stick with Shilton for the 1967-68 season. Shilton made 286 league appearances for Leicester before following in Banks's footsteps and moving to Stoke in 1974. After three seasons with Stoke, he moved again, and spent time at Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Bolton, Coventry, West Ham, and Leyton Orient before retiring in 1997 at the age of 47.

He also holds the appearance record for England, with 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.

26 July 2009 - A Fitting Farewell For Bobby Robson

On 26 July 2009, England and Germany played a rematch of their meeting in the 1990 World Cup in honor of former England manager Bobby Robson. Proceeds from the match went to his cancer charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The 1990 match, which was won by West Germany on penalty kicks, was Robson's last in charge after eight years at the helm of the national team. The sides met in the semi-finals, marking England's deepest run in the World Cup since winning it in 1966.

After leaving the England job, Robson managed several clubs, including PSV Eindhoven (1990-92, 1998-99), Sporting (1992-94), Porto (1994-96), Barcelona (1996-97), and, lastly, Newcastle United (1999-2004). During that time, he had been diagnosed with cancer on five separate occasions. The last diagnosis, in 2007, was terminal. Shortly afterward, in March 2008, he launched the Bobby Robson Foundation to fund cancer research, detection, and treatment.

The charity match was played at Newcastle's St. James' Park, with Robson in attendance. The England XI included ten members of the 1990 side, including Peter Shilton and Paul Gascoigne, while three players. Three players from the West German team, including captain Lothar Matthäus, joined the Germany XI. The remaining slots were filled by younger internationals and celebrity players such as singers Craig David and Simon Webbe.

History appeared likely to repeat itself as the Germans took an early 2-0 lead in the 18th minute, but England leveled before the break. Newcastle hero Alan Shearer provided the winning goal with a 79th minute penalty kick and the match ended 3-2 for England.

The match was Robson's last public appearance, as he passed away five days later. By the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6 million and by late 2009, that number had risen to £2 million.

7 July 1990 - Shilton Goes Out On A Low Note

On 7 July 1990, World Cup hosts Italy finished third by beating England 2-1 in the third-place match. It was the last of goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record 125 caps for England, as he retired from international competition after the tournament.

Both Italy and England were eliminated on penalty kicks in the semi-finals with identical 1-1 (4-3) scores as Italy lost to Argentina and England to West Germany to set up their meeting in the consolation match.

Playing before a crowd of 62,628 at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin, the two former World Cup champions had little to separate them until a mistake by Shilton (pictured) in the 71st minute. He stopped a shot on goal and set the ball down, not realizing that Roberto Baggio was right behind him. Baggio stole the ball away and passed it to fellow striker Salvatore Schillaci. As Shilton chased the ball, Baggio received a return pass from Schillaci in front of the open goal and knocked it home to put Italy up 1-0.

England equalized ten minutes later as a cross found midfielder David Platt in the box and he headed it into the net. But Schillaci put Italy back in front with an 86th-minute penalty kick after being tripped by England right-back Paul Parker just inside the box. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, making him only the second Italian player (after Paolo Rossi) to win the Golden Boot. Schillaci was joined at Juventus the following season by Baggio, and Platt eventually signed with the too in 1992.

Although it was Shilton's last match as an England player, he continued to play for various clubs until 1997.

22 June 1986 - The Hand Of God And The Goal Of The Century

On 22 June 1986, Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a World Cup quarterfinal match before a crowd of 114,580 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

The Falklands War between the two countries had ended just over four years prior, which added to an already intense rivalry between the national sides and raised the emotional stakes of the match. The Argentinians, managed by Carlos Bilardo, had the better of the first half, with most of the opportunities created by midfielder Diego Maradona. England keeper Peter Shilton held firm, however, and the teams reached halftime with a scoreless draw.

Six minutes after the break, English left midfielder Steve Hodge bobbled a clearance attempt, sending the ball into his own penalty area. Both Shilton and Maradona raced to meet it, with Shilton having an apparent advantage due to his 6' 1" (1.85 m) height, as compared to the 5' 5" (1.65 m) Maradona. Maradona got to the ball first, however, and punched it into the goal with his left hand. The referee, believing that Maradona had headed the ball into the net, allowed the goal to stand. After the match, Maradona told reporters that the goal was scored "un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios" (a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God). The goal thus became famous as the "Hand of God" goal.

Just four minutes later, Maradona scored an even more famous goal. He received the ball just inside his own half and proceeded to dribble through the English side, getting the shot off right before being tackled. The display of individual skill earned the title of "Goal of the Century" in a FIFA poll prior to the 2002 World Cup.

England striker Gary Lineker scored in the 80th minute, but Barry Robson's side was unable to produce an equalizer and Argentina won, 2-1. 

The Argentinians went on to win the tournament with a 3-2 victory of West Germany in the Final.

29 May 1963 - "... And A Child Shall Lead Them ... "

On 29 May 1963, center back Bobby Moore became England's youngest senior team captain at 22 years, 47 days.

Moore, who played for West Ham from 1958 to 1974, earned his first senior cap for England in May 1962 in a 4-0 friendly victory over Peru. He played a significant role for England in the 1962 World Cup, which ended in a quarterfinal defeat to eventual winners Brazil.

His appearance on 29 May 1963 was only his 12th for the national team. Long-serving captain Johnny Haynes had just retired and his immediate successor, Jimmy Armfield, was injured, leading new manager Alf Ramsey to hand the captain's armband to Moore. He rewarded Ramsey's faith by leading the team to a 4-2 win over Czechoslovakia.

Armfield reclaimed the captaincy upon his return, but Moore received it permanently in 1964. He led England to victory in the 1966 World Cup, which made him an English football icon. He made a total of 108 appearances for the national team, a record at the time that was later surpassed by goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps) and David Beckham (115).

21 January 1997 - Shilton Finally Stops

On 21 January 1997, goalkeeper Peter Shilton played in his last match, setting the current League record of 1,005 appearances.

Shilton, who set the England cap record at 125 seven years earlier, started his club career in 1966 with Leicester City, where he soon ousted England's World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks. He went on to make 286 appearances for Leicester before leaving for Stoke City in 1974. There, he added another 110 appearances to his total, then moved on to Nottingham Forest (202), Southampton (188), and Derby County (175).

By the time he left Derby in 1992, his career was in decline, but he made another 34 appearances in three seasons for Plymouth Argyle. Between 1994 and 1996, he spent brief periods with Wimbledon, Bolton Wanderers, West Ham, and Coventry, but played in only a single League match for the lot of them.

In 1996, he joined Leyton Orient, where he made his last nine appearances. The final one was a Division Three contest at home against Wigan, but it wasn't a storybook ending for the 47-year old Shilton. The hosts took a first half lead with a goal from Scott McGleish (33'), but surrendered late strikes to Ian Kilford (62') and Graeme Jones (77') to lose 1-2.

25 November 1970 - Shilton Starts His Record Run

On 25 November 1970, England beat East Germany 3-1 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium. It was the debut for goalkeeper Peter Shilton who went on to become England's all-time appearances leader.

The 21-year old Shilton was a star for Leicester City, where he had displaced England World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks three years earlier. His performances for Leicester impressed Sir Alf Ramsey, who called him up for the match against East Germany.

He delivered a strong performance, surrendering only a 27th-minute goal to Eberhard Vogel, the 1969 East German Player of the Year. England, meanwhile, got goals from Francis Lee (12'), Martin Peters (21'), and Allan Clarke (63') en route to a comfortable win.

Injuries from a car accident ended Banks' career in 1972, with Shilton battling Liverpool keeper Ray Clemence to become the new England number one. The two split time for the next decade, though Shilton got the lion's share of appearances. By the time he retired in 1990, he had accumulated a total of 125, blowing past the previous record of 108 set by Bobby Moore (Moore's record was since passed by David Beckham with 115).

4 May 1966 - Shilton Robs Banks

On 4 May 1966, goalkeeper Peter Shilton made the first of his Football League record 1,005 appearances, starting for Leicester in a 3-0 win over Everton.

Shilton joined Leicester's youth academy in 1963 at the age of 13, then moved up to the first team in 1966 at the insistence of their starting goalkeeper, Gordon Banks. He was only 16 when he got his first start, replacing Banks for a home match against Everton and keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 victory.

Banks went on to win the World Cup with England the following summer, but Leicester traded him away to Stoke soon after, preferring to stick with Shilton for the 1967-68 season. Shilton made 286 league appearances for Leicester before following in Banks's footsteps and moving to Stoke in 1974. After three seasons with Stoke, he moved again, and spent time at Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Bolton, Coventry, West Ham, and Leyton Orient before retiring in 1997 at the age of 47.

He also holds the appearance record for England, with 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.

14 November 1973 - Capello's Early Job Audition

On 14 November 1973, Italy beat England at Wembley with a late goal from future England manager Fabio Capello.

Capello, then a midfielder for Juventus, was in only his second year with the Azzurri. But he had already scored against England, helping lead Italy to their first-ever win over the Three Lions in Turin five months earlier.

When the teams met again in a friendly at Wembley that November, they were locked in a defensive struggle for most of the match, with Italy's Dino Zoff and England's Peter Shilton each performing well in goal. As full-time neared, striker Giorgio Chinaglia beat defender Bobby Moore and sent a cross in to Capello, who knocked it past Shilton for the match's only goal. It was Italy's second win over England and their first at Wembley.

Capello scored only 8 times in his international career, which lasted until 1976. In 1991, he turned to management and took charge of England in 2008.

26 July 2009 - A Fitting Farewell For Bobby Robson

On 26 July 2009, England and Germany played a rematch of their meeting in the 1990 World Cup in honor of former England manager Bobby Robson. Proceeds from the match went to his cancer charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The 1990 match, which was won by West Germany on penalty kicks, was Robson's last in charge after eight years at the helm of the national team. The sides met in the semi-finals, marking England's deepest run in the World Cup since winning it in 1966.

After leaving the England job, Robson managed several clubs, including PSV Eindhoven (1990-92, 1998-99), Sporting (1992-94), Porto (1994-96), Barcelona (1996-97), and, lastly, Newcastle United (1999-2004). During that time, he had been diagnosed with cancer on five separate occasions. The last diagnosis, in 2007, was terminal. Shortly afterward, in March 2008, he launched the Bobby Robson Foundation to fund cancer research, detection, and treatment.

The charity match was played at Newcastle's St. James' Park, with Robson in attendance. The England XI included ten members of the 1990 side, including Peter Shilton and Paul Gascoigne, while three players. Three players from the West German team, including captain Lothar Matthäus, joined the Germany XI. The remaining slots were filled by younger internationals and celebrity players such as singers Craig David and Simon Webbe.

History appeared likely to repeat itself as the Germans took an early 2-0 lead in the 18th minute, but England leveled before the break. Newcastle hero Alan Shearer provided the winning goal with a 79th minute penalty kick and the match ended 3-2 for England.

The match was Robson's last public appearance, as he passed away five days later. By the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6 million and by late 2009, that number had risen to £2 million.

7 July 1990 - Shilton Goes Out On A Low Note

On 7 July 1990, World Cup hosts Italy finished third by beating England 2-1 in the third-place match. It was the last of goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record 125 caps for England, as he retired from international competition after the tournament.

Both Italy and England were eliminated on penalty kicks in the semi-finals with identical 1-1 (4-3) scores as Italy lost to Argentina and England to West Germany to set up their meeting in the consolation match.

Playing before a crowd of 62,628 at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin, the two former World Cup champions had little to separate them until a mistake by Shilton (pictured) in the 71st minute. He stopped a shot on goal and set the ball down, not realizing that Roberto Baggio was right behind him. Baggio stole the ball away and passed it to fellow striker Salvatore Schillaci. As Shilton chased the ball, Baggio received a return pass from Schillaci in front of the open goal and knocked it home to put Italy up 1-0.

England equalized ten minutes later as a cross found midfielder David Platt in the box and he headed it into the net. But Schillaci put Italy back in front with an 86th-minute penalty kick after being tripped by England right-back Paul Parker just inside the box. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, making him only the second Italian player (after Paolo Rossi) to win the Golden Boot. Schillaci was joined at Juventus the following season by Baggio, and Platt eventually signed with the too in 1992.

Although it was Shilton's last match as an England player, he continued to play for various clubs until 1997.

22 June 1986 - The Hand Of God And The Goal Of The Century

On 22 June 1986, Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a World Cup quarterfinal match before a crowd of 114,580 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

The Falklands War between the two countries had ended just over four years prior, which added to an already intense rivalry between the national sides and raised the emotional stakes of the match. The Argentinians, managed by Carlos Bilardo, had the better of the first half, with most of the opportunities created by midfielder Diego Maradona. England keeper Peter Shilton held firm, however, and the teams reached halftime with a scoreless draw.

Six minutes after the break, English left midfielder Steve Hodge bobbled a clearance attempt, sending the ball into his own penalty area. Both Shilton and Maradona raced to meet it, with Shilton having an apparent advantage due to his 6' 1" (1.85 m) height, as compared to the 5' 5" (1.65 m) Maradona. Maradona got to the ball first, however, and punched it into the goal with his left hand. The referee, believing that Maradona had headed the ball into the net, allowed the goal to stand. After the match, Maradona told reporters that the goal was scored "un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios" (a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God). The goal thus became famous as the "Hand of God" goal.

Just four minutes later, Maradona scored an even more famous goal. He received the ball just inside his own half and proceeded to dribble through the English side, getting the shot off right before being tackled. The display of individual skill earned the title of "Goal of the Century" in a FIFA poll prior to the 2002 World Cup.

England striker Gary Lineker scored in the 80th minute, but Barry Robson's side was unable to produce an equalizer and Argentina won, 2-1.

The Argentinians went on to win the tournament with a 3-2 victory of West Germany in the Final.

29 May 1963 - "... And A Child Shall Lead Them ..."

On 29 May 1963, center back Bobby Moore became England's youngest senior team captain at 22 years, 47 days.

Moore, who played for West Ham from 1958 to 1974, earned his first senior cap for England in May 1962 in a 4-0 friendly victory over Peru. He played a significant role for England in the 1962 World Cup, which ended in a quarterfinal defeat to eventual winners Brazil.

His appearance on 29 May 1963 was only his 12th for the national team. Long-serving captain Johnny Haynes had just retired and his immediate successor, Jimmy Armfield, was injured, leading new manager Alf Ramsey to hand the captain's armband to Moore. He rewarded Ramsey's faith by leading the team to a 4-2 win over Czechoslovakia.

Armfield reclaimed the captaincy upon his return, but Moore received it permanently in 1964. He led England to victory in the 1966 World Cup, which made him an English football icon. He made a total of 108 appearances for the national team, a record at the time that was later surpassed by goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps) and David Beckham (109, as of the time of this writing).

19 April 1958 - A Striking Debut

On 19 April 1958, 20-year old Manchester United striker/midfielder Bobby Charlton made his international debut for England in a British Home Championship match against Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow. England won 4-0, with two goals from Derek Kevan, one from Bryan Douglas, and one from Charlton - his first in an English record of 49 international goals. His last international goal came in England's 4-0 win over Colombia in a friendly played on 20 May 1970 in Bogotá.

Charlton played for the English national team through the 1970 World Cup, where England was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Franz Beckenbauer's West German side. In all, Charlton made 106 national team appearances, a record at the time, though later surpassed by Bobby Moore (108), David Beckham (109), and Peter Shilton (125). Charlton now stands as the fourth most-capped player for England. His goal-scoring record still stands, however, almost 39 years after that last goal in Colombia.