Published 26 November 2023 5 min read
England
'A charismatic figure in football' - Terry Venables
A look at the playing and coaching career of former England player and manager Terry Venables, who sadly passed away on Saturday 25 November 2023
We are saddened to hear of the passing of former England player and manager Terry Venables at the age of 80.
A charismatic figure in English football throughout his career, Terry made his mark on the sport both as a player and a manager and influenced many of the players he worked with as a coach who have since gone on to forge their own coaching careers.
In particular, his spell as England manager between 1994 and 1996 really etched him into the annals of English footballing history.
During his spell with England, he led the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the UEFA EURO 1996 tournament on home soil, a campaign which captured the nation's imagination and is still fondly remembered by those who witnessed it.
Venables instilled a sense of pride and optimism throughout English football during that summer and the tournament became synonymous with the iconic anthem "Football's Coming Home," reflecting the collective hope and passion he inspired.
A charismatic figure in English football throughout his career, Terry made his mark on the sport both as a player and a manager and influenced many of the players he worked with as a coach who have since gone on to forge their own coaching careers.
In particular, his spell as England manager between 1994 and 1996 really etched him into the annals of English footballing history.
During his spell with England, he led the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the UEFA EURO 1996 tournament on home soil, a campaign which captured the nation's imagination and is still fondly remembered by those who witnessed it.
Venables instilled a sense of pride and optimism throughout English football during that summer and the tournament became synonymous with the iconic anthem "Football's Coming Home," reflecting the collective hope and passion he inspired.
Born on 6 January 1943, in Dagenham, east London, Venables's represented some of England's most prominent clubs as a player, playing for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace during the 1960s and early 1970s.
As a midfielder, Venables exhibited a commendable blend of vision, passing ability, and leadership on the field. His performances earned him recognition at the domestic level and international caps for the England national team, winning four caps for the U23s and two caps at senior level.
But it was on the touchline and training pitch where he was really able to express himself, as
he transitioned seamlessly from player to coach and manager.
His managerial career began at Crystal Palace in 1976, where he spent four years in charge at Selhurst Park and took the Eagles to two promotions from the Third Division in 1977, before guiding the club to the Second Division title in 1979.
As a midfielder, Venables exhibited a commendable blend of vision, passing ability, and leadership on the field. His performances earned him recognition at the domestic level and international caps for the England national team, winning four caps for the U23s and two caps at senior level.
But it was on the touchline and training pitch where he was really able to express himself, as
he transitioned seamlessly from player to coach and manager.
His managerial career began at Crystal Palace in 1976, where he spent four years in charge at Selhurst Park and took the Eagles to two promotions from the Third Division in 1977, before guiding the club to the Second Division title in 1979.
He left in 1980 to join Queens Park Rangers, where another successful spell followed. A crowning achievement came in 1983 when he guided his former club to promotion into the top flight, a year after taking the west Londoners to the FA Cup Final of 1982 while still a second division team.
His final season at Loftus Road saw the club finish fifth in the First Division and qualify for the UEFA Cup, before he took the opportunity to move abroad and manage Barcelona in 1984.
It was during his time in Spain that he earned the moniker ‘El Tel’ as he led the Catalan giants to the Spanish league title in 1985, their first in eleven years, and the Copa del Rey in 1986.
He returned to England and another of his former clubs in 1987 when he took over at Tottenham Hotspur, eventually leading them to victory in the FA Cup in 1991.
His final season at Loftus Road saw the club finish fifth in the First Division and qualify for the UEFA Cup, before he took the opportunity to move abroad and manage Barcelona in 1984.
It was during his time in Spain that he earned the moniker ‘El Tel’ as he led the Catalan giants to the Spanish league title in 1985, their first in eleven years, and the Copa del Rey in 1986.
He returned to England and another of his former clubs in 1987 when he took over at Tottenham Hotspur, eventually leading them to victory in the FA Cup in 1991.
SOUTHGATE PAYS TRIBUTE TO TERRY VENABLES
The following two years saw him take on an executive role at White Hart Lane, before leaving the club in 1993, paving the way for him to take over as England manager following the departure of Graham Taylor.
During his spell as Three Lions boss, Venables led his squad into EURO 96 after just over a year of fine-tuning his team and tactics with a series of international games before they caught the nation’s imagination during the tournament.
Victories over Scotland and the Netherlands in the group stage set up a quarter-final with Spain at Wembley, where a penalty shootout win put them into the last four.
After taking the lead through Alan Shearer before being pegged back by a Germany equaliser from Andreas Moller, the Three Lions came agonisingly close to scoring a ‘Golden Goal’ in extra time through Paul Gascoigne before the tie was settled on spot-kicks.
Unfortunately, this time it didn’t go in England’s favour as Germany went on to win the title by beating Czechia in the Final at Wembley.
During his spell as Three Lions boss, Venables led his squad into EURO 96 after just over a year of fine-tuning his team and tactics with a series of international games before they caught the nation’s imagination during the tournament.
Victories over Scotland and the Netherlands in the group stage set up a quarter-final with Spain at Wembley, where a penalty shootout win put them into the last four.
After taking the lead through Alan Shearer before being pegged back by a Germany equaliser from Andreas Moller, the Three Lions came agonisingly close to scoring a ‘Golden Goal’ in extra time through Paul Gascoigne before the tie was settled on spot-kicks.
Unfortunately, this time it didn’t go in England’s favour as Germany went on to win the title by beating Czechia in the Final at Wembley.
Venables left the England role after the tournament, having taken charge of 23 games, winning eleven, drawing eleven and losing once.
From there, he had spells as a manager with Australia- before returning to England for a second spell with Crystal Palace and then Leeds United and Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
As well as his achievements as a player and coach, Venables was also a popular media pundit and in more recent years spent time living in Spain as a hotelier before retiring in 2019.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Terry’s family and friends.
From there, he had spells as a manager with Australia- before returning to England for a second spell with Crystal Palace and then Leeds United and Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
As well as his achievements as a player and coach, Venables was also a popular media pundit and in more recent years spent time living in Spain as a hotelier before retiring in 2019.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Terry’s family and friends.