Sure, domestic football is cool, but June is (normally) all about international tournaments and transfers – two of football’s greatest things.
11 June is a little early for finals and blockbuster deals, but there have still been plenty of exciting moments for us to enjoy on this day in history.
Let’s take a look at what went down on 11 June.
The great @Arsenal innovator, Herbert Chapman: http://t.co/co1SiLqISS pic.twitter.com/nJNxdmYenI
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 12, 2014
Arsène Wenger deserves plenty of credit for turning Arsenal into a global powerhouse, but he only had the chance to do so because of the legendary Herbert Chapman’s work in the 1930s.
In 1925, Chapman joined an Arsenal side which had been battling relegation for the last few years and were without a league title in what felt like an eternity. He quickly reinvented the team, guiding them to league titles in both 1930/31 and 1932/33 and set them back on their way to the top of the game.
? #OnThisDay in 1969, Newcastle United lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup after a 6-2 aggregate win against Újpest Dózsa in the final. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/JVuBZNaTXr
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 11, 2020
Newcastle United made their European debut in 1969 when they were invited to take part in the Inter-Cities cup, and it was a campaign to remember as the Magpies ended up winning the competition.
They picked up a 3-2 win over Hungarian side Újpest on this day in 1969 which led Joe Harvey’s side to a 6-2 win on aggregate. To this day, Harvey is the last Newcastle manager to win a major trophy.
30 years ago today, Gary Lineker accidentally followed through during a World Cup match ? pic.twitter.com/H4RpOwXgwZ
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 11, 2020
The Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with England at the 1990 World Cup is memorable for two reasons: Kevin Sheedy’s equaliser in Ireland’s first-ever World Cup game and Gary Lineker dropping a ‘number two’ on the pitch.
The iconic image of Lineker scrubbing his backside on the pitch and looking as though he wanted the ground to swallow him up will never be forgotten. Ever.
Chelsea agreed an £11m deal to sign a 22-year-old Frank Lampard from West Ham United on this day in 2001.
He spent 13 years with the Blues, racking up 648 appearances and a club-record 210 goals, and he came back to Stamford Bridge in 2019 to take over as manager. How’s that for a bargain?
While Lampard was busy sealing his move to Chelsea in 2001, a young Scot by the name of Billy Gilmour was born in Glasgow on the same day. How’s that for a coincidence?
‘Oh @billygilmourrr, how about that!’ pic.twitter.com/tVtktabg7L
— Chelsea FC (at ?) (@ChelseaFC) June 11, 2020
France won the 1998 World Cup and were seen as one of the best teams in the world. Just four years later, they were dumped out in the group stage.
Les Bleus lost 1-0 to Senegal and drew 0-0 with Uruguay, before falling to a 2-0 loss to Denmark on this day in 2002 which sealed their embarrassing fate.
Since that tournament, the 2006 World Cup is the only competition in which the reigning champion has not been eliminated in the group stage, with Italy, Spain and Germany all meeting the same fate in 2010, 2014 and 2018 respectively.
Football history was made on this day in 2009 as Real Madrid agreed a then-record £80m deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
438 appearances and a ridiculous 450 goals later, it’s safe to say that he was worth every penny of that.
On this day ?:
In 2010 @siphiweshabba scored a screamer for South Africa to open the @FIFAWorldCup in style ????
Watch all the action from 2018 on @ITV pic.twitter.com/OLGCkEeFuC
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 11, 2018
Goal Bofana Bofana! Goal for South Africa! Goal for all Africa!
South Africa star Siphiwe Tshabalala bagged a stunning opening goal at the 2010 World Cup which saw the rest of the world fall in love with the country. If you weren’t a fan of South Africa in 2010, you’re a liar.
England’s Euro 2016 campaign got off to a disappointing start as they fell to a 1-1 draw with Russia, but after Eric Dier’s free kick put the Three Lions ahead, England fans were imagining it could be their year.
It wasn’t their year. It really wasn’t their year.
“Doesn’t matter whether you scuff it or not.”
The pundits on that Robson-Kanu goal.
Watch the Euro 2016 rewind on @BBCOne and on the BBC Sport website ? https://t.co/KQhO9UjZ55#bbceuros #WALSVK16 pic.twitter.com/cP712XvN36
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 7, 2020
While England were floundering against Russia, Wales were busy winning their first tournament match in 58 years against debutants Slovakia.
Gareth Bale’s free kick gave Wales an early lead, but after an equaliser from Ondrej Duda, it was down to Hal Robson-Kanu to scuff home a late winner and send the Welsh fans wild.
The senior England side might not have much luck at tournaments, but the Under-20 squad made history in 2017 as they lifted the Under-20 World Cup.
The Young Lions bagged a 1-0 win over Venezuela in the final thanks to a goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and the squad also featured the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Dominic Solanke, Lewis Cook and Dean Henderson.
For more from ?Tom Gott, follow him on ?Twitter!
Let’