Review of Official History Of The England Football Team, The

Introduction

Apart from a national tragedy, nothing brings the country together more than a major footballing event - a time when we wait with baited breath to see just how far they can go. I mean, we invented the game, so surely we should be the best. Um...yeah, I`ll come back to that later...

This 90 minute documentary chronics the origins of English football from the late 1880`s to 1996 - post-Euro `96 days, when we got ever so close but the bloody Germans again managed to overcome St. George`s Army. From the days when footballers weren`t mulit-million pound icons to the days when they are, you can still see a passion emerging from the onlookers and the players themselves.

It contains interviews with notable players from recent years, including the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final...Geoff Hurst. The main highlight is focusing on the the 1966 days, featuring the many epic matches that were fought on home soil during our victorious campaign, and how we came close to repeating the success 4 years later, but due to the keeper being struck down with a sudden illness, he missed out on the match against Brazil, and although we tried our damnest to avoid it, the Samba played on as Brazil marched onto an eventual win in the final. Seems rather like the 2002 cup...

Video

It is presented in a variety of ratios as it mixes archived footage with material recorded especially for the disc. Inevitably the quality differs, as some clips are crisp, whilst others are notably poor. However, due to the footage spanning over a century, it adds authenticity to the proceedings instead of making it unwatchable.

Some of the match clips get right into the action, and they still manage to replicate the tension and atmosphere of some of the biggest clashes in sporting history.

Audio

Various different audio tracks are on offer, and like the visuals, they change quality from match commentary to soundbite et cetera...but they maintain a good standard throughout.

Some of the things the players have to say are insightful, and the anecdotes they share are interesting.

Features

Due to the nature of the disc, there are no extras available, although perhaps a compilation of match clips or some sort of trivia game would have been good.

The menus are static with some background music, and they offer the choice of playing the documentary or chapter listings.

Conclusion

The documentary focuses on the broader picture instead of focusing on specific points, such as the 1966 triumph, but it still packs enough insight into make this very watchable for football fans alike.

Disc wise, it is good, and although the extras are none-existent, this is still worth a watch.