Euro 96: Gazza, the Dentist’s Chair and Teddy Sheringham in a kilt – the best pictures from England vs Scotland 20 years ago
SunSport's chief sports photographer Richard Pelham relays the stories behind those memorable – and infamous – pics from Euro 96 classic
SUNSPORT’S chief sports photographer Richard Pelham will be on duty for the England vs Scotland game at Wembley tonight – just over 20 years since he covered their infamous clash at Euro 1996.
To mark the oldest fixture in international football, Dickie has trawled through his award-winning photo album to bring you his pictures and memories of that famous clash, when Terry Venables’ Three Lions triumphed 2-0.
Our legend behind the lens also reveals his prediction for tonight’s 2018 qualifier.
So Dickie, how does the build-up to this battle with the Auld Enemy compare to 20 years ago?
RP: This game has had nowhere near the hype the one at Euro 96 had. The draw for only the second major tournament to be held in this country after 1966 was made in December 1995 so we had more than six months to come up with ideas for previews and features.
On one hand that gave me plenty of time to come with ideas but on the other it meant that it gave my rivals the chance to come up with the same stuff as well. So it was a double-edged sword. But the big advantage I had in those days was that players were not cocooned like they are now and journalists and photographers were still able to have relationships with them.
How did the pic of Paul Gascoigne in that suit come about?
RP: Shortly after Gazza joined Rangers I was sent up there and told to ‘live with him for four and five days’ with a view to getting a photo of him for the Euros.
I had remembered from watching the TV coverage of his arrival at Ibrox that a fan had presented him with this very dapper tartan suit. So on my way up there I thought, I am having him in that for my Euro 96 pic for the day of the game.
I already knew Gazza having photographed him many times before. He was brilliant to photograph, and would do almost anything for the cameras.
That’s why the media and the nation loved him.
Back then he was such big news newspapers would send two photographers to every game he played in - one to photograph the game and the other just to photograph him.
I remember on one occasion in December 1990 when he was playing for Tottenham and they were losing 1-0 and down to nine men against Luton.
Spurs got back to 1-1 and Gazza was absolutely running the show.
He then came over to near where I was positioned to take a corner but there was a delay because of an injury. So I was taking pics of the player receiving treatment when I heard a shutter drive going off.
I looked round and Gazza had picked up one of my other cameras, which had been lying on the ground, was taking pictures.
It wasn’t even digital back then and he wasted a whole film of 36 exposures. All the fans were laughing. It was brilliant. And he ensured Tottenham won the game by setting up Paul Stewart’s winner.
So I knew he was game for a laugh and when I arrived at the Loch Lomond Hotel – where he was living – he asked me what I wanted him to do and I told him I wanted him in that suit in front of a Scottish castle.
He didn’t bat an eyelid, he just said ‘Yeah let’s do it’ and it went like a dream. No fuss or anything.
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You even managed to get Teddy Sheringham to dress up?
RP: It took me a couple of weeks to persuade Teddy to do this one, but in the end he agreed.
When I asked him if he wouldn’t mind dressing up as the Scottish character from the Russ Abbott Show he was a bit reluctant at first.
But then he showed what a class act he is by doing it.
It would never happen these days because players are too precious. But back then they were up for a laugh – and, most importantly, they could have a laugh at themselves.
So I went to Tottenham’s training ground to do it.
I gave Teddy the costume in a bag so he could get changed and waited for him to come out.
He then burst out of the changing room in all the gear, shouting at his team-mate Scotland team-mate Colin Calderwood: “See you, Jimmy.”
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Everybody was in hysterics. He really got into the part and it made a great pic.
I also did Sheringham up as a Teddy boy. Back then the players were queuing up to appear on back page of The Sun and if it meant dressing up they would do it.
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That is a great shot of Gazza’s goal and celebration - is there a tale behind it?
RP: One moment I was cursing my luck for being at the wrong end of the pitch when David Seaman saved Gary McAllister’s penalty. I was thinking I had missed the story of the match.
Then seconds later I was thanking my lucky stars as Gazza chips the ball over Colin Hendry and volleys England 2-0 up for one of Wembley’s most memorable goals which was eclipsed only by the famous ‘Dentist’s Chair’ celebration.
That goal capped the greatest few minutes of football I have ever covered and shows what a rollercoaster life being a photographer is.
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What else do you remember about that match?
RP: My abiding memory of the game, apart from Gazza’s goal, is that someone in our marketing department played an amazing stroke – as every England fan in the Wembley crowd seemed to be wearing one of The Sun’s George Cross plastic bowler hats. It was a PR masterstroke.
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So how will tonight’s match go?
RP: England will not lose, that is all I will say.
RICHARD PELHAM was talking to PAUL JIGGINS