User:Cupcake92/Football/National Teams (CSA)/England

The England national CSA football team represents England in international CSA football. The team is currently managed by Italian Marco Garibaldi and play their home matches at the Vodafone Stadium.

England are the current World and European champions, and are currently ranked first in the CSA World Rankings. Since 2011, England have used joint-captains, Daniel Perry and John Macdonald; previously, Perry had held exclusive captaincy.

History
The England CSA team can be traced back to 1958, when a group of young semi-pro footballers in north-west London were inspired by England's run in the FIFA World Cup in Sweden, that they decided to form their own, unofficial, England side. They played their first friendly against a Scotland XI, comprised entirely of non-league players from Glasgow, in October 1958. After that historic match, in which England won 5-2, the Football Federation of England (a predecessor to the current-day CSA England) was founded, and took charge of the aforementioned unofficial England side. Players from across England (not just London) could now be selected, and they played two matches in 1959, against Wales and Northern Ireland.

In 1962, the English League of Football was founded, with London City, Western Villa and Portdean among the founder clubs. These semi-pro footballers would go on to play in the ELF, while continuing the represent England. That same year, the first annual "semi-pro" Home Nations Championship took place, with England brushing aside Scotland, Wales and (Northern) Ireland for perfect three out of three wins to take the inaugural championship.

The World Football Association was established in 1972, with Belgium, France, Denmark, (West) Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden founding members. The British quartet of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland didn't join until two years later in 1974, however the Republic of Ireland (the closest country to Britain) joined in '73. Argentina, Brazil, Italy and many other top footballing nations joined by 1976, and that same year the first ever WFA World Cup was announced to be held in 1978 in France, by that time WFA football had gone fully professional.

Among the invited were England (who had just won their third straight Home Championship in a row), West Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands joining hosts France. England were drawn with West Germany, Argentina and Spain. It all started brightly in Toulouse, England managing a 1-0 win against the Spanish, with striker Billy Reeves scoring. But it all turned sour in Paris against Argentina. After Trevor Baines had put England ahead, Argentina were awarded a questionable penalty in stoppage time, Bobby Plantflower adjudged to have hauled down Juan Miguel Perrotta, although replays suggest that Perrotta clearly dived. The Argentinian striker coolly slotted the penalty, and England needed to get a result against West Germany in Marseille. Once again, more controversy followed. Horst Schneider gave the lead to the Germans, despite that he was a fraction offside. Late in the game with the Germans still leading 1-0, German midfielder Helmut Klingler launched a shocking two-footed lunge tackle on England skipper Bobby Plantflower, the London City defender left shaken by the challenge. But almost beyond belief, the referee had not sent off or even booked Klingler, instead when Plantflower, who was already booked, got his feet, the referee showed him a second yellow and then the red, because he though he was the aggressor. A massive pitch invasion by the English fans followed and the game was abandoned with the score remaining 1-0 to the Germans. England were out.

Team kit
England traditionally wear white shirts, navy blue shorts and white socks as their first-choice kit. However in recent times, they have worn an all-white kit which was their first-choice in the 2010 CSA World Cup. In 2011, they reverted to blue shorts, although this time in a slate blue rather than navy. England's second strip is usually red shorts, white shorts, red socks. But sometimes they have worn all-red (as they did in a friendly against Slovenia in 2009), and their new away kit they unveiled in summer 2011 has the same shorts as the home kit - although a white pair is available when required.

England have also worn a third kit. In 1995, they premiered an all sky-blue kit with navy trim in their record 12-0 win over Luxembourg. In 1996, they had worn a navy shirt with red shorts in a friendly against Croatia, unpopular with England fans because navy shirts are usually associated with Scotland. Despite fans' disapproval, England had worn a third strip in all navy during the latter part of 2000s. But in 2010, they had brought back the sky blue kit, this time trimmed in red instead of navy.

Adidas currently hold the rights to make the kit, as they have done since 2006. Reebok previously held the contract since 1998, which expired following the 2006 CSA World Cup. Before then Nike had the contract from 1994 to 1998, and before that Adidas from 1986 to the end of 1993.

Media coverage
Since 2008, BTN and Action Sports have held the rights to show England games on television in the United Kingdom. Before then, TOTV shared with Action Sports. Below is a history of England TV contracts.


 * ????-1988 - TOTV & Channel 7
 * 1988-1994 - TOTV, TV9 & Channel 7
 * 1994-1997 - TOTV
 * 1997-2001 - BTN & Action Sports
 * 2002-2008 - TOTV & Action Sports
 * 2008-2012 - BTN & Action Sports

Current squad
Squad for the friendly against Norway on 10 August 2011.

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Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the England squad within the last twelve months.

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Seasons

 * 2011 England season