On This Day – 5th June

It was on this day in 1968 that Alan Mullery got the record that no one ever wanted – becoming the first England player to be sent off.

Mullery got his marching orders against Yugoslavia in the Semi Final of the European Championships. England lost the match 1-0. The game was being played in Florence, in a four-team tournament also including hosts Italy and the Soviet Union, who played out a goalless draw in Naples the same day. That match ended goalless so had to be decided by the toss of a coin (penalty shootouts were first used in the European Championships eight years later).
Italy beat Yugoslavia after a replay to win the trophy and England beat the Soviet Union to win the Third/Fourth Place Play Off.

Between 1964 and 1971, Alan Mullery won 35 England caps, scoring once. The goal came in the 1970 World Cup Quarter Final against West Germany.

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