FA chairman Bert Millichip was alleged to have reneged on a handshake deal with Germany over the 2006 World Cup. After England hosted Euro '96, the veteran lawyer reportedly agreed to back Germany as host for World Cup 2006. Months later, the FA angered the Germans and put in a rival bid.
Occasionally, the FA has been the victim.
Don Revie walked out on England in 1977 to take a highly paid, tax-free job in the United Arab Emirates, negotiating the deal in Dubai instead of watching a game in Helsinki, Finland.
Kevin Keegan, who replaced Hoddle and was Eriksson's predecessor, stunned a post-match news conference after a World Cup qualifying loss at home to Germany by announcing he had quit.
But another coach appointed by the FA because of modest successes at club level was humiliated by the tabloids because of abject failure at international level.
Graham Taylor's England failed to win a game at the 1992 Euros and didn't make it to the '94 World Cup in the US.
To the horror of the FA, the tabloids superimposed Taylor's head on a picture of a turnip after England had lost to Sweden at the Euros, under the headline: Swedes 2, Turnips 1.
RSS