TALK of the Euros has been at fever pitch for the last week.
Euro 96 that is.
Television, the Press and social media all went into nostalgia overdrive as we all looked back fondly on the tournament that brought the fun factor back to supporting England.
As we all know, England hosted it and were cruelly halted by Germany on penalties at the semi-final stage.
Those clips of Paul Gascoigne’s goal, Stuart Pearce celebrating, Gareth Southgate’s penalty and Baddiel & Skinner’s song still set off the butterflies in the stomach as a national reputation for hooliganism and violence was blown away.
But the biggest thing you notice looking back is just how far a little bit of character can take you.
Terry Venables' Three Lions were panned by the media going into the tournament for a wild night out during their Far East tour.
It featured a number of star players, booze-soaked clothes, a dentist’s chair and a set of debauched photos that set the red-top press on fire.
Alan Shearer had not scored an international goal in two years and England made a rubbish start - but they came through it and took the tournament by storm as our big stars stepped up when it mattered most.
Goal-shy Shearer ended his drought and banged in five to win the Golden Boot.
Gazza silenced his critics with a wonder goal against Scotland before picking apart Holland’s defence in a 4-1 win that saw us top our group.
And Pearce banished his World Cup Italia ’90 spot-kick miss by hammering in two shootout pens, roaring to the crowd and releasing six years of pent-up frustration.
Then there was boss Venables, an East London wide-boy, respected and loved in equal measure by the group for his ability to have fun but knuckle down when necessary.
You only have to look at the attendance figures for Wembley friendlies to see the difference the 1996 tournament made and how the effect is still lasting, two decades on.
The six leading up to Euro 96 drew an average gate of just 29,341. In the six after, it was 54,201. Now that same statistic is up to a staggering 71,481.
We might not have won the tournament but, that summer, football definitely came home.
Going into Euro 2016 we have none of the controversy of 20 years ago - yet are we really any better off for it?
Yes, we have an exciting core of uninhibited rookies but some of the more established players are failing to step up and share the burden of responsibility.
This side definitely can turn on the style, we saw it in the second half of the 3-2 comeback win in Germany in March.
But lacklustre wins over Turkey, Australia and Portugal have seen turgid and predictable football that is failing to win over the Press and is increasingly worrying the fans.
In Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney, England have the attacking talent to be a real threat in France. We know that.
What we don't know is who can unlock the ball and chain weighing them all down.
Talk is turning to injury risks and failing formations as we once again start drifting towards a major tournament, desperately devoid of the fun factor that defined 1996.
Who can lift the group and release the pressure valve to bring them all out of their shells?
It might only take a moment - a flash of skill, a moment of genius, or even just a well-placed wisecrack.
But it can prove to be the platform for a whole tournament and, as we have seen, it can last a generation.
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