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No Time For Tuchel To Chicken Out

Ahead of England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway, ROB SHEPHERD revisits the infamous 'headless chickens' saga that helped bring down Graham Taylor and explains why Thomas Tuchel cannot afford history repeating itself.

10.07.26, 01:00 Updated 10.07.26, 02:08 6 Minute Read

Rob Shepherd

Rob Shepherd

The day before England’s infamous World Cup qualifying defeat to Norway in June 1993, I bumped into Graham Taylor at the top of a ski jump.

It was then still an active monolith of the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics.

Along with fellow football hack Cathal Dervan, of the Daily Star, I, then of Today newspaper, had opted for an early morning stroll in advance of a pre-match press conference ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifier.

We were a bit taken aback when we happened upon England manager Taylor about to pose for the press photographers in front of the said ski jump, which was just a few yards from our mountainside hotel.

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