‘I don’t look back at that time with any type of happiness…’
The departure of Gareth Southgate combined with the absence of former likeable England players such as Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire has severely dampened my enthusiasm for the upcoming World Cup. That being said, one of the great things about any major tournament is that they usually bring with them a swathe of new football documentaries to pour over. Unfortunately, England 2006: The Golden Generation is not one of the best…
The so called titular ‘Golden Generation’ consisted of such footballing luminaries as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard (as well as Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand et al). This documentary presents them as a group of players arriving at an international football tournament at the top of their game and not as a bunch of arrogant, overrated prima donnas who couldn’t put their own differences aside for the sake of the greater good. The latter is closer to the truth, of course, but as everybody interviewed here was very much on the inside of the England camp (aside from a few token journalists who speak almost exclusively about the England WAGs) nobody will admit it. Surprisingly, Rio Ferdinand, a man I usually detest, comes closest to understanding the truth as to why the players failed (not the WAGs, not the press, not the manager, but the players themselves).
It’s not all hagiographical, however. Some of the archive footage is lovely, and it’s fascinating to return to a time in which football was not only a totally different sport to the lifeless husk we are left with today, but also far superior. I found it incredibly satisfying to watch an hours worth of football content without having to worry about VAR.
The Golden Generation isn’t essential viewing, particularly for none England fans, but it did spark a small sliver of enthusiasm for the formerly Beautiful Game in time for the upcoming World Cup, and for that, the experience was worthwhile.