With another Euro 2016 Qualifier over and done with footy fans on both sides of the border will now have their attentions firmly turned to Tuesday night’s clash with Scotland at Celtic Park.
It is the oldest international fixture in the world, first played in 1872, and it is the most played fixture as well, with both countries having played 111 official matches against each other. Just for the record England are 46-41 up in games with 24 draws.
This is effectively the return leg from last August’s fixture at Wembley in which England twice came from behind to win 3-2 with a goal from striker Rickie Lambert in what was his first touch in International football.
That fixture was also the first time the teams had met in 14 years, and the first ‘friendly’ they had played in 24 years, as the ‘Battle Of Britain’ as it has been dubbed by the media was an almost forgotten event.
There have been some classics over the years in this clash. You would be hard pressed to remember Scotland’s 5-1 victory at Wembley in 1928, and a good few of us would struggle to even remember England’s 9-3 demolition of the Scots in 1961, or Scotland’s revenge in ’67 by beating the then World Champions 3-2 in their own back yard, however what might be fresher is Paul Gascoigne's spectacular goal and ‘dentist's chair’ celebration during England’s victory in a vital clash at Euro 96.
Both teams could use this as a chance to further blood some fresh new talent, but both Roy Hodgson and Gordon Strachan would be brave men to try something too risky with so much national pride at stake.