Gareth Southgate's Impossible Dream evokes memories of famous Wembley win

Once upon a different time I wrote a book entitled The Impossible Dream. It was the story of Ian Porterfield, the scorer of Sunderland's unbelievable Wembley winner in the FA Cup final of 1973 when a Second Division club somehow downed the mighty Leeds United of Don Revie in one of football's great upsets.

I got to thinking about it as I contemplated Gareth Southgate and England attempting to be crowned European champions after starting off so poorly that a nation's collective voice bellowed it was impossible and plastic cups were thrown at the manager.

However a tactical change of system, a release of fear amid a siege mentality, and a resilience to win any which way has turned the impossible into the possible. Pretty doesn't matter to these players. That's for candy floss.

READ MORE: Jack Clarke sold, Niang signs and Sunderland's summer transfers predicted by AI

READ MORE: Jude Bellingham's heartwarming Jobe verdict and Sunderland messages revealed

Mind you Spain, the best team of the tournament by a country mile, block out the sunlight as we gaze towards Berlin and Sunday's final but then it was the same with Leeds of Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer, Allan Clarke, Johnny Giles and Eddie Gray who cast a huge shadow over Wembley that fanciful day 51 years ago.

They put up a statue to Bob Stokoe for what he achieved against colossal odds. Would they do anything for Southgate if he pulled off The Dream?

Gratitude of course is a trait which doesn't last long in football. Stokoe was forced out at Sunderland a little while after promotion was eventually attained because no victories were managed in the first nine matches of top flight football while the greatest of them all, World Cup winner Alf Ramsey, was eventually sacked by the FA despite his knighthood for services rendered. Football is a funny old game, as Jimmy Greaves used to say, but there aren't many laughs.