Most England managers lose their jobs over bad results: Roy Hodgson was sacked after being humiliated by Iceland, Graham Taylor for losing a must-win qualifier against Holland, Kevin Keegan quit after a bitter home defeat to Germany. There have been exceptions, though: Sam Allardyce went for bragging to an undercover reporter how he could do certain favours for a hefty fee, Fabio Capello after a row with the FA over John Terry’s captaincy when accused of racism, Don Revie defected to take UAE oil money.
The episode seems to have foretold an imminent shift in our culture
But Glenn Hoddle remains unique among England managers – possibly among any football manager anywhere ever – for having been sacked over a theological issue. This strange episode unfolded 25 years ago. Since his playing days, Hoddle had stood apart as a born-again Christian when the norm for footballers remained the George Best booze-and-birds lifestyle. But his religious beliefs didn’t excite much wider interest until he took over the England team.
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