'We'll shoot ourselves' if England fail at Euros

England Football Association chairman Greg Dyke declared "We'll all shoot ourselves" if Roy Hodgson's team fall at the group stage of Euro 2016.

England face Wales, Russia and Slovakia in the tournament in France from June 10, haunted by the memory of the 2014 World Cup where they were eliminated at the group phase for the first time since 1958.

Dyke stood by manager Hodgson after the debacle in Brazil, but said a repeat this year would mean heads would roll.

"I think we'll all shoot ourselves if we don't get out of the group," Dyke said.

"We've got to get out of that group. If we don't, that really is bad news for English football."

The 68-year-old former BBC director-general was speaking on Tuesday night in London at the launch of a year of celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of England's 1966 World Cup success.

"The FA is the richest FA in the world, the most income. The FA has to take some of the blame," Dyke said. "We should have won a tournament in the last 50 years. We haven't. But we will win in the next 50 years, hopefully long before."

England failed to win a match in Brazil but they bounced back to record victories in all 10 of their Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Dyke also announced he will decide in the next few days whether to stand for re-election as FA chairman this summer.

His three-year term ends in July, but he would be allowed to serve one year of a new term before exceeding the job's age limit of 70.

"We will sort that out in the next few days whether I decide to stand again for another year," Dyke said.

Dyke was joined by England World Cup-winning heroes Geoff Hurst, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters and George Cohen at the event in Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel, where the draw for the 1966 finals was made 50 years ago.
Source: AFP