Which was the best European Championships tournament? *Poll, plus general nostalgia*

As above. Obviously turn this into a general dewy-eyed look back at the competition's best moments.

For the purposes of the poll I've discounted anything before 1980, to my mind it's not really a "tournament" when only four teams make the Finals. But obviously clips of Panenka's penalty in 1976 are more than welcome.

First time I've ever done a poll. Can you not change the options once it's posted? Missed a Y off Germany

Only able to remember '04 and '08 and I preferred 2008, especially that ridiculous game in the wet in the groups (Switzerland v Turkey perhaps?)

I loved Euro 2008. Don't remember pre-2000.

I would say 1996 or 2008.

Have no memory of Euro 92 whatsoever. Don't know why, I would have been 11 and remember quite a lot about the WC two years earlier.

Probably Euro 96 because it was in England and it was the first euro's to go to 16 teams. Last tourney with Gazza in of course.

1988, my first tournament I really followed and watched on TV.

plus we won the thing with this great goal!

Van Basten Such an awesome goal, never tire of seeing that.

Euro 1996 for me, was the first international tournament i had watched and for it to be in England just blew my mind at the time.

Euro 2000 was fabulous.

Euro 96 for me. Gazza's goal against Scotland and the 4-1 victory over Holland.

Euro 96 for this;

[video=youtube;W_e026kgVe4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_e026kgVe4

In all serious though it was Euro 96 for me. Was my first ever time seeing England play. Plus I was at this game;

[video=youtube;k-JJZSxfTCg]

That goal still gives me goose bumps.

Actually thought Euro 2008 was really good.

It's Euro 2000. The best I've ever seen, including WC's. The list of classic games and moments is unreal.

All 3 of England's games were mental.

Yugoslavia 3-3 Slovenia

Yugoslavia 3-4 Spain

France 2-3 Holland

Holland 6-1 Yugoslavia

Holland's penalties against Italy

France's golden goals

Zidane, Figo, Totti, Bergkamp, Maldini, Hagi, Kluivert, Zahovic, Shearer, Raul and so on.

Agree with those saying Euro 2000. An amazing tournament.

Why don't I remember Euro 2000 more clearly then? :confused: All I've got are the England games, Yugoslavia thinking they were knocked out when they weren't, the Italy v Holland shootout and the final

Can't have been drunk for all of it.

I thought Euro 2008 was good but my personal favourite was Euro 2000 as it was the first tourney I recall properly and it was so awesome

1996 was very good. Great atmosphere, thrilling matches and Germany won the title.

2000 was generally (beside the German team) a joy to watch.

Zidane, Figo, Totti, Bergkamp, Maldini, Hagi, Kluivert, Zahovic, Shearer, Raul and so on.

Loved Euro 2008. Turkey coming back from the dead against the Czechs and then possibly even more dramatically against Croatia was just brilliant.

I loved 2004 because of the fairy-tale story, the drama in the England elimination, the performances of the Czechs etc... Think 2000 was just as good. They were my favorite two. The earlier ones were too negative tactically to really excite me. That might sound ironic because of my comment about the Greeks winning, but the other teams played more attacking styles.

1996-2000-2004 created an opinion that Euros are generally tournaments of higher quality than Wrold Cups, maybe not justified, but it just shows how good these 3 were.

I voted 2004 mostly because of my personal memories. I treat Czech Republic as my second homeland and that Czech team was just amazing, deserved to win it. The semi final agaisnt Greece is a game me and my wife will never forget, one of biggest disappointments in my footballing life. Ironically, two days ago I bought us tickets for the 'great revenge' that takes place in our home city

I also have great memories of 1996 tournament, that was the peak of my fascination of England and English football and that was my favourite England team with Gazza (the Scotland goal!), Macca and SAS at their best. And Seaman of course. And Adams

2000 was the best I watched. Really legendary stuff.

Those players were the ones I grew up watching, the first generation of legends I got to see at their prime.

Euro 2008 is the best international tournament I can recall in my lifetime, was brilliant.

euro '96, was so convinced we were going to win it for some reason

Voted for Euro 2004. Wasn't a great performance from us, but I really enjoyed the Czech Republic in that tournament. Portugal with Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes and Figo was amazing. Loved that Portugal side.

2004, what Greece achieved was one of the biggest ever.

2008 was incredible. turkey 2008 the best tournament team *ever* maybe?

1984 was the first one I remember and it's my favourite

1988 because we won it

I was 8 years then though, at that time the great players really became heroes... You don't get then anymore at this age

I was nine and recall some things about the tournament, especially your team. This wasn't my first though, as I remember quite a lot from 1986 WC - like I was not able to sleep at night because I knew we were to play England and I was getting up from time to time until I was finally allowed to watch it, ofc it'd be better lying in bed and sleeping. First of unbelievably long series of defeats to England in my life.

It's Euro 2000. The best I've ever seen, including WC's. The list of classic games and moments is unreal.

All 3 of England's games were mental.

Yugoslavia 3-3 Slovenia

Yugoslavia 3-4 Spain

France 2-3 Holland

Holland 6-1 Yugoslavia

Holland's penalties against Italy

France's golden goals

Zidane, Figo, Totti, Bergkamp, Maldini, Hagi, Kluivert, Zahovic, Shearer, Raul and so on.

I loved Euro 96, the atmosphere was electric, i was in England at the time too, the banter with the different fans, the emotion in the games and the list of stars was immense too, the 98 WC that followed was good too, that was an era of football I really loved!

2008 for me.

2000 did have that one incredible game for me though. I was only 9 at the time but that Guardiola long ball, Urzaiz flick on, and Alfonso's white boot volleying it in is unforgettable.

I couldn't watch all the matches during 2008, but the Spain games were brilliant. The two best strikers in the world playing perfectly together, winning a penalty shootout, superb, attacking football, Marcos Senna dominating the midfield in every game. Was the best football I've seen at international level, and I can't imagine seeing that standard again.

It would have to be Euro 96, just for the buzz around the country. I just wish I was bit older at the time so I could have gone to a few games.

Euro 2000 was good, but it was during a tough teacher training placement for me so I watched most of it alone in my temporary accommodation, which ruined it a bit.

Euro 2000 by some distance. Even the final was incredible.

I went for 1992 purely for Denmark's improbable triumph and it being the first summer of football where I was legally allowed to buy booze while watching the games in the pub, seem to remember it being a cracking, hot summer that year while I was on break from college. (Memory could be playing tricks on me there though).

I've really enjoyed all the Euros from '88 onward though, despite Scotland not qualifying for any since '96. (Or maybe I've enjoyed them all the more precisely because Scotland weren't there to reduce me to tears with more glorious failure....)

It would have to be Euro 96, just for the buzz around the country. I just wish I was bit older at the time so I could have gone to a few games.

Exactly this for me too!

Either 96 (the first i remember) or '08, with the lack of "omgz, englunds gunna win it"

Some classic Euro moments here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18308363

Euro 2008 is the best international tournament I can recall in my lifetime, was brilliant.

I agree with this, loved Euro 2008

Turkey vs Switzerland possibly the best match I've ever seen too

turkey - switzerland better than turkey vs czechs or turkey vs germany?

Euro 2000 was the most pulsating tournament I can ever remember, with some of the highest quality football ever in display with that ruthless french side. It had drama, characters, excellence and ridiculous scorelines generated by epic attacking football.

It also helped that Portugal were on the rise, it was such an amazing tournament for us and kick-started a decade of unprecedented success for our national team.

96 started brilliant but was too much of a negative tournament, I remember some dreadful games in the later knockout stages, the final was so rubbish too. I can understand it provoking good memories for you english guys though given it was held in your soil and England had one of their best performances ever. I fondly remember Euro 2004 for the same reasons but I think it was genuinely better than 96. While the winning team was so negative, it was such a great story and there were brilliant thrillers in the knockout rounds, that Portugal-England game was the epic peak of it, such an unforgettable match for all the right and wrong reasons.

Euro 2008 I can understand it had some quality games too but I personally didn't get into it as much as others. I think it didn't feel right because the brilliant sides all came and went so sudden, Holland was amazing in the group stages then raped by Russia who was the new amazing side, then they were raped by Spain and Spain won it deservedly but weren't hugely exciting. Marcos Senna being tipped by everyone as the player of the tournament summed up for me how weird it was.

Don't really think that's weird? Spain were stunning in attack (in general, not one player in particular), and Senna was the one that allowed them to play like that.

2000 for the dramas, laughs, and tears.

yeah, marcos senna was brilliant? basically one man doing what two men are needed (busi and alonso) to do now. what a boss.

and euro 2008 was also the best tournament as well. too young to remember 2000 clearly enough, and 2004 was alright but nowhere near as good 08. plus greece won it.

turkey - switzerland better than turkey vs czechs or turkey vs germany?

Marcos Senna deserved his praise, but I don't like for a tournament's best player to be an almost purely destructive player.

that's a bit of an inaccurate description of senna. and the best player is the best player no matter what position, no?