What did you think of Euro 96? Leading figures in the game choose their most memorable moments

Howard Wilkinson

Leeds United manager

Euro 96 has shown we can organise an event of this standing better than most and it has also shown we can play a bit. But being a cynic, I worry that once the euphoria dies down we will go back to the way we were - playing too much football. I have seen better German sides, with more gifted individuals, but they come out on top because they play well as a team. Of the 10 European championships, the host nation has reached the semi-finals seven times and the Germans have beaten them at that stage on four occasions. But England have done well and those players are the product of our Premiership - they play more or less like that for their clubs. The recent trend has been towards bigger crowds and I think that will continue next season. Euro 96 has fine-tuned the advances made at our grounds following the Taylor Report.

Tony Kershaw

Supporters' federation chief

I hope we don't see next season the huge number of yellow cards dished out during Euro 96 - there are already too many in the Premiership. But the tournament has generated an enjoyable atmosphere - if only we can harness the enthusiasm we've seen over the last fortnight. I don't think the Trafalgar Square trouble was caused by fans who went to Wembley but by people who had been drinking in central London all night. The style of play has been quite different to previous tournaments and I particularly like the way teams in the championship have blended. Normally, you would have two or three outstanding individuals, but this time their spirit has carried sides through. I'd love the Czech Republic to win the final, especially as no one gave them a chance beforehand, but my head says that it will be Germany.

Jon Holmes

Footballers' agent

It's a good job England got to the second stage, otherwise the tournament would have been in big trouble. A lot of sides flattered to deceive - Portugal, France and Spain hardly looked like scoring. Italy were victims of bad selection against the Czechs, but overall the three best sides got to the semi-finals. The Czechs have only one attacking player and will struggle against Germany, but Poborsky was a big find. There were a lot of top-quality defenders, but few attackers caught the eye, only Stoichkov, Shearer and Sukor. I blame the disturbances after England-Germany on tabloid posturing and perhaps a little on BSE. Alcohol was also a factor - I question whether the Premiership should be sponsored by an alcoholic product. I expect crowds to go up again next season, and that song will be around for a while.

Brendon Batson

PFA deputy chief executive

It was a well-organised, enjoyable event. England have done us proud, proving how adaptable our players now are. The jewel in the crown was the 4-1 victory over Holland. The Dutch may have problems but they're still a good side. I don't like the Golden Goal - it was exciting at the end of England- Germany but otherwise teams have been too frightened to attack in extra time for fear of being exposed. Shoot-outs put too much pressure on individuals but I can't think of a better solution. Southgate has nothing to be ashamed of - he's had a wonderful season. People will remember Euro 96 as previous generations recall 1966. Gates will go up again next season - they've risen by 5 million over the last eight years. Germany face a tough task although Klinsmann's presence would make all the difference.

David Dent

Football League secretary

It's been an excellent

tournament for England. They came out with a lot of credit,

especially as they were not

expected to progress as far as they did. It bodes as well for the domestic game as Italia 90 did. We can look forward to the 11th consecutive increase in domestic attendances next season. It's pleasing to see the number of players at this level who started with Endsleigh League clubs. It's been a technical event - we've possibly seen more exciting games in previous tournaments, but the skill level has been high. The quality of the grounds and pitches has been second to none and public order at the matches has been better than at most tournaments. We must have impressed the powers that be that we can stage the 2006 World Cup. In the final, I have a hunch the Czechs will win.

Lee Chapman

Ex-Leeds and Arsenal player

It has been an enormous success. For a while the English team was ridiculed by both its own fans and football world-wide. Now we're a major force again. It's not been the most exciting tournament I've seen, not like the 1978 or 1982 World Cups. A lot of games were very tactical even at the knock-out stage. The Golden Goal has had a negative effect - I thought it would encourage teams to attack, but that only happened with England- Germany; otherwise, sides played out time. Public interest in football will definitely be maintained thanks to Sky's investment. Footballers are more highly regarded nowadays than pop stars - I wish I was 10 years younger, especially with the wages. The final probably won't capture the public imagination, but the Germans are so efficient at containing teams.

Philip Don

Former Fifa referee

The host nation did well. One or two games were boring but overall the standard was excellent. I wish more genuine fans had been able to watch it live. With grounds half empty for some matches, there was a good public relations opportunity to get local supporters and schools in at reduced rates. The referees came from 19 different countries where standards vary, so Uefa had to lay down strict guidelines to achieve consistency. I think 98 per cent of the decisions were right but the difference now compared with 15 years ago is that every decision is analysed in slow motion on TV from up to 12 camera angles when it used to be two at the most - this puts referees under tremendous pressure. Many bookings were for fouls like shirt tugs which might not look serious but they disrupt the flow of the game.

Ian Stott

Oldham chief executive

It has gone well despite early ticket problems. Crowd behaviour was good; the Dutch in particular were magnificent. England's performance will give our game a much-needed boost. The tournament showed our teams can compete at this level and are more exciting to watch than most because they try to score goals. The Dutch and German games were probably the most entertaining. The Golden Goal is worth persevering with. Perhaps we should get rid of shoot-outs and let extra-time carry on until someone scores. Shoot-outs are exciting for crowds but unsatisfactory for players. A lot of Premiership teams will play a back three next season and attendances will go up again. I think Germany will win the final. They're very resilient, but I disagree with them being allowed to draft in two extra players.