France U21 v England U21

 23^rd May 1990

Carl Muggleton made his League debut on loan at Chesterfield (from Leicester City) in September 1987, at home to Port Vale, a week after Jim Brown had been injured in the 10-0 loss at Gillingham. He played 17 times in Division Three for us before making his City debut and spending further loan spells at Blackpool and Hartlepool. In the 89-90 season, the then 21 year olds only senior games came when Stockport County borrowed him in March 1990, he played four games alongside, amongst others, Chris Beaumont.

However his performances were being noted for Carl was selected in the 17 man England U21 party to participate in the famous Toulon Tournament in France, Nottingham Forest's Mark Crossley (who bizarrely became a Welsh Full International) was the other keeper. Graeme Le Saux, Tim Sherwood, Lee Sharpe and son of ex Spireite Ken, Carl Tiler were also in the squad.

The Toulon Tournament began in 1967 as a Club contest, Anderlecht of Belgium won the Final, but when it was resurrected in 1974, it became a prestigious annual event for International Under 21 teams which is still firmly on the timetable, Brazil, who beat Italy 2-0, are the current holders.

Crossley played in goal in the Group A opener for England, a 1-0 defeat against Portugal, but Carl was selected for the second qualifier, in the Town of Aix en Provence against the hosts and winners of the Tournament for the previous three seasons, France.

"It was thundering and lightening on the way to the game" remembers Muggleton, "and the rain was absolutely pouring down. There was lots of standing water on the pitch and had it not been a tournament game with a timetable, the game may well have been called off."

The match turned out to be a classic, a real fans' treat, as the two rivals shared 10 goals. Carl kept a first half clean sheet but saw second period strikes from Jezierski, Zitelli and a certain Emmanuel Petit for France, but the holders hadn't reckoned on then of Manchester United, now of Rotherham United, striker Mark Robins, who mastered the conditions admirably to mean that France's goals were never threatening a defeat for England, the little front man bagged five goals and Chelsea's Graham Stuart got two as England won 7-3. That was Carl's only game in the Tournament.

A 2-1 win over the CIS meant England topped their group to contest the Final with Czechoslovakia, who'd seen off Brazil, Yugoslavia and USA, winning all three qualifiers, an Ian Olney (Aston Villa) and an own goal gave England a

2-1 win to make them Toulon Tournament winners for the first time ever.

However delight turned to anger after the match, Carl explains, "When we got back to the dressing rooms, we'd been robbed, watches, kits and money had been taken from the dressing rooms".

That win set off a run of great success for England U21 in the Tournament, wins in 1991,1993 and 1994 gave England four triumphs in five attempts, since then they've not managed to reach the final again!

Robins was top scorer in the 1990 tournament with 6 goals, but Czechoslovakia boasted the best player award winner, Necas, as well as the best keeper, Bernardy.

Well over 12 years later and Carl Muggleton is performing at a level which surely puts him in the very highest category of keepers in the Nationwide League, which indicates that Cheltenham's Steve Book, who restricted Carl to just 7 games last season with the Whaddon Road club, must be brilliant!

France: Tranchant, Jezierski, Fernandez, Hernandez, Fischer, Loko, Gava (Guyot), Petit, Debeve (Pickeu), Zitelli, Prat.