Who became the first England player ever sent off, against Yugoslavia at the 1968 European Championship?

The Night Alan Mullery Made History — For All the Wrong Reasons

Florence, June 1968. England's finest were competing in the semi-finals of the European Championship, riding the wave of their 1966 World Cup triumph. What nobody could have predicted was that the evening would produce a moment of infamy — the first time in history that an England player was shown a red card in international football.

The man at the centre of it was Alan Mullery, the tough-tackling Tottenham Hotspur midfielder who had been called up to replace the injured Bobby Charlton. It was a high-pressure occasion, and Yugoslavia were no gentle opponents. They were physical, combative, and not shy about leaving their mark on English players throughout the match.

The Moment That Changed History

Late in the game, with England already frustrated and trailing, Mullery retaliated against a particularly brutal foul from Yugoslav midfielder Dobrivoje Trivić. Mullery kicked out at his tormentor — and the referee had little choice but to dismiss him. England's players and coaching staff were stunned. In over 90 years of international football, no England player had ever been sent off. Mullery had just broken that unwanted record.

England went on to lose the match 1-0, knocked out of the tournament at the semi-final stage. The defeat stung badly enough, but the circumstances made it worse. Mullery was left feeling isolated, ashamed, and braced for a wave of public criticism back home.

The Aftermath — and a Remarkable Recovery

Mullery later described the reception he feared on returning to England. He expected widespread condemnation. What actually happened was more nuanced — many supporters understood the provocation he had faced, even if they couldn't condone the retaliation. Manager Alf Ramsey, known for his loyalty to his players, stood firmly behind him.

The redemption arc that followed is the part of the story often forgotten. Just two years later, at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Mullery scored England's opening goal against West Germany in the quarter-final — a thumping volley that briefly had England dreaming of a repeat of '66. They ultimately lost 3-2 after famously squandering a 2-0 lead, but Mullery had long since reclaimed his reputation.

A Footnote That Deserves to Be a Headline

England have had plenty of players sent off in the decades since — David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Paul Scholes among the most high-profile — but Alan Mullery was the first. His dismissal in Florence on that June evening in 1968 remains a genuine landmark in the history of the national team.

It's a reminder that even the most disciplined eras of football had their flashpoints, and that history is sometimes made in the most unexpected — and uncomfortable — of moments.