In the wake of failure to qualify for the World Cup 1974 finals in West Germany, England began their first competitive campaign under new manager Don Revie with a convincing 3-0 defeat of Czechoslovakia.  But it, too, ended in great disappointment with a second-place finish in the qualifying group and consequent failure to advance to the 1976 European Championship finals.  The matches against Portugal were decisive in the qualifying group, England stumbling to two draws while Czechoslovakia, which won the group by a single point, thrashed Portugal at home, 5-0, and drew away.  Thus, in what was proving to be a most dismal decade, England fell short in the qualifying rounds of a major competition for the second time in succession, and English fans had to content themselves with international successes at the club level.

In fairness, it must be said that while none of the teams had qualified for the World Cup 1974 finals, the group was perhaps the most difficult in the qualifying stage since it included three strong teams.  And, in one of international football's more pleasant surprises,  Czechoslovakia, the team that ousted England, went on to win the 1976 European Championship, besting West Germany on penalty kicks after an extra time 2-2 draw in the final match in Belgrade.