It wouldn’t be a World Cup for England without a traditional controversial ending for the team. Ever since winning the trophy back at the old Wembley Stadium in London in 1966, it seems the team has been cursed. In fact, that’s when the controversies started, when the home team beat West Germany 4-2 in extra time. England was leading the game 2-1, but Germany drew level in the 89th minute to force extra time.

Geoff Hurst, who had scored in the 18th minute, then slammed a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and came crashing down on or just over the goal line. The action stopped and the Swiss referee went over to his Russian linesman to confer with him. After several seconds, a goal was given and England led 3-2 after 101 minutes.

Hurst then added another in the last minute of extra time to become the only player to score a hat trick in a World Cup Final game and gave England their one and only trophy. Hurst’s second goal is always referred to as the ‘ghost goal’ as it was never proven if it actually crossed the goal line.

In 1986, England was knocked out of the tournament at the quarterfinal stage in Mexico by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal by Diego Maradona. The Argentinean jumped in the air to head the ball, but then proceeded to punch it into the net past England goal keeper Peter Shilton with his fist for a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute. Still cameras and television cameras caught the act and it only took a matter of seconds to see that Maradona had blatantly cheated and handled the ball into the net. Maradona then went on to score about five minutes later for a 2-0 lead. England’s Gary Lineker cut it down to 2-1 in the 81st minute, but Argentina went on to win the game and the World Cup.

And now, 44 years after the ‘ghost goal,’ England again has been involved in the most controversial game of the tournament so far. Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the goal line in the 38th minute, in England’s game against Germany on June 27 that would have leveled the score 2-2. Germany had scored in the 20th and 32nd minutes for a 2-0 lead, but Matthew Upson got one back in the 37th to make it 2-1.

Lampard’s goal would have wiped out the young and inexperienced German team’s 2-0 lead in the matter of a minute, and who knows what would have happened next. It’s a shame that we never had the chance to find out as Germany went on to win 4-1. Perhaps FIFA can solve the never-ending debate over video technology by just using it for all World Cup games involving England.