Lions can match winning Ron

DAMIR SKOMINA will referee tonight’s clash against Belgium – which will bring back painful memories for England.

The Slovenian was in charge for one of the Three Lions’ most embarrassing nights when they lost to Iceland as Roy Hodgson’s side crashed out of Euro 2016.

The 41-year-old was the first referee to brandish a red card in this World Cup when he dismissed Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez for deliberate handball and gave Japan a penalty in their 2-1 win.

He also dismissed England keeper Rob Green in a 1-0 loss to Ukraine in 2009. from IAN MURTAGH Bryan Robson scoring in the opening minute (below) as England beat France 3-1 in Bilbao.

Four days later, at the same venue, a routine 2-0 win over Czechoslovakia sealed a top-two spot and the perfect start was maintained as Kuwait were dispatched 1-0.

Trevor Francis grabbed the winner, the last Manchester City player to score a World Cup goal for England until John Stones netted twice against Panama last Sunday. But that was as good as it got for the Three Lions.

In the second stage, England were pitched in a formidable three-man group with West Germany and hosts Spain, with only the winners going through.

They played well in the two games but both ended goalless.

Kevin Keegan, who later managed the Three Lions, missed the first four games but came off the bench to head agonisingly wide in the dying moments against Spain.

That meant the Germans, not England, made it through to the last four.

ENGLAND are bidding to win their opening three games at a World Cup for only the second time in history. The last time the Three Lions boasted a 100 per cent record in the group stages was in 1982 when Ron Greenwood was in charge. His side made an...