Another tournament, another agonising chapter in English football’s long catalogue of glorious disappointments.

England were dumped out of the World Cup by Argentina following a capitulation that will echo through the annals of English footballing folklore. Having taken the lead just shy of the hour mark, this one really stung.

But the irony is that this late collapse has stitched another thread of continuity into the long tapestry of England’s footballing heritage.

As a researcher of cultural heritage, I’ve always thought of football as so much more than the results on the pitch. Indeed, what makes the beautiful game such a powerful cultural phenomenon are the stories supporters inherit and pass on. The things that connect fans to team.

Long before most people fully understand the tactics or even the rules of the game, they begin learning its narratives. They hear about legendary players, miraculous victories, controversial refereeing decisions and – especially in the case of England – devastating defeats. Over time, these a form a shared cultural inheritance.

This is why football can be understood as a form of living heritage. Heritage is not confined to castles, monuments or museum collections. It also exists in intangible things........

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