Abandoned stadium which once hosted Gary Lineker and England now looks unrecognisable

The site of a former stadium which once hosted the England national team is now completely unrecognisable. Back in 1988, the Three Lions travelled to Buckingham Road to face non-league minnows Aylesbury United in an unusual friendly. It took place before that year's Euros with the likes of Gary Lineker, John Barnes and Peter Shilton being selected in a full-strength side.

England had qualified for the Euros without losing a match but Sir Bobby Robson wanted to present his players with a different type of challenge. The game took place just days before they flew out to Germany and was the talk of the town, with over 6,000 people attending the fixture. Many more climbed trees and perched on nearby rooftops to get a glimpse of the action.

It did not take long for England to race into a two-goal lead and they eventually bagged seven without reply. Peter Beardsley helped himself to four of the goals with Lineker also on the scoresheet as well as Everton duo Dave Watson and Trevor Steven.

Fast forward nearly four decades and Buckingham Road now looks entirely different. Aylesbury departed the ground in 2006 and their 'home' games have been played away from the town ever since.

The stadium lay abandoned until last year, when it was demolished to make way for a new housing complex. The local council approved plans to build 42 dwellings alongside new green spaces for the public.

The scheme was criticised by hundreds of Aylesbury residents, with some voicing concerns about potential flooding due to the close proximity of the River Thames.

Others expressed opposition to the likely increase in traffic caused by the new properties in a part of town which is already busy, according to the Bucks Herald.

The future of the Aylesbury football team, who were evicted from the stadium in 2006, remains highly uncertain. Three years ago, they announced plans to return to the town by constructing a new multi-use ground at the former Aylesbury Golf Club site.

A decision on that potential development was deferred at the end of 2023, though, meaning no concrete plans are in place to bring the team back to their spiritual home.

At the time, Aylesbury chairman Graham Read said: "I know it's a very sad day, but I really think we should support the application and move on. The old ground is now too small to accommodate our 60-plus teams. We have come a long way since 2006."

Aylesbury currently play in the Southern League Division One Central, the eighth level of the English football pyramid. As things stand, their home games take place in nearby Chesham, which is a 30-minute drive away.

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express transfer newsletter.