Yet when he came back to Villa two years' later and then, 12 months down the line, switched to his former club's city rivals, his form was good enough to keep him among the top five keepers in the Premiership.

BBC: Seaman's final hurrah

In the English case in 1996 and France's FIFA World Cup two years later, there was a boost over the preceding 12 months.

BBC: Going for the happiness gold

In three months they had created AP23573, and they started the trial that included Carolyn Boone two years later.

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