World cup Legends

WORLD CUP LEGENDS
LEGENDS OF THE
’66 WORLD CUP
It’s 1966 and all that: relive the iconic extra-time victory that
brought football back home, as told by those who were there
Within hours, London’s Evening
Standard had hit the streets.
‘Champions of the World’, ran the
headline. “A dream come true. England have
won the World Cup,” it began. The following
day, the Sunday newspapers also picked up
the news, inevitably splashing it across their
front pages: ‘Golden Boys!’ the Sunday Mirror
proclaimed, before adding a chirpy note to
the world’s bankers: “Britain’s reserves went
up yesterday by one valuable gold cup.” There
was no doubt this would be a day to savour
for decades to come.
On 30 July 1966, 96,924 people packed into
Wembley Stadium and 32.3 million British
viewers tuned in on their televisions to watch
England take on West Germany in the World
Cup inal. Today, the names of the England
players who took part that day can be reeled
of one by one like old friends. But back then –
despite Alf Ramsey declaring, “we will win the
World Cup” when appointed England manager
in 1962 – not many fans really believed they
could do it.
“I don’t think England supporters expect
England to win anything and there was
certainly that same feeling even back then,”
says West Ham fan John James, who attended
the inal in 1966. And yet Ramsey stuck to his
word. He had formally taken charge on 1 May
1963, and promptly began to do things his
way. The lack of control over team selections
sufered by the previous manager, Walter
Winterbottom, was not for him. Ramsey
made his own choices, and whether that was
naming Bobby Moore as England captain at
just 22 years old, or playing without wingers
in the face of disbelief, he stood by every
decision he made.
As hosts, England automatically qualiied
for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, along with
defending champions Brazil. That left 14
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