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[Football] 1966 World Cup memories



Poyningsgull

Well-known member
Apr 12, 2007
1,613
July 23rd 1966 England v Argentina at Wembley and my brother getting married. I was 16 years old (as was the bride) and best man so there was no way out. I remember everyone finding an excuse to go out to the car park at the reception so that they could listen on the car radio. Antonio Rattin stands out as someone who kept bending the refs ear until he had no choice but to send him off. To beat the dirty cheating South Americans was massive and the rest is history.

......and my brother and his wife are still together 52 years later. Wouldn't it be great to do the unthinkable once again.

Anyone else else got memories from that great tournament.?
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,372
West west west Sussex
The best thing about England winning in 2018 would be finally putting shite to bed.
 




Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
21,578
Cowfold
The one and only thing that l can remember was playing with my toy cars with my friend Patrick, whilst the final was on tv. I know l learned one or two swear words from his dad when West Germany scored their added time equaliser, and then seeing him dance around the room when Geoff Hurst banged in our fourth goal late in extra time..

Priceless stuff. I was ten by the way.
 


KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
19,692
Wolsingham, County Durham
July 23rd 1966 England v Argentina at Wembley and my brother getting married. I was 16 years old (as was the bride) and best man so there was no way out. I remember everyone finding an excuse to go out to the car park at the reception so that they could listen on the car radio. Antonio Rattin stands out as someone who kept bending the refs ear until he had no choice but to send him off. To beat the dirty cheating South Americans was massive and the rest is history.

......and my brother and his wife are still together 52 years later. Wouldn't it be great to do the unthinkable once again.

Anyone else else got memories from that great tournament.?

No memories as that was the day I was born.
 






Brovion

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 6, 2003
19,322
I remember watching the tournament with my Grandad. Missed the quarter final game against Argentina as I was at Withdean Stadium with my fellow members of the 1st Lancing Cubs re-enacting the Relief of Mafeking! (We were part of Colonel Mahon's relief column). They announced the score and we all threw our caps into the air and cheered.

The final was great, the only problem being that we now thought that this was always going to be the case. It had taken us 16 years since we'd first entered the World Cup, but finally the natural order had asserted itself and we were in our rightful place as World Champions. Never again would we struggle in competitive internationals.
 


el punal

Well-known member
I’d just got into football the year before (1965) and watched my first Albion match. From there on in I used to buy all the football mags, cut out newspaper football reports, collected programmes and anything and everything to do with football. So when the 1966 World Cup came around I had every souvenir going. I did a scrapbook with every match report. I watched just about every game on TV, and then . . . . was offered a ticket for the final itself, for £10 and behind the royal box. I just couldn’t afford it. Something I’ve regretted all my life. :tantrum:
 




lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,673
Worthing
I’d just got into football the year before (1965) and watched my first Albion match. From there on in I used to buy all the football mags, cut out newspaper football reports, collected programmes and anything and everything to do with football. So when the 1966 World Cup came around I had every souvenir going. I did a scrapbook with every match report. I watched just about every game on TV, and then . . . . was offered a ticket for the final itself, for £10 and behind the royal box. I just couldn’t afford it. Something I’ve regretted all my life. :tantrum:

I think I’m right in saying, the Final didn’t sell out.
 


lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,673
Worthing
My memory of the final, is watching it on a small, black and white telly, that packed up after about 60 minutes, and having to bike about 2 miles on my own,to my mates house in the nearest village to watch the rest of it. I was just 7.
 






fosters headband

Well-known member
Aug 15, 2003
5,158
Brighton
July 23rd 1966 England v Argentina at Wembley and my brother getting married. I was 16 years old (as was the bride) and best man so there was no way out. I remember everyone finding an excuse to go out to the car park at the reception so that they could listen on the car radio. Antonio Rattin stands out as someone who kept bending the refs ear until he had no choice but to send him off. To beat the dirty cheating South Americans was massive and the rest is history.

......and my brother and his wife are still together 52 years later. Wouldn't it be great to do the unthinkable once again.

Anyone else else got memories from that great tournament.?

I was at the game my first live international. Standing behind the goal the atmosphere was electric
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,407
Withdean area
I was just one, but an older friend told me his brilliant story. He was an Ulsterman who lived in Brighton, with no interest in England's football team. They as a family spent the day down Brighton beach opposite the Old Ship Hotel. The beach was surprisingly dead.

At about 5.30 countless thousands of people starting pouring out of all the hotels and pubs cheering, dancing, going berserk with pleasure.

That's how he learnt in an instant that England were world champions.

Goosebumps for me as Englishman, even in retrospect. I wish those scenes were captured on film.
 
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blue'n'white

Well-known member
Oct 5, 2005
3,080
2nd runway at Gatwick
Watched it at home on a little black and white TV. My Dad had gone to the England v Mexico game through a ballot at work but hadn't got a final ticket. I have seen the final so many times since that I cannot say I remember anything specific from that day
 




Thunder Bolt

Ordinary Supporter
At the start of the tournament I was in Plymouth, meeting my then boyfriend, every evening, to go to the big Naafi building, near the Hoe, as it had several tv rooms. We both liked football so it wasn't a problem, although he was an Orient fan. Great fun, anda great atmosphere, as it was packed.
By the time of the final, I was at home in Portslade,boyfriend at sea (ha ha), watching it in the living room, scaring the dog half to death shouting when the Germans scored & cheering when we scored. I can remember the extra time vividly, sitting on the settee, hugging a cushion to me, willing the minutes down, only relaxing once we'd scored our 4th.

I went out in Brighton that evening, which was like a massive carnival everywhere. Strangers talking to each other like old mates, and celebrating. The nearest we've come to it since was last year after the Wigan game.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,407
Withdean area
At the start of the tournament I was in Plymouth, meeting my then boyfriend, every evening, to go to the big Naafi building, near the Hoe, as it had several tv rooms. We both liked football so it wasn't a problem, although he was an Orient fan. Great fun, anda great atmosphere, as it was packed.
By the time of the final, I was at home in Portslade,boyfriend at sea (ha ha), watching it in the living room, scaring the dog half to death shouting when the Germans scored & cheering when we scored. I can remember the extra time vividly, sitting on the settee, hugging a cushion to me, willing the minutes down, only relaxing once we'd scored our 4th.

I went out in Brighton that evening, which was like a massive carnival everywhere. Strangers talking to each other like old mates, and celebrating. The nearest we've come to it since was last year after the Wigan game.

Interesting to hear first hand about the scenes in Brighton.

At Italia90, the centre of Brighton was incredible after the wins over Belgium and Cameroon. 10,000's celebrating in the streets and on the seafront for hours, rammed with cars with honking horns.
 


SUA Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2016
408
Stratford-upon-Avon
52 years on, I can still vividly recall that day.

My twin brother and I were eight at the time and a little too young to understand the sheer enormity of the occasion. We settled in to watch the game with our dad whom I remember was a bag of nerves throughout and deeply worried when the Germans snaffled a late equaliser in normal time.

When Hurst scored his famous in-off-the-bar third goal, in extra time, dad went utterly bonkers, leaping around the room. I had never seen him like that before (or since, until the day he died), even when his beloved Arsenal won a trophy!

When Hurst scored his legendary “The crowd are on the pitch; they think it’s all over!” fourth goal dad shed a tear of joy, grinned from ear to ear and hugged us both. My twin brother and I jumped on top of him and we all danced around the room cheering, elated because our dad was so happy.

My mum and aunt, neither of them remotely interested in football, cleverly chose to go West End shopping in London that day and the buses, streets and shops were literally deserted for them!
 


Tony Towner's Fridge

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2003
5,384
GLASGOW,SCOTLAND,UK
Very vivid memories of my Dad, elder brother and I listening to the final on the sores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, camping on the shore front. An old Sony matchbox sized transistor radio turned on and tuned in to BBC Long Wave. Also the semi final (or may be 1/4 final) at a cub jamboree at the WIthdean (DIRECTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM) as we beat Uruguay (I think). Thousand sof cub caps thrown in the air at the result.


So so long ago now but imprinted on my brain cell none the less.


TNBA


TTF
 




Lincolnshire Seagull

Active member
Jul 9, 2009
761
I used to operate the scoreboard at our local cricket club. On the day of the final I excused myself for a couple of hours and biked home to watch the match. Then I went back to see the end of the cricket and tell my mates about Nobby Stiles dancing around with the Cup with his toothless grin. Wonderful times!
 





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