[Football] 1966 World Cup memories

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The best thing about England winning in 2018 would be finally putting shite to bed.

This. The union jack flags. The pay on the gate. The total national cluelessness. We were a zombie nation in 66, and football and its utter majesty was not on the radar. Bollocks to it. Time we wrote some proper history. Come on England!!

 

[knocky1]

Walking along Western Road with Mum and Dad before the game to buy hard boiled sweets. Watched it in the flat above the off License dad managed top of Waterloo Street in Western Road.

 

[Saunders]

I was born earlier that week !

I was just a few months old apparently I shown us getting the trophy...

 

[el punal]

This. The union jack flags. The pay on the gate. The total national cluelessness. We were a zombie nation in 66, and football and its utter majesty was not on the radar. Bollocks to it. Time we wrote some proper history. Come on England!!

Spot on! If I remember correctly the government weren’t interested in the tournament, it certainly did not hit public consciousness until the latter stages (apart from the footie fans), low key and understated it definitely was. And all those Johnny Foreigners coming over - cue the Major from Fawlty Towers!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Spot on! If I remember correctly the government weren’t interested in the tournament, it certainly did not hit public consciousness until the latter stages (apart from the footie fans), low key and understated it definitely was. And all those Johnny Foreigners coming over - cue the Major from Fawlty Towers!

Its the union flags that does my head in. Watch that old footage. You get the feeling that in the 60s the lumpen proletariate had no idea what country they lived in. And there are plenty who still shrug their shoulders when this is pointed out. I was only 8 at the time and it all seemed normal then. I couldn't tell you the difference between England, Great Britain, the UK (had I even heard of the UK?). I did have some vague notion that 'we' 'owned' Scotland and Wales, though. No wonder they hate us so much

 

[Brovion]

Its the union flags that does my head in. Watch that old footage. You get the feeling that in the 60s the lumpen proletariate had no idea what country they lived in. And there are plenty who still shrug their shoulders when this is pointed out. I was only 8 at the time and it all seemed normal then. I couldn't tell you the difference between England, Great Britain, the UK (had I even heard of the UK?). I did have some vague notion that 'we' 'owned' Scotland and Wales, though. No wonder they hate us so much

Spot on. It actually took about 30 years and Euro 96 before it finally dawned on a large proportion of English people that actually the Union Flag was 'what it said on the tin': the flag of the Union, not the English flag. (Even now though you still see the odd Union flag at England games).

Now if we could only do the same with the anthem ...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Spot on. It actually took about 30 years and Euro 96 before it finally dawned on a large proportion of English people that actually the Union Flag was 'what it said on the tin': the flag of the Union, not the English flag. (Even now though you still see the odd Union flag at England games).

Now if we could only do the same with the anthem ...

Quite. Not only is it a dirge, it is a 'UK' dirge. The jocks get to sing flower of Scotland at the footy then have to sing the dirge when they represent and win a medal for GBNI in the olympics. As I said earlier, no wonder they hate us.

 

[boik]

I was playing football in the street with my mates when it was on - would've been 8. Dad kept telling me to come in as I was missing something special. Saw the whole match in 16mm colour in my Grandads sports and social club a few months later. Was really excited then.

 

[ManOfSussex]

It was before I was born so I don't have memories, but my Dad went to the final and a couple of other games. He lived in London at the time and got a ticket for the final from a work colleague of his, who had a package of 2 tickets for all games at Wembley with his brother. On the day of the final the colleagues brother played cricket in a game he didn't want to miss, so my Dad took the ticket instead It's always been described to me down the years that it was a final, a big game but not nearly as huge as it would be now. Touts sold tickets for £5 for the final apparently.

 

[Official Old Man]

I was 10 and the only memory I have was Lavells the newsagent/sweet shop in Hassocks having World Cup Willy on sale. Beyond that I guess at the time my family were not into football and so no recollection of any games or the final.

 

[Blue3]

I was only a youngster in 1966 but I can remember we had a little black and white television which not everyone had and my parents had some family and neighbors round I remember bottles of beer which was very unusual in our house, and I remember the atmosphere a feeling of national pride and good will for a few days after everyone was smiling and being polite, by the time of 1970 WC I was far more aware of the football and all those same feelings came back but also with an expectation that England would do well or even win again, WC after WC since then the same unrealistic expectations were put onto the nations shoulders, maybe just maybe this quiet revolution under Southgate might just might do a Lille better than we antisipate

 

[Simster]

The best thing about England winning in 2018 would be finally putting shite to bed.

I think this is my favourite Stat Brother post EVER.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I was playing football in the street with my mates when it was on - would've been 8. Dad kept telling me to come in as I was missing something special. Saw the whole match in 16mm colour in my Grandads sports and social club a few months later. Was really excited then.

Believe it or not, there were crowds going to the cinema a few months later, so we could all watch it in colour.

 

[The Large One]

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!

Hard to think that Stiles had not long turned 24 before the tournament started.

 

[Poyningsgull]

I also remember Pele bring brutalised by the Bulgarians and carted off. They made chopper Harris look a bit tame. His and Brazil's World Cup was over before it started.........not to mention the Italians being knocked out by North Korea with the goal scored by the "legendary" Pak do ik. The Italians were pelted with tomatoes at Rome airport on their return.
The star of the tournament for me was Bobby Charlton. What a player he was in full flow.
I was dissapointed that a fit again Jimmy Greaves got left out of the final, but it's difficult to criticise the decision having won the thing.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I was six and watched it on the B&W telly in Millyard Cresent [Woodingdean] - dad was out playing cricket.
We had a German language student [Klaus] staying with us - he would have been about 14 - and I remember the enjoyment of being on the high-ground [winning] - sadly never to have been repeated when it mattered ....

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Its the union flags that does my head in. Watch that old footage. You get the feeling that in the 60s the lumpen proletariate had no idea what country they lived in. And there are plenty who still shrug their shoulders when this is pointed out. I was only 8 at the time and it all seemed normal then. I couldn't tell you the difference between England, Great Britain, the UK (had I even heard of the UK?). I did have some vague notion that 'we' 'owned' Scotland and Wales, though. No wonder they hate us so much

In 1966, the War was still only 20 odd years back and there was still a feeling of the Union all pulling together. Our football was almost entirely made up of English, Scots, Welsh and Irish. There was much less jingoism around. You hardly saw a flag of St George anywhere. It was difficult for many English to believe that our near neighbours generally disliked us. They worked on the basis that we had fought side by side to defend our islands and we were united.
That may on the surface to appear a little naive but that was how many felt. I remember as a boy when I first heard the bitterness of some Scots against the English, how surprised I was. My Father put me right. He said..." no one likes us "

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In 1966, the War was still only 20 odd years back and there was still a feeling of the Union all pulling together. Our football was almost entirely made up of English, Scots, Welsh and Irish. There was much less jingoism around. You hardly saw a flag of St George anywhere. It was difficult for many English to believe that our near neighbours generally disliked us. They worked on the basis that we had fought side by side to defend our islands and we were united.
That may on the surface to appear a little naive but that was how many felt. I remember as a boy when I first heard the bitterness of some Scots against the English, how surprised I was. My Father put me right. He said..." no one likes us "

I remember being quite surprised by the glee of the jocks beating us at Wembley in 77, and then going berzoik, so whatever sense of one nation they may have had in 66 had long since departed by then. So I suspect as you dad said they never did like us, and the sense of togetherness was entirely one-sided, from the lofty English. But I was quite shocked to find my jock work colleagues wishing ill on 'sport England' when I started my job in 89. And these are academics, not hoary handed sons of toil. I had never come across what we know today as 'anyone but England'. Until fairly recently I always backed our 'local' nations when up against jonny foreigner in sport. These days I'd have to have a heart of stone to not laugh if (when) they lose.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

I remember being quite surprised by the glee of the jocks beating us at Wembley in 77, and then going berzoik, so whatever sense of one nation they may have had in 66 had long since departed by then. So I suspect as you dad said they never did like us, and the sense of togetherness was entirely one-sided, from the lofty English. But I was quite shocked to find my jock work colleagues wishing ill on 'sport England' when I started my job in 89. And these are academics, not hoary handed sons of toil. I had never come across what we know today as 'anyone but England'. Until fairly recently I always backed our 'local' nations when up against jonny foreigner in sport. These days I'd have to have a heart of stone to not laugh if (when) they lose.

yeah,remember Argentina 78 really hoping Scotland would do well,I was only 14

I was watching the Peru game round my friend's house and was shocked to see how happy his dad was each time Peru scored

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Quite. Not only is it a dirge, it is a 'UK' dirge. The jocks get to sing flower of Scotland at the footy then have to sing the dirge when they represent and win a medal for GBNI in the olympics. As I said earlier, no wonder they hate us.

Flower of Scotland is a recent acquisition. It used to be Scotland the brave.