[Football] 1966 World Cup memories

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

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

And if the jocks can upgrade....

 

[origigull]

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.

Me and my brother were ten also. Sod playing with toy cars etc. We were watching every England game in the finals and the final itself I remember my dad picking me up and joyfully throwing me (and my brother but not at the same time mind) onto the settee and doing a jig at the final whistle. After the game we went out into the garden to play at being Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks.

 

[Weststander]

I've spent a lot of time in Scotland and have never come across hatred of the English. The exact opposite, warmth and a friendliness not seen in SE England. Even in politics, for every Scot who's jumped on the recent SNP bandwagon, there are more who very much want to stay in the Union. They just don't make as much noise.

Sport is a different concept altogether. England failing in tournaments has been celebrated in Cardiff, Glasgow and West Belfast for many decades. In 1978 I wanted the Scots (most of whom were great players in England) to succeed, but soon learnt that everyone else found their failure great news. The arrogance built up under Ally McLeod, was a bubble waiting to burst, in the same way as the Lampard/Cole/Scholes/Ferdinand England team, each giving glee to the other home nations.

 

[The Hon Sec]

A mate and I had tickets to the England - Argentina game. As we walked round the stadium before the game we were approached by a large crowd of people. As they got closer it became apparent that Jimmy Greaves was in the centre of this group. That's the first news we had that he wasn't playing. My mate was a big Spurs supporter and I lost him in the crowd. He joined me in the seats just before KO as he just had to try to talk to his hero. My memory is that we were sat right behind Bobby Moore as he took the quick free kick that Hurst scored from.

 

[PTC Gull]

I was an 8 year old watching with the family at my Grans place in Portslade, on a old B&W telly that had a screen smaller then my PC. After the game went and played footy in the street with my younger brother. I was England. I won !

 

[richinlondon]

Just finished O levels, working for Charlie Forte in West Street as a holiday job. I think the manageress liked me because I was not down to work whenever an England game was on. I even got a split shift for the final, finish at 2, start again at 6. West street was lively that evening.

 

[Chicken Run]

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.

Not forgetting the scenes in Brighton after the semi final.....