Some people are on the pitch,they think it,s all over.

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I have the radio 5 celebration on. It is extremely upsetting. A mix of real players voices, and actors, some cabaret style covers of hist of the day (plus Chris Farlowe as his former self, albeit he left his voice in the dressing room). God the 60s were depressing shitty times. Poor old Bobby Charlton sounds choked - and you can hardly hear him. So much of the music is croony rubbish. Reminds me how sad and small life was back then (if you had no money, like my family). Nothing on the radio or TV (literally - stations went off air all afternoon. People were pig ignorant. Everyone flying little flags at the WC final - the bloody Union Jack, like it was the United Kingdom in the final. Still, it makes me think of my parents (long dead) and how tough life was for them. And poor old Bobby Moore. I hadn't realised he had and hid cancer before the WC - a fact not known till after his death. The way Moore was treated after he retired is a joke. These days you get a knighthood for winning a few olympic medals for cycling, FFS. I'm getting cross now. And I promised myself to stop ranting on NSC for a bit . . . . roll on the football season.

 

[Papak]

My Dad went to the final. He got his ticket through a work colleague who had a spare, as the work colleagues brother, who was going, couldn't get out of playing cricket.

I know someone else who went with his mates up from Bexhill on the morning of the final and managed to buy a ticket from a tout for £5.

You could buy a car for that back then.....

 

[theboybilly]

Memories of a wonderful childhood. We didn't have much - just a downstairs flat in a SE London terrace but life as a kid was great. I was just getting into football then when the only live matches on the TV were the FA Cup Final and the odd International. The 1966 World Cup was a good competition as it had almost everything - exciting matches, the thuggery of the Hungarians on Pele, the total madness of the Argentines and the country warming to the North Koreans....and Eusebio. Outside our street was deserted when the Final was on. What a day - what a match. Yet for all that it paled against the World Cup in Mexico in 1970 (in which England should have at least reached the final with a much stronger team than 4 years previously)
I can't believe though that it's been 50 years.

 

[Gwylan]

I was just getting into football then when the only live matches on the TV were the FA Cup Final and the odd International.

I didn't even know football existed until 1966. It sounds completely crazy now but I'd reached 9 years old with no knowledge of it whatsoever. My primary school didn't play it all and my family's sports were rugby and cricket.

In January 1966, I moved schools to Bevendean and football was compulsory there. I remember my dad coming to room for a few evenings before my first game so I knew the laws of the game. I picked it up quickly and was a complete fan by the time the WC started (hadn't been to a live match though). I had a road accident just before the start of the competition and was off school for three weeks - it meant I could stay up late and watch every game. What a tournament it was.

Did anyone go to see the official film (I think it was called Goal) which came out a few months later? I relived the whole thing, this time in colour

 

[dangull]

Since then, Germany are the current world champions, and have won it 4 times, and have been in numerous other finals. They also have a similar record in the Euro's.

Lets have another commemoration about the Somme and armistice day, to remind ourselves that we used to beat the Germans.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Did anyone go to see the official film (I think it was called Goal) which came out a few months later? I relived the whole thing, this time in colour

My Dad took my Mum to see it at the cinema apparently. I've seen it on TV. All those FIFA official films are **** in my opinion.

I also recall my Mum & Dad telling me that in the evening BBC coverage did break off from what was scheduled and broadcast Trafalgar Square and everything that happened after etc.

My Dad went to the final and it was 12 years before I was born, but his view was and remains that it was nowhere as big as it would be now. It was a big game, we were at home and expected to win etc, but the hype, hysteria and hyperbole there would be now just was not there. My Dad did live in London at the time, but got a ticket for the game reasonably easily, in his opinion.

 

[dazzer6666]

Did a marathon this morning......some organisers will use any excuse.....

 

[Saladpack Seagull]

Great memories of the match which I watched as a 10 year old on TV. Having been brought up to believe that England was great and that we were best at everything, I remember bursting into tears when the Germans (who clearly hadn't read the script) had the gall to take it to extra time ! Still, the rightness of our cause prevailed, and for ages afterwards everyone basked in the glow of that victory. I was inspired (as we couldn't afford the real thing) to make a Subbuteo-like game out of a box of dominoes, which had the players' names Sellotaped on them, and used the two halves of the box for the goals, and a ball-bearing from my Bagatelle as the ball. Hours of fun ensued. For reasons I don't remember I spent that night at my Great Aunt's flat in Hove, and on my return home I found my Dad had covered my bedroom wall in newspaper cuttings of the match and the celebrations afterwards. Happy days......

 

[warmleyseagull]

I watched aged 10 without the slightest idea of the importance of the game. Frankly, the celebration is an embarrassment - one SF appearance since then is all we can muster, and one in Euros.

It is a disgrace; after the Iceland debacle thought they might tactfully have dropped any idea of celebrating a sporting event that is 50 years old and shouldn't be celebrated as anything except the norm - bet the Germans went really bonkers two years ago celebrating 60 years since 1954 win.....

 

[Gwylan]

bet the Germans went really bonkers two years ago celebrating 60 years since 1954 win.....

That was a big win though. It was before I was born but I'm fully aware of the importance of that game - it was a massive turning point in German history, the time when they could finally put the war behind them a look to the future.

I bet there were plenty of retrospectives in Germany for it

 

[ManOfSussex]

That was a big win though. It was before I was born but I'm fully aware of the importance of that game - it was a massive turning point in German history, the time when they could finally put the war behind them a look to the future.

I bet there were plenty of retrospectives in Germany for it

There was a really good film, in German with subtitles, made about it - 'The Miracle of Bern'. Well worth watching, if you haven't seen it.

 

[theboybilly]

The trouble is things went a bit downhill after that. Football hooliganism was just rearing it's head as seemingly more away fans began to go to games. Supporters were more and more badly treated or downright ripped off. The whole matter of attending a game gradually faded for me and you were more likely to see me behind a goal at Bexley United's ground (now a groundshare between Welling Utd and Erith & Belvedere) than at The Valley when Milllwall were the visitors. The 1970s were the dark ages for me as far as football was concerned and Brian Moore's commentaries did nothing to lift the gloom. Thank goodness for MotD. It was only when I moved to Sussex that I really got my mojo back

 

[perseus]

Mexico hosted the best World Cup in 1970 when England played some good football against good sides.

If it wasn't for Eusebio and North Korea the 66 World Cup was a bit naff. Black and white on a mini TV.

1982 was good as well (except for the Final).

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I was 4 and remember nothing

I remember1970 very well, and unfortunately remember it very well, still can't believe we lost that game after being two nil up.

 

[vegster]

I find the current celebrations of this event a source of great embarrassment rather than pride. Fond memories for those from the time, yes, but the media really must stop making such a big deal of it now.

Very much this. We have analysed the minutiae of that day/game/goal over and over again. It was a magnificent result but sadly, not built on and so is becoming ever more irrelevant. One little thing I heard attributed to Sir Alf deserves repeating though. I read that the night before the final he gathered the players and said " Gentlemen, no drinking tonight please, maybe just a pint or so because tomorrow you are going to win The World Cup and, after that, you will never have to buy a drink again "

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Somewhat bizarrely, I am sat in an Italian hotel room watching a German TV channel which is talking about the 50th anniversary of the Wembley match. Only one mention so far about the dodgy goal.

 

[Solid at the back]

Who comes up with the idea to think celebrating winning a world cup 50 years ago is a good one?
Thats small club mentality as Ronaldo would put it, not plucky Iceland punching above their weight in even reaching a competition.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Who comes up with the idea to think celebrating winning a world cup 50 years ago is a good one?
Thats small club mentality as Ronaldo would put it, not plucky Iceland punching above their weight in even reaching a competition.

Please,go on.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

My point is that SKY aka EPL/FA RULE ENGLISH FOOTBALL. All the money that is spent on football for 'so called for development' of what ?

 

[SUA Seagull]

I was 8 years old in 1966, living in East London. My mum and aunt went shopping on the day and hadn't fully appreciated why the streets and shops were deserted! My dad had a half day off work (from his usual 6 day fsctory week) and my twin brother and I watched the game with him on BBC. We didn't really understand what it was all about but every time Engiand scored and my dad went nuts we cheered with him! I remember it as if it was yesterday, not so much about the game but I can still picture my (long departed) dad and the joy he experienced. Happy days indeed. Sad that 1966 was our country's footballing zenith and that we have never reached the same heights since. i met Gordon Banks and his missus on holiday in 2000 and he was utterly charming, a real gent. He posed with my lad for a photo and signed his autograph and was unassuming, modest and approachable. Different times, different folk. That the whole 1966 squad wasn't officially honoured was a total travesty.