An anecdote-heavy book to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of England’s greatest football triumph is reviewed by Eric Brown…
BY ERIC BROWN
Everyone of a certain age remembers where they were on 30 July 1966. The date never fades from memory, like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on 23 November 1963 and the Moon Landings on 20 July 1969.
It was the showery day Alf Ramsey’s so-called “wingless wonders” beat Germany at Wembley to become world champions for the first and only time.
Where was I? Playing cricket in Sevenoaks in a dreary, rain-interrupted bore draw while England created history some 30 miles north. To make matters worse, the pal with whom I’d watched all of England’s group games plus the scintillating semi-final against Portugal had, when umpiring, given me out to a dodgy LBW and afterwards admitted doing so because he was fed up I’d persuaded him to play cricket rather than going to Wembley.
Luckily, I can catch up with all the events before, during and after England’s triumph thanks to a new book commemorating 60 years since commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme uttered those unforgettable words: “There’s people on the pitch… they think it’s all over – it is now” as Geoff Hurst smashed in his third and England’s fourth goal. Then Bobby Moore wiped his hands to receive the Jules Rimet trophy from the Queen.
Perhaps no one is better qualified to relate all those events than Norman Giller, then a Daily Express football writer and the only journalist to make it into England’s dressing room post-match through formidable security enhanced after it came under attack from Argentinian players.
He didn’t spend long there after being spotted by Ramsey, but long enough to note Jack Charlton’s late return, complaining of being singled out for his fourth random drug test during the competition. He passed them all. Three German players, however, failed, but their shame was hushed up for 45 years until documents discovered at Berlin’s Humboldt University revealed a cover-up to spare FIFA scandal. The players’ names have not been disclosed.
After setting the scene, Giller skilfully takes the reader step by step through events on Final day, starting with his arrival at England’s Hendon Hall Hotel base at 8am where he bumped into Bobby Moore setting off on a walk. “Much on today?” quipped Giller. “Might pop down to see what’s going on at Wembley later,” quipped back Moore.
The book’s many entertaining anecdotes include a post-match revel involving Jim Mossop of the Sunday Express and Jack Charlton. England’s giant defender suggested a London club crawl, but Mossop protested he only had £10. Charlton told him not to worry and produced a wad of cash given to him for wearing certain boots.
In the event, well-wishers bought them drinks all night with both Charlton’s wad and Mossop’s tenner remaining intact. They woke up in the morning on sofas in an east London house with no idea how they got there. Charlton wandered into the garden for fresh air. “Aren’t you young Jackie Charlton?” said a voice from the adjoining garden. “We used to live next door to you in Ashington. How’s your mam?” What are the odds?
Giller’s comprehensive round-up of all things 1966 World Cup related includes the medal winner persuaded to stay on after trying to walk out. Then there are players’ myriad superstitions, which led to two of them staging a shorts removal contest in a bid to be last to put their pair on before leaving the dressing room and what Ramsey really thought of Danny Blanchflower’s stinging criticism of his team.
Giller also writes of the FA enemies Ramsey made during the tournament and how they could not wait to take their revenge when things started going wrong four years later. He exposes the shameful treatment of national heroes like Ramsey and Moore, who went to court to avoid the players’ modest bonuses being taxed. The Germans received almost three times the amount for losing the cup, despite some of them taking prohibited substances.
There’s a substantial section on what happened to both sets of players in the following years, a chapter recording fan reaction, a supreme statistical section, and photographs with many from Giller’s own collection.
Among Giller’s meticulously assembled reminders of England’s greatest day is a must-read for all journalists. He includes an on-the-whistle match report filed to The Observer at 5.25pm by Hugh McIlvanney. He won Sports Writer of the Year on seven occasions, and this perfect piece of under-pressure journalism demonstrates just why.
With a foreword by Sir Geoff Hurst, the only survivor of Ramsey’s World Cup Final team, Norman Giller’s 122nd book tells all you could wish to know about England’s greatest football glory and more. The team was written off by almost every newspaper as World Cup no-hopers.
When the Daily Mail’s Brian James dared to stick with Ramsey’s suggestion that England would win the tournament, he was summoned by his management and warned his career would be at risk if England failed. With each year that passes, Ramsey’s achievement seems that much greater.
Me? Just as I settled down to watch a full replay of the final on TV the following day, the phone rang. My Dad’s cricket team were short of a player, would I help them out?
Must have been a glutton for punishment, as I agreed. Didn’t manage to see the whole game for nearly 40 years when a national newspaper released it on DVD.
This book fleshes out the many important bits that happened off the pitch. A welcome addition to my collection of World Cup 1966 books, which includes autobiographies from all the players, except Ray Wilson and Roger Hunt. If anyone knows where I can obtain those, please get in touch.
July 30 1966 – Football’s Longest Day, by Norman Giller is published by Norman Giller Books, price £24.99 (For a cut price, post-free deal, go to www.normangiller.co.uk)
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