How England Won the World Cup

Last Update: 10 Dec 2006

 

HOW ENGLAND WON THE WORLD CUP
Source: Five TV

 

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1966 is a year that resonates throughout English football. As a 40th

anniversary celebration of England’s momentous World Cup victory and

as a curtain-raiser to the 2006 competition in Germany in June, this

documentary will bring England’s triumph to life in a way that most of

us never saw it at the time, with our black and white TV sets...in

glorious colour. Together with other amazing archive footage, this film

is a guided tour of England’s journey from the preparation and opening

draw against Uruguay to the epic battle with West Germany at Wembley,

highlighted with exclusive interviews with original team members.

 

The World Cup is upon us once again. As Embrace drone out of every radio

station and the pubs stock up with watered-down booze, the nation’s knees

quiver with anticipation for the usual series of triumphant matches followed

by the inevitable dejection when England gets knocked out. But once upon a

time, we actually won.

 

On 30 July 1966, England and West Germany’s teams strode out onto

the Wembley turf for the World Cup Final, unaware that they were about

to make football history. Three years earlier, England manager Alf Ramsey

had arrogantly pronounced that his men would achieve the ultimate prize.

His confidence was contagious and the team had faith that Alf would lead

them to victory - the elements conspired and the outcome was magical.

We tackle the question that has plagued all subsequent teams: how did they

do it?

 

Using original colour footage and narrated by Sean Bean, this documentary

tells the story of how Ramsey’s promise was fulfilled. All ten surviving World

Cup winners are interviewed: Alan Ball, Roger Hunt, Sir Geoff Hurst, George

Cohen, Ray Wilson, Sir Bobby Charlton and Jack Charlton. They remember

reverently how Ramsey moulded the team in his own image, creating a

side that was tough, taciturn and destined for greatness.

 

In 1962, Ipswich manager Alf Ramsey was offered the chance of a lifetime,

to lead England to the World Cup, and was formally appointed as the first

professional England manager. Ramsey had a reputation for being a difficult

and distant character, but he was passionate and a master tactician. Two

years into his reign he began to experiment with a new, midfield-bolstering

4-3-3 formation. This new fluid and flexible system baffled the opposition,

and, after using it to beat Spain in a 1965 friendly, England began to play

with a new-found consistency and confidence. Ramsey’s 22-man squad,

based around England’s youngest-ever captain, Bobby Moore, settled into

their Hendon HQ days before the tournament, preparing to improve on

England’s notoriously poor performance on the world stage. This tournament

would be their chance to re-establish some much-needed national pride.

 

The first match was disheartening. On 11 July, the England team walked

out in front of an 87,000-strong Wembley crowd, full of hope, but a dismal

0-0 draw against Uruguay saw England fail to score at Wembley for the first

time since 1938; Sir Bobby Charlton recalls thinking “maybe it’s going to be

a little bit harder than we thought.”

 

Four days later, a re-jigged team beat Mexico 2-0 and England were through

to the final eight, next squaring up to the irrepressible Argentina. Still

juggling his team, Ramsey warned them not to retaliate against Argentina’s

famous predilection for underhand tactics. Even when South Americans’

captain, Antonio Rattin, was sent off, the Argies were a force to be reckoned

with and England struggled against the ten-man team, finally thrashing

them with a goal from Geoff Hurst. Ramsey became public enemy number

1 when he slammed the defeated team in the press, but the match was a

crucial turning point for England; Ramsey had found his fighting formula,

and there was a resurgence of national optimism.

 

Portugal were England’s next fearsome opponents, coming complete with

star player Eusebio. Defender Nobby Stiles was given the task of keeping

a close watch on ‘the Black Pearl’, while Bobby Charlton shone in attack,

scoring twice. England conceded a penalty but it didn’t matter; England

stormed through and were now just a step away from fulfilling Ramsey’s

promise.

 

Ramsey’s selection for the final 11 caused some outrage as star striker

Jimmy Greaves failed to make the cut, but the players trusted their manager’s

decision. As the day of the Final loomed, excitement reached fever pitch.

“You had that sort of feeling of some kind of destiny in the air,” reminisces

sports writer James Mossop. After an edgy start, West Germany dealt

England their first blow, but the home team equalised six minutes later

and began to take control in the second half, led by Martin Peters. The

crowd was stunned by an 89th minute equaliser from West Germany and,

for only the second time in World Cup history, the Final went to extra time.

The tension was excruciating. England immediately took control, with

Hurst bypassing the infamous Russian linesman to score a controversial

goal. When Hurst streaked forth and scored again, the stadium erupted.

England had made good on Ramsey’s promise.

 

“We won because we were a great team,” explains Sir Bobby Charlton.

“We were a perfect blend; we had the right manager. I think it’s

something that you can never, ever forget.”

 

Well, if we can’t do it this year...we’ll always have the memories!

 

***********

DVD Description
Source: amazon

1966 is the year that resonates throughout English football. As a 40th

anniversary celebration of England’s momentous World Cup victory and as

a curtain-raiser to the 2006 competition in Germany in June, this documentary

will bring England’s triumph to life in a way that most of us never saw it at

the time (because we couldn’t on our black and white TV sets) …in glorious colour.

Using the only existing colour archive footage and exclusive interviews with

original team members, this film will follow England’s journey from the

preparation and opening draw against Uruguay to the epic battle with

West Germany at Wembley.

 

On July 30th – World Cup Final Day - England’s Bobby Moore and West

Germany’s Uwe Seeler led their teams out onto the Wembley turf

before an expectant crowd of 96,000.

 

What followed is part of footballing legend. In one hundred and twenty

minutes of raw and emotion-fuelled play, the performance of both sides

became a contest of pace, power, strength, stamina and iron will.

Exhilarating, unpredictable and inspirational, a late goal from Germany

levelled the scores and took the contest into extra time, but it was

England’s boys who were on course to create history. In a nail-biting

climax, after a disputed England goal, Geoff Hurst became the first man

ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. Forty years on, the English

players are still being awarded honours simply for having taken part.

Moments in the game are imprinted in the memories of all who witnessed

it and the match is regarded in awe by subsequent footballing generations.

 

Special Features
- Exclusive interviews with all the surviving team members, filmed in March 2006.

- An ‘Easter Egg’ feature. Can you find the three hidden lions in the DVD extras menus?

Three funny stories from three England players.

- An Interactive Map of England with hotspots illustrating each and every

stadium used during the 1966 World Cup. Information provided will include

games played at each venue, attendances and capacity.

- Stills Gallery Player Profiles. A stills and stats combo profiling each of the

1966 World Cup winning squad, including games played, goals scored, etc.

- 1966 Facts and Figures. A still and stats combo telling the story of the

1966 World Cup, including all the results, scorers, attendances, etc.

- That was the year that was. Stats based : music in charts, celeb stories,

news stories, etc.

- Interviewees include Terry Venables, Barry Davies (ITV commentator),

Alan Leather (FA liaison officer), James Mossit (journalist) and David

Howes (mascot).

- Includes footage of 1966 England/Germany reunion event held on 21st March

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