World Cup 2006
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Feature
BACK IN THE SUMMER OF '66
After forty years of hurt, is Jules Rimet still gleaming? It certainly was back on that gorgeous Summer's day on July 26, 1966 when Sir Alf Ramsey's England team, led by the ubiquitous Bobby Moore, beat arch-rivals Germany 4-2 after extra time to win the World Cup.
Bobby holds trophy aloft
The match had absolutely everything. Geoff Hurst's stunning hat-trick, a controversial goal, a Russian linesman, a last gasp equaliser for Germany and people running onto the pitch, thinking the match was all over. It was.
As Bobby Moore climbed the famous Wembley steps, an enduring image is that of the England Captain wiping a muddied hand on the balcony before shaking the pristine white gloved hand of the Queen and accepting the trophy.
Of course, what many choose to remember about that glorious day, aside from Moore's balcony appearance and Hurst's icing on the cake goal, is the goal that remains a contentious issue to this day. Did Hurst's second goal, scored in the 101st minute of the game to give England a 3-2 lead, really cross the line? Rumors that the Russian linesman awarded the goal as revenge for Stalingrad amazingly still persist but such far fetched claims are immaterial in the face of the fact that the scoreboard never lies.
The two teams line up
The game itself was an absolute belter from the first whistle as the two nations went hell for leather at one another in front of a 93,000-strong crowd. The roars of the vast majority fell deathly silent in the 12th minute, however, when Helmut Haller pounced to drill a cross-shot beyond Gordon Banks to give the Germans the lead. But six minutes later, Wembley was abuzz again and Geoff Hurst headed England level.
With nerves jangling and finger nails bitten down to the quick, there were only 15 minutes remaining when Martin Peters seized upon a loose ball to lash home from close range. Although the game seemed won, England looked to for the killer blow and left themselves open to a German sucker punch in the dying seconds of the match as Wolfgang Weber smashed the ball into the roof of the net to send the FIFA World Cup final went into extra time for the first time in history to the utter despair of the English fans.
Appeals for a corner
For obvious reasons, the England side appeared dejected and the momentum now seemed to be with the Germans. Then came that third, controversial England goal as Hurst ball rattled the cross bar, the ball bounced over the line and out into play again. It was a blow that deflated the Germans, already exhausted from their efforts to save the game.
With the clock ticking down and extra-time almost over, Hurst burst away from the tiring German defense. The rest, as they say, is history. As spectators ran onto the pitch thinking the game to be over, the England striker crashed a shot high into the net to seal a 4-2 win.
It remains the game that all England fans continue to hold up as the beacon for future success, but can Sven-Goran Eriksson's men repeat the feat 40 years later on German soil in 2006? Ntl World Cup columnist Harry Harris is of the opinion that we can, but only if a number of circumstances run in our favor.