Tag: England

Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, J. Charlton, Moore, Ball, R. Charlton, Hurst, Peters, Hunt. The eleven names any football-obsessed English youngster knows. Although a significant proportion of these youngsters are now in their thirties and forties. Yes, forty-eight years is a long time. Two generations have come and gone since England accidentally won the World Cup on Saturday 30th July, 1966.  If that day was also you date of birth, it is eminently possible that you are a grandparent now. Imagine that. There are children about to grow up in England whose grandparents won’t be able to tell them first-hand about The Day England Won The World Cup. But wait! Hold thine horses, because unless I am very much mistaken there is another World Cup to be held. It starts in a few days and could prove the salvation of a generation of grandparents everywhere, because England have qualified and are a mere 7 (seven) victories away from winning it. No, you shut up. What would England winning the World Cup be like? It’s no use asking your grandparents, even. If you’re anything like me, all your grandparents are now dead for starters, but it goes beyond that. The world of football has changed beyond recognition since July 1966. It is even arguable that England’s (first/only) World Cup win was the Big Bang that created this universe. The key difference...