Chapter 16: The Match Of The Century
Chapter 16
The Match Of The Century
For anyone living that in Britain on July 30th 1966, it would be one of those great all time 'where were you?' moments and for good reason. That day would be the day of the 1966 World Cup final but it would far from being any old final that was for sure. It wasn't just down to the fact that it was being played at Wembley stadium, some claiming it as the cathedral of football, but it was down to the fact the two oldest footballing nations in the world, England and Scotland, would have a date with destiny to become World Champions. For many, unless you lived outside of the British Isles, it was the dream final that everyone had wanted the moment Scotland had beaten Italy that night in Glasgow which confirmed their place at the World Cup and to perhaps to no one's surprise, the British press had gone into overdrive declaring it as the greatest day in the history of British football and pretty much all the newspapers having their front page headline claiming it was 'The match of the century'. Pretty much nobody could avoid it; even if you didn't care for football, this special occasion was not just an important event in the history of British football or sport, but actually British history that would stand alongside other famous moments in the country's history such as VE Day and the Queen's Coronation. Though Wembley was one of the biggest stadiums in the country, even it's vast sized was pretty much overfilled being full to rafters with ninety-nine thousand souls inside all waiting to see history (though some unofficial claims that one hundred thousand could've been in Wembley that day). Wembley had not seen such huge crowds ever since the White Horse Final of 1923, though thankfully there was no spillage of spectators overflowing onto the pitch. Such was the huge demand for tickets that the SFA even proposed the idea of moving the final to Hampden Park, a stadium with double the capacity that Wembley had, to cope with the expected crowds but FIFA insisted on having it at Wembley as always planned. The Match Of The Century
Regardless though, a ticket for the final was the hottest thing in town and everyone that was everyone all headed for Wembley with the usual huge numbers of tartan clad Scottish supporters making the traditional trip to Wembley though clearly this event was far greater than all that had happened before, but also people across England came from the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham just to name a few. Without question it was to be the biggest game between the two countries that they'd ever known and they knew that it'll be dreams for one team and nightmares for the other. Some of the players like Baxter and Johnstone for Scotland had a restless night knowing that the tension to lose this game was too great and that they'd either return to Scotland as heroes or enemies and the latter was scary in which the worst case might be that depending on how bad they lost then they might not be even allowed back into the country. The Scotland team had ended up staying at Homestead Court in Welwyn Garden City and early morning on the day of the final when the team were having breakfast, there was indeed more than a strong chance that at least one of the players were thinking of past games they remembered watching or playing in; many had grown up remember the famous 5-1 victory over England which many called the greatest game Scotland had with England though the same who had grown up with that game would end up having a horror story of their own when they played England in 1961 and were battered 9-3 by the English and the likes of Denis Law who was in that game, the mental scars of that game had not healed. That all said the last game between the two teams just a few months before at Hampden in the Home Championship had ended in a thrilling game which England won 4-3 and if the final was going to be like that then surely the world was in for a huge treat. But anything could happen in this mad fixture and who knows what lay in store for them.
The same sort of jitters could have also been said for England as Duncan Edwards, who had been chosen by manager Alf Ramsay to be captain for the team for this game, as he sat there having breakfast with his teammates at Hendon Hall Hotel in North London, it was only dawning on himself that he would potentially become the first England captain to lift the World Cup and what the after effects might be for all of them if they were to win today. Then again, while many had the English down as favourites and having the benefit of a home advantage, it hadn't been a World Cup that they had set the world alight. They had started off with a pretty dire 0-0 draw with Uruguay before recording two 2-0 victories over Mexico and France and even then those win hadn't exactly got everyone on their feet despite winning the group. The Knockout Stage had been quite a mad affair too with the Quarter-Final tie with Argentina being a bad tempered affair in which despite that Argentina team being one of the more talented teams in that World Cup, they had ended up sacrificing disrupting England with a spate of petty fouls. Their captain, Antonio Rattin, arrogantly challenged just about every decision that the referee made and was waving his arms around like a traffic policeman. Eventually he'd be sent off for his troubles and England would win 1-0 in what was in truth a sorry state of affairs that would leave a bad taste in the mouth of many in Argentina who called the game a robbery. England would end up playing the much fancied Portugal in the last four and there was the pressure of not only trying to get to the final but also the fact that the day before had seen Scotland make it to the final and that England didn't want to miss out on the final and the game itself would be a real classic of a game in which England just about edged it winning 2-1
The England team having breakfast just before the final
Ever since the last World Cup, he would end up leaving Manchester United to play in Italy for Juventus and he would remember the utter dismay that followed in the country when Scotland of all teams prevented the Italians from qualifying for the World Cup this year. Strangely enough when England reached the final, Edwards had gotten a letter from some of his Juventus teammates in which they wished him well in the final and made so secret that they wanted the English to win in what they saw as revenge against the Scots. It was quite a strange situation; here Edwards would be leading the team out to win for Queen and country and which has pressure in of itself, yet now he was getting pressure from the Italians wanting England to beat Scotland. How was one to describe all this? In the late morning, the two team buses had made their own ways to Wembley and all along the route, there was always the sight of a supporter heading for the stadium and when they got closer to Wembley, the surrounding area was a washed with colour and sound with perhaps the most noticeable thing in which a bagpiper on one street corner was playing Scotland the Brave while on another street corner, a busker with a guitar was playing There Will Always Be An England; no prizes as to guess who those two were supporting.
Many that day all have their stories about the day and the build up to it, but when both teams hit the dressing rooms and were resplendent in the national colours of their home countries, it was then that it had finally occured to them of what this meant for the whole country on both sides of the border. The tunnel saw both teams giving each other insults at each other, the fact they most of them were teammates at other clubs such as Law, Charlton and Stiles for Manchester United, were thrown out of the window as they prepared for battle, the rest just simply ghosted any teammate they knew at club level. Alas, insults alone aren't enough to win a final when it came time to walk out onto the famous hallow turf at Wembley. As the teams walked out, they were greeted by a deafening roar that might have been heard from all over London and also there was the sight of Union flags, English St George Crosses, Lion Ramparts and Scottish Saltires flapping wildly in the air which it some ways looked more like medieval flags being hung out for war, then again perhaps this was war? Whatever the reason, it was time for one set of eleven players to become heroes.
The teams walk out for the 1966 World Cup final with many Scotland and a few England fans in the background
The first ten minutes of the match has Scotland clearly the better team in terms of chances and look more determined to deny their arch rivals glory on home soil. That said it is nothing but frantic play from both sides goes back and forward with the Queen, sitting in the royal box along with the rest of the Royal Family, looking on expressionless. Will her loyalties lie with Windsor or Balmoral or is she one of the rare neutrals in the ground? The Tartan Army are chanting for their team throughout the game and they expect that surely all this play will make a difference and thankfully, it does. In the twelve minute, Jim Baxter outwits Bobby Charlton and takes the ball up the pitch for Denis Law to run into the penalty box before slamming it past Banks' hands which does a slight spin in the air from the impact before it twirls downwards into the back of the net and put Scotland ahead in the final and worthy lead by all accounts.
The roar from the Scottish supporters on the terraces is incredible; another to perhaps rock Wembley to it's foundations no less. Scottish flags are quickly brought out and are seen flapping all around the ground and no doubt great celebrations have already started at home, McCall though despite feeling delighted that they have the early breakthrough remains expressionless and knowns that it is still a long way to go yet and that there is no chance in hell that the English will lay down that easy for the Scots. He glances over towards Alf Ramsay who not so long ago was sitting with a thoughtful looking before suddenly he is up on his feet and is barking at his players to get back in the game and not let this slip by. Sure enough, England respond to his calls and in bizarre quirk of fate, that opening goal was what was needing for the men in white to start taking the game to Scotland and now they begin pushing the Scots back. With this new attacking style of play it is the English support that now start to find their voice as they can sense something is on the cards...
John Greig, Billy Bremner and the rest of the Scottish backline who not so long ago had very little to do up until that opening goal are starting to feel the strain of the strong English attack and it is clear that England are going to score and sure enough in the eighteenth minute of the game, Duncan Edwards slips up a pass to Charlton who runs forward with the ball into the penalty box and he has Bremner tailing him if he doesn't shoot now then his attack will come to nothing. With that he slams it home past the outstretch arms of Bobby Fergusson into the bottom left and thus, a roar from the English half in the ground erupts to greet the goal that ties the game and now and the England fans show their Scottish counterparts that they can celebrate too, if not better, than the Scots when it comes to celebrating a goal. Alf Ramsay punches a fist in the air to celebrate with many of his fellow countrymen and all that pressing has paid off and no one will deny that England deserved that goal. Now what could they do?
From the twentieth minute onwards, the first half is shaping up to be the great clash that many were hoping and, in some case, were expecting it to be. The equaliser from England has clearly shaken off any any fears the English had before seem to be playing with a whole lot more freedom that before which the Scots seem unable to match. Nonetheless and the game goes at quite a madcap rate with only a bad challenge by Moore on Baxter and Scotland are awarded a free kick in the twenty-eighth minute and Baxter, now considered the free kick specialised, steps up to take it. However his hit is greeted to sound of sarcastic cheers from the England fans for sadly for his freekick is an utter waste as he sends it flying over the English wall and way past the goals in which Gordon Banks had very little to do other than watch the bad freekick. Clearly this would be a moment that Baxter would not want to be reminded anytime soon.
Nonetheless it is wonderful game of football which is turning out to be a brilliant advert to the world of British football and the fact that is players at club level having to play each other at international level gives the tie a little bit more of an edge which given the large amount of Scottish players playing the English leagues stands for reason. So much back and forward action is taking place which is only adding the spectacle and so much so that it is when the referee blows his whistle for half time is it somewhat of a disappointment in which no one wanted such an exciting first half of football to end. That said, perhaps the fans are needing to catch their breath and as the players leave for the Wembley tunnel, some take the chance to look up at the big scoreboard reading 'England 1 - Scotland 1' and who knows just what might happen for the second half. Would there be a winner sorted out or will it go to extra-time? Given the nature of this fixtures, the answer was that anything could happen.
Charlton scores the equaliser for England
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The half time team talk from both managers is coincidently pretty much the same. Both are saying to their player words along the lines of, 'Imagine if that lot win it? we'd never hear the end of it!' Either way, neither want to lose and whoever does will likely never let this down; Denis Law had even planned for whatever happened after this game to go to a golf resort for a free days and escape from it all. From then when the second half begins, is just like the first in which both teams are playing on level terms with each other; the cream has certainly arisen to the top with the talent on show and showing that both sides deserve to be in the final. Briefly there is a lull period in the game in which nothing of note happens up until the sixty-third minute in which Baxter, still smarting after that rotten freekick, tries his luck again with another set piece and vows to make this one a whole lot better. He sends the ball right past the English defence and Banks and Wembley suddenly becomes like a vacuum as the breath of everyone there is sucked out all of who are watching the ball looking like it is going in, but to his dismay, the ball ends up crashing on the crossbar and a glorious chance to retake the lead for the Scots is gone.
A good thing video footage didn't show the reaction of Baxter and many of his teammates as well as those with the England team would all see Baxter crying out frustrated words of profanity that to put it mildly wouldn't be quite suitable for a family audience. With Scotland missing a glorious chance, England have woken up knowing that any time they switch off then that will only encourage Scotland to come forward to attack and thus they start playing the ball around and with the help of the English supporters in the ground. McCall has one eye on his watch knowing that time is running out and that any chance Scotland can get mustn't be wasted as sooner or later, England will pay them out. No one knows but for some reason the longer the second half goes on is that Scotland seem to look like they are lacking belief with all that pressing from England possibly having an affect on them with Duncan Edwards having a real effect to nullify any Scottish attack.
Eventually the game rolls into the eighty-first minute and for many it seems as though the game has gone so fast that even those who have been watching the and not taking their eyes off it and stunned when they look at their watches at the time, whoever scores next surely is the winner. In that moment, Bremner tries to bring Charlton down, but the Englishmen quickly passes it up towards Edwards before then he crosses it up over towards Martin Peters who volleys the ball before it even hits the ground and slams the ball past Fergusson that sends England 2-1 up on Scotland and Wembley erupts in what is actually the completion of a turnaround that England have comeback from. Denis Law's opening goal is all but cancelled out and the look of despair and frustration. Now in a bad position and with little time to go, Scotland now have to risk it to press the English in the hopes that they could at least take the game into extra-time.
The happy English half at Wembley enjoying the moment England take the lead
All eyes turn towards Baxter as he steps up to take the free kick and this time he knows he has to get it right, after two poor kicks, surely he has to get this right and the many thousand Scotland fans all wait with baited breathes hoping for a miracle. The whistle blows and Baxter fires the ball, however he messes up the power he puts into the kick and the ball ends up cannoning off an England defending and thus Scotland's last chance to take the game to extra-time is gone. The celebrations from the English supporters is now reaching fever pitch knowing they are so close to victory but in all the madness, few have not noticed what is happening down on the field. Alan Ball manages to get on the ball after it lands and before anyone can react, he fires it up the field where Edwards races up with it to go on a lighting fast counter attack. I that moment BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme recalls the last few moment of the game as Edwards finds himself close to the box with some supporters trying to get on the field to celebrate.
"And here comes Edwards. He's got... some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over..." Then he strikes it home to seal it for England and complete Scotland's misery. "It is now! It's three!"
From then on, that'll end the game and with a blast on the referee's whistle, England are 3-1 victors and are the new World Champions. Wembley is awash with sound and likely the whole country from Land's End to Berwick is celebrating. The Scottish players are heartbroken and it is only when some of the English players come up to swap shirts can they cheer up and in the cold light of day of the following day might be able to reflect on how far they have come and how they have done far better than any Scottish team before, in some ways, they never really lost in terms how well they did.
McCall and Stein know that they have done all of Scotland proud by getting here and while perhaps they have to admit that the better team won on the day, he knows that it'll probably won't be long until Scotland return to another final. For now, its England's moment of glory as Edwards, with tears in his eyes remembering the Munich disaster, raises the World Cup in the air with one hand and in the other, he points to the sky as if he is saying this is far his fallen teammates.
Law and Charlton swap shirts after the final whistle
Whatever the reason, the 1966 final had been a wonderful game for everyone to see by the time the World Cup would return, it would be in a new decade but in the meantime, it wouldn't be long until the two auld enemies would meet again in two games that would have more than bragging rights at stake...
Final results of the Knockout Stage of the 1966 World Cup
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