This summer is the 60th anniversary of the greatest triumph in English football history.
THE BEATLES sang Yellow Submarine, Batman appeared on our TV screens for the first time, we saw the first satellite images of the Moon’s surface and Harold Wilson announced plans for decimalisation. But 1966 is remembered for one thing – Sir Alf Ramsey’s Wembley aces beating West Germany 4-2. Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick, the Russian linesman and that crossbar goal, Kenneth Wolstenholme’s iconic ‘Some people are on the pitch’ commentary line. Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. Bobby Charlton. Gordon Banks. Nobby Stiles’ jig around the Wembley pitch. Ramsey’s Wingless Wonders.
This summer is the 60th anniversary of the greatest triumph in English football history. And to mark the occasion, we have produced a stunning souvenir special – the Boys of ’66. From goalkeeper through to centre-forward, we throw the spotlight on every player in Ramsey’s World Cup-winning XI, detailing how they got there, the role they each played, the highs and the lows that followed for some after.
We detail how the manager hit upon his revolutionary Wingless Wonders system – and why he stuck by it amid mounting criticism of the tactics. We tell the story of Jimmy Greaves, the goalscoring genius who Ramsey built his hopes upon, but whose record-breaking career is best remembered for the one game he missed. We go through the drama of every game England played in the tournament – how they got through their group, the tempestuous quarter-final victory over Argentina, Eusebio’s tears as Portugal were downed by Bobby Charlton in the semis. And, of course, there is the tale of Tofiq Bahramov, aka the Russian linesman, who controversially awarded Hurst’s second goal against the Germans. We detail the brilliant story of Pickles the dog, a border-collie who became the most famous canine in the world by finding the World Cup after it was stolen from a London exhibition. We assess the 60 years of hurt endured since, and to put things into real perspective, we tell you 66 things you probably didn’t know about the year of 1966.
So, can Thomas Tuchel’s team end those six decades of World Cup hurt by triumphing across the Atlantic this summer? After the success of Ramsey’s Class of ’66, the gap has become way too big for a proud football nation which boasts the best league in the world. If Harry Kane and Co need inspiration, they need only look at what happened exactly 60 years ago – when football really DID come home.
Buy your copy today HERE or in participating supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents from Wednesday April 29, 2026. Any online orders will be dispatched from Wednesday April 29 and postage and packaging applies.
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