In 1966, I left Wembley convinced England would win again

I know what I was doing and thinking this time 60 years ago. Some people count their life in spoons; I count my life in World Cups. In June 1966, I was excited that we had just had our first son, born the week before. And that our wedding anniversary was coming up on 11 June. That day, I remember telling my wife, “Sorry pet, the World Cup is starting soon. If there is anything you want to say to me, say it now. I’ll have other things to think about for the next few weeks.”

Back then, we worried about England being wingless wonders. Alf Ramsey had ditched wingers, as he had done at Ipswich, flooding the midfield, which the fans thought was stupid. Then, come the final on 30 July, he ditched Jimmy Greaves as striker, who had been injured but was now fit. For the final, he stuck with Geoff Hurst, who most fans outside West Ham knew little about.

I attended England’s semi-final, against Portugal, which was fab; Eusébio was amazing. Then I managed to get a ticket for the final against West Germany. I still have it, price £5 – about the best and most expensive seat. Standing, you could get into Wembley for 10/6. This year, tickets for the final are going for thousands.

I can still clearly see Bobby Charlton (what a player, what a passer, what a haircut) and Bobby Moore (so calm and controlled) and Nobby Styles (so undernourished and toothless, but such a terrier) – and Alf Ramsey trying to be posh, talking like a trade union official.

I had not expected England to win. Brazil and Italy seemed to have better, modern, cultured players. But after our 4-2 victory against West Germany, we left Wembley telling ourselves we were bound to win it again.

Now it’s been 60 years of hurt. If only it had been 60 years of Hurst. It won’t happen again in my lifetime. Well, I am 90.

All this square passing, so depressing; lumpen defenders, pushing and shoving at corners, so annoying. England has a German manager – who could have imagined that? The Premier League is now filled with foreign players – it’s just 31 per cent English – so he has had fewer to choose from. Spain’s World Cup squad has seven players based in the Prem.

The lack of Jimmy Greaves in 1966 was mourned by fans. Now it’s the absence of Palmer, Foden and Maguire. Aways someone, eh?

But we all live in hope, as all fans have done every four years, getting carried away the nearer it gets to kick-off. I’ll be watching every game on the telly. Poor old Gabby Logan, the BBC presenter, won’t be there in North America either, not until the end – the Beeb can’t afford to send her. Yet football is supposed to be awash with trillions today. Adidas reported sales of almost £5.7bn in the first quarter of 2026 thanks to World Cup kit, match balls, trainers.

The first World Cup was in 1930: England did not enter. Too snotty and superior. We began football. What do these foreigners know about it? They eventually entered in 1950 – and suffered the humiliation of being beaten by the US, who, back then, hardly played the game. This year there are 48 countries, including Scotland – in the tournament for the first time since 1998 – and Curaçao, the smallest World Cup country ever, with a population of 158,006, about the size of the Isle of Wight.

I worry that England lack flair. Today in the Prem, the coaches have become obsessed with set-pieces, guided by videos and boring stats, making the players nervous, too concerned about pushing the opposition at corners, scared to express themselves. With 48 countries – there were 13 in 1966 – we will know many of the other nations’ players from the Prem. So we can support them after England and Scotland get stuffed.

What am I saying? Of course they won’t. I predict England vs Scotland in the final on 19 July, with England to win and Kane getting a hat-trick to equal Geoff. You read it here first.

Hunter Davies’s book Get Back: The Boys Who Became the Beatles will be published by Ebury in September

[Further reading: It’s official – women’s football is better than men’s]