1966 FIFA World Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup
, the eighth football World Cup
. The match was contested by England
and West Germany
on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet Trophy. The England team became known as the "wingless wonders", on account of their then-unconventional narrow attacking formation, described at the time as a 4–4–2 (although the formation was nearer a 4–1–2–1–2, or a modern day "Diamond Formation"). The match is remembered for England's only World Cup trophy, Geoff Hurst
's hat-trick and the controversial third goal awarded to England by referee Gottfried Dienst
and linesman Tofik Bakhramov
.
and captained by Bobby Moore
, won the toss and elected to kick off. After twelve minutes, Siegfried Held
sent a cross into the English penalty area which Ray Wilson misheaded to Helmut Haller
, who got his shot on target. Jackie Charlton and goalkeeper Gordon Banks
failed to deal with the shot which went in making it 1–0 to West Germany.
In the 19th minute, Wolfgang Overath
conceded a free kick, which Moore floated into the West German area, Geoff Hurst
ran in and deflected the ball into the net for an equaliser.
. He produced the final shot, beating the West German keeper from eight yards to make the score 2–1 to England.
The Germans pressed for an equaliser in the closing moments, and in the last minute the referee awarded them a free-kick when Uwe Seeler backed into Jack Charlton
who protested that he was the one who had been fouled. The kick was taken by Lothar Emmerich
, with the ball going to George Cohen
who managed to block it, but the ball bounced across the England six-yard box and Wolfgang Weber
struck home to level the scores at 2–2 and force the match into extra time. The German equaliser was controversial since the ball had appeared to strike the hand of Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
whilst travelling through the penalty area. Gordon Banks
maintains that the ball struck Schnellinger's hand.
– and was cleared. The referee Gottfried Dienst
was uncertain if it had been a goal and consulted his linesman, Tofik Bakhramov
from the USSR, who in a moment of drama indicated that it was. After non-verbal communication, as they had no common language, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team. The crowd and the audience of 400 million television
viewers were left arguing whether the goal should have been given or not.
England's third goal has remained controversial ever since the match. According to the Laws of the Game the definition of a goal is when "the whole of the ball passes over the goal line".
In England, supporters cite the good position of the linesman and the statement of Roger Hunt
, the nearest England player to the ball, who claimed it was a goal and that was why he wheeled away in celebration rather than attempting to tap the rebounding ball in.
A study conducted by the Engineering Department at Oxford University concluded that the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cm away from being a goal.
Some Germans cited possible bias of the Soviet linesman (Bakhramov was from Azerbaijan
), especially as the USSR had just been defeated in the semi-finals by West Germany. Bakhramov later stated in his memoirs that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net and that he was not able to observe the rest of the scene, so it did not matter where the ball hit the ground anyway. (An apocryphal story exists that Bakhramov, when asked why he gave the goal later, simply replied "Stalingrad". There is no evidence that this is genuine.) Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst
did not see the scene. England went on to win 4-2.
One minute before the end of play, the West Germans sent their defenders forward in a desperate attempt to score a last-minute equaliser. Winning the ball, Bobby Moore picked out the unmarked Geoff Hurst with a long pass, which Hurst carried forward while some spectators began streaming onto the field and Hurst scored moments later. Hurst later admitted that his blistering shot was as much intended to send the ball as far into the Wembley stands as possible should it miss, in order to kill time on the clock.
The final goal gave rise to one of the most famous sayings in English football, when the BBC
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
described the situation as follows:
One of the enduring images of the celebrations in Wembley immediately after the game was the picture of the captain Bobby Moore holding the Jules Rimet Trophy aloft, on the shoulders of Geoff Hurst and Ray Wilson, together with Martin Peters. In recognition of Moore and other West Ham United
players' contribution to the win, the club and Newham Borough Council jointly commissioned a statue of this scene. On 28 April 2003 Prince Andrew
as president of the Football Association, duly unveiled the World Cup Sculpture
(also called The Champions) in a prominent place near West Ham's Boleyn Ground
(Upton Park), at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street. The one and a half life-size bronze piece was sculpted by Philip Jackson
.
In August 1966 a special 4d stamp
marked ENGLAND WINNERS was issued by the British Post Office to celebrate the victory and which soared in value to up to 15 shillings each on the back of public enthusiasm for the victory before falling back in value when the public realised it was not rare.
is now giving medals to every non-playing squad and staff member from every World Cup
-winning country from 1930 to 1974.
|width=50% valign=top|
|}
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
, the eighth football World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. The match was contested by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet Trophy. The England team became known as the "wingless wonders", on account of their then-unconventional narrow attacking formation, described at the time as a 4–4–2 (although the formation was nearer a 4–1–2–1–2, or a modern day "Diamond Formation"). The match is remembered for England's only World Cup trophy, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
's hat-trick and the controversial third goal awarded to England by referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
and linesman Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov , commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani football referee notable for being the linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany...
.
First half
England, managed by Alf RamseyAlf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
and captained by Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, won the toss and elected to kick off. After twelve minutes, Siegfried Held
Siegfried Held
Sigfried "Siggi" Held is a former German football player and now a football coach. He played as a centre-forward.Born in Freudenthal, Sudetenland , his first football club was Kickers Offenbach. In 1965 he became a player in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund...
sent a cross into the English penalty area which Ray Wilson misheaded to Helmut Haller
Helmut Haller
Helmut Haller is a former footballer who represented West Germany at three World Cups.A playmaker and striker who made his international debut at age 19 in 1958, he played at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England and the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, earning a total...
, who got his shot on target. Jackie Charlton and goalkeeper Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
failed to deal with the shot which went in making it 1–0 to West Germany.
In the 19th minute, Wolfgang Overath
Wolfgang Overath
Wolfgang Overath is a former West German football player. He represented his country three times in World Cup finals, culminating in 1974 with victory on home soil...
conceded a free kick, which Moore floated into the West German area, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
ran in and deflected the ball into the net for an equaliser.
Second half
The teams were level at half time, and after 77 minutes England won a corner. Alan Ball delivered the ball to Geoff Hurst whose deflected shot from the edge of the area found Martin PetersMartin Peters
Martin Stanford Peters, MBE is a former football player and member of the victorious England team which won the 1966 World Cup as well as playing in the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
. He produced the final shot, beating the West German keeper from eight yards to make the score 2–1 to England.
The Germans pressed for an equaliser in the closing moments, and in the last minute the referee awarded them a free-kick when Uwe Seeler backed into Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
who protested that he was the one who had been fouled. The kick was taken by Lothar Emmerich
Lothar Emmerich
Lothar Emmerich was a German football player. He was born in Dortmund-Dorstfeld and died in Hemer.-Honours:* 1965 German Cup winner...
, with the ball going to George Cohen
George Cohen
George Reginald Cohen MBE was the right back for England in the side which won the 1966 World Cup. He is the uncle of Rugby Union World Cup winner, Ben Cohen.-Football career:...
who managed to block it, but the ball bounced across the England six-yard box and Wolfgang Weber
Wolfgang Weber
Wolfgang Weber was a footballer best remembered for scoring the last-minute equaliser for West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final....
struck home to level the scores at 2–2 and force the match into extra time. The German equaliser was controversial since the ball had appeared to strike the hand of Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger is a former German footballer. He was one of the world's best defenders for a decade in the 1960s. He was nicknamed the "Volkswagen" for his continuity of performance, both in quantity and in quality...
whilst travelling through the penalty area. Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
maintains that the ball struck Schnellinger's hand.
Extra time
With eleven minutes of extra time gone, Alan Ball put in a cross and Geoff Hurst swivelled and shot from close range. The ball hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down – apparently on or just over the lineGhost goal
Ghost goal is a term used in association football to describe a questionable decision, usually involving incertitude or controversy as to whether a ball crossed the goal line or not.- Background :...
– and was cleared. The referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
was uncertain if it had been a goal and consulted his linesman, Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov , commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani football referee notable for being the linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany...
from the USSR, who in a moment of drama indicated that it was. After non-verbal communication, as they had no common language, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team. The crowd and the audience of 400 million television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
viewers were left arguing whether the goal should have been given or not.
England's third goal has remained controversial ever since the match. According to the Laws of the Game the definition of a goal is when "the whole of the ball passes over the goal line".
In England, supporters cite the good position of the linesman and the statement of Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
, the nearest England player to the ball, who claimed it was a goal and that was why he wheeled away in celebration rather than attempting to tap the rebounding ball in.
A study conducted by the Engineering Department at Oxford University concluded that the ball did not cross the line entirely and that it was 6 cm away from being a goal.
Some Germans cited possible bias of the Soviet linesman (Bakhramov was from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
), especially as the USSR had just been defeated in the semi-finals by West Germany. Bakhramov later stated in his memoirs that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net and that he was not able to observe the rest of the scene, so it did not matter where the ball hit the ground anyway. (An apocryphal story exists that Bakhramov, when asked why he gave the goal later, simply replied "Stalingrad". There is no evidence that this is genuine.) Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
did not see the scene. England went on to win 4-2.
One minute before the end of play, the West Germans sent their defenders forward in a desperate attempt to score a last-minute equaliser. Winning the ball, Bobby Moore picked out the unmarked Geoff Hurst with a long pass, which Hurst carried forward while some spectators began streaming onto the field and Hurst scored moments later. Hurst later admitted that his blistering shot was as much intended to send the ball as far into the Wembley stands as possible should it miss, in order to kill time on the clock.
The final goal gave rise to one of the most famous sayings in English football, when the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...
described the situation as follows:
- "And here comes Hurst. He's got... some people are on the pitch, they think it's all overThey think it's all overThey think it's all over is a well known quotation and football chant popular in England. It is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's BBC TV commentary in the closing moments of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, where England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup.Soon after the...
. It is now! It's four!".
Champions photograph and statue
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
players' contribution to the win, the club and Newham Borough Council jointly commissioned a statue of this scene. On 28 April 2003 Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
as president of the Football Association, duly unveiled the World Cup Sculpture
World Cup Sculpture
The World Cup Sculpture, or simply The Champions, is a bronze statue of the 1966 World Cup Final located near West Ham United Football Club's Boleyn Ground stadium in the London Borough of Newham, England...
(also called The Champions) in a prominent place near West Ham's Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
(Upton Park), at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street. The one and a half life-size bronze piece was sculpted by Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson (sculptor)
Philip Henry Christopher Jackson CVO is an award-winning Scottish sculptor, noted for his modern style and emphasis on form. Acting as Royal Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II, his sculptures appear in numerous UK cities, as well as Argentina and Switzerland.His twice life-size bronze statue of...
.
Cultural impact
The final is the most watched event ever on British television, as of September 2009, attracting 32.60 million viewers. In Germany, a goal resulting from a shot bouncing off the crossbar and hitting the line is called a Wembley-Tor (Wembley Goal) due to the controversial nature of Hurst's second goal. This goal has been parodied a large number of times. Some of the most notable include:- England's third goal was referenced in a 2006 AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
advertisement, where English midfielder Frank LampardFrank LampardFrank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
takes a shot at German keeper Oliver KahnOliver KahnOliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
, and a similar event happens. On 27 June 2010 at that year's World Cup a goal by Lampard was disallowed which would have levelled the second-round game against Germany 2-2 (Germany won 4-1). - Kenneth Wolstenholme's commentary on the third goal that bounced on the line, "It's a goal!" was used (along with the sound of breaking glass) in the tape-looped coda of an early version of The Beatles song "Glass OnionGlass Onion"Glass Onion" is a song by The Beatles from their 1968 double-album The Beatles primarily written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. This is the first track on the White Album to feature Ringo Starr on drums...
", available on the album Anthology 3Anthology 3Anthology 3 is a compilation album by The Beatles released in October 1996 by Apple Records as part of The Beatles Anthology series. The album includes rarities and alternative tracks from the final two years of the band's career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles to the last...
. - Kit KatKit KatKit Kat is a chocolate-coated wafer confection that was created by Rowntree's of York, England, and is now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three...
parodied the controversial third goal in an advert for the Kit Kat bar. The goal is scored and the linesman was shown about to eat a Kit Kat bar as opposed to following the game. Upon realising that a possible goal has been scored, he hastily stuffs the bar into his mouth and awards the goal.
In August 1966 a special 4d stamp
England Winners stamp
The England Winners stamp was a fourpenny commemorative stamp issued in 1966 to mark England's victory in the 1966 World Cup. The stamp was issued on the orders of the then Postmaster General Edward Short and created by a new printing of the lowest value of the three British 1966 World Cup stamps...
marked ENGLAND WINNERS was issued by the British Post Office to celebrate the victory and which soared in value to up to 15 shillings each on the back of public enthusiasm for the victory before falling back in value when the public realised it was not rare.
Winners medals in 2009
The players and staff of England's winning squad who did not get medals in 1966 received them on 10 June 2009 after a ceremony at 10 Downing Street in London. Initially, only the 11 players on the pitch at the end of the match received medals, but FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
is now giving medals to every non-playing squad and staff member from every World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
-winning country from 1930 to 1974.
Match details
EWLINE
|
 |
EWLINE
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Officials
|
Match rules
|
England
| Team | Score | Ground | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 0 | Wembley Stadium | Group 1 | |
| 2 – 0 | Wembley Stadium | Group 1 | |
| 2 – 0 | Wembley Stadium | Group 1 | |
| 1 – 0 | Wembley Stadium | Quarter-final | |
| 2 – 1 | Wembley Stadium | Semi-final |
|width=50% valign=top|
West Germany
| Team | Score | Ground | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 – 0 | Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the... |
Group 2 | |
| 0 – 0 | Villa Park Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... |
Group 2 | |
| 2 – 1 | Villa Park Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... |
Group 2 | |
| 4 – 0 | Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the... |
Quarter-final | |
| 2 – 1 | Goodison Park Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds... |
Semi-final |
|}