They Think It's All Over. No It's Not.

[malagabob]

Why do the British keep talking about 66 It's 50 years ago. BBC news this morning. "And here he is ladies and gentlemen. Joe Bloggs a spectator at the game " what a load of tosh.

[jackthehat]

'The' British don't.......'some' British (and TV broadcasters, in the main) do.

It's quite an embarrassment that we have achieved so little on the footballing-world stage since then.

[mikey4444]

I started a similar thread of this subject earlier this morning, but all the merrier !

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question1505010.html

[anneasquith]

I would replace your British with English .

[Cloverjo]

Yep, it is a bit weird, remembering something great that happened 50 years ago that hasn't happened since. And probably won't again for another 50 years.

Was it that great, anyway? Were people really talking to strangers about it in shops or anything? Did everyone go a bit crazy about it? I'm sure my parents didn't.

[mushroom25]

it won't ever happen again. in 1966 the top stars could still play whilst carrying the odd injury; today, the players are so highly physically stressed that the slightest knock sees them sidelined for weeks. there's so much money at stake in the modern game that no premier league CEO is going to willingly allow his very expensive assets to get needlessly injured in some meaningless international. it doesn't matter how inspirational sam allardyce - or anyone else - turns out to be, the players will never give of their best when they have to return to their day job afterwards.

[New Judge]

“…no premier league CEO is going to willingly allow his very expensive assets to get needlessly injured in some meaningless international.”

But they do all the time, mush. Just last month there was a fairly meaningless series of matches (36 of them, as I recall, to eliminate just eight teams from a pool of 24). Most international matches are meaningless and even more of them are of very poor quality.

It stands very little chance of happening again because England’s top-flight of league football involves relatively few English players. Furthermore, it has been adequately demonstrated time and again that those players that do pull on an England shirt have very little appetite for representing their country.

In the 21st century international football has become an anachronism. Fifty years ago it was unusual to find a foreign player (that is, a player from outside the UK) playing in League football. I recall quite well the astonishment that greeted Tottenham’s signing of Argentinians Ossie Ardilles and Ricky Villa in the late 1970s. It just wasn’t done. Foreigners (bar the Scots, Welsh and Irish) did not play in English football. Today the opposite is true – it makes the headlines when a top club signs an English player. Football has “gone global”. The World Cup and European Championships (and similar competitions across the world) have had their day and should be consigned to history.

[Old_Geezer]

It is usual to note the 50th anniversary of something of national interest. I'm unsure why there is any grousing going on.

[Islay]

Careful malagabob - I was told off for posting similar sentiments and was called anti-British by Togo!!

[woofgang]

its not of national interest...it wasn’t at the time, it isn’t now.

[-Talbot-]

Whilst it is disappointing that the cupboard is bare since 66 I have defend England. Most of the time to win a World Cup you need a mixture of a decent team and a slice of luck. We could have won 1990 we (and others) were a better team than the two finalist. Going out of comps on penalties is always hard to take.
That said the Roy Hodgson era was particularly embarrassing

And a poor Portugal side have just proved how far a big slice of luck can take you


anne, all I can say is LOL LOL

[netibiza]

Well I for one, was very interested in the game as it happened, only time really that I've cared about footy,

[Bathsheba]

Well I remember where I was + what I was doing when the winning goal was scored, just like I remember same when Kennedy was shot. I do think it's a history milestone.

Baths
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[Bathsheba]

...and no, I wasn't on a grassy knoll ;)

[Bathsheba]

Got it clear now,...I was on a grassy knoll when Kennedy was shot, and listening to a transistor radio in the car being driven to holiday place when world cup was won ;)

Baths
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[netibiza]

I remember when the world cup was playing I was making a shift dress by hand and has just sewn the sleeves in inside out! When Kennedy was shot I was in my bedroom.

[Sipowicz]

Netibiza, can anyone verify that? ;-)

[Bathsheba]

Lol @ Sipo :)

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