A beautifully-made documentary from English football's finest moment includes the only colour record of the Final, from an era before hype, razzmatazz and advertising threatened to drown the game. A hundred years later, this will probably still remain the one and only moment when an England team won the sport's premier trophy, so it's worth seeing and relishing for that alone. It also makes a welcome alternative to the well-known BBC Black-and-White coverage of the Final with Kenneth Wolstenholme's memorable commentary. There is a surprising cynicism about Bryan Glanville's script (narrated in plummy world-weary tones by actor Nigel Patrick) as it describes a festival of world football marred by violent play. And this is at a time when "taking out" your opponent's best player was rewarded by an absence of substitutes.
7 Reviews
Proud to have seen it
Mark Price28 May 2005
Of it's type and time it was perfect. Aged 14 in 1966 I watched the football on a black & white TV as did most in the UK at that time. Because of that this film was on general release at the cinema later that year. I went to see it and it was in glorious colour! Done in the style of British Pathe News but with more glamour and the match action mixed with player profiles & back room business. It also showed the fans and personalities even that old chap who always attended the England games dressed in a Union Flag suite. A magical moment of cinema for a teenager. This is a must for any 40 something footballers. I would love to see it again and keep it for posterity.
The year football came home............................
ianlouisiana21 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Ah those innocent days when the groundsman opened up Wembley stadium a few hours before the World Cup Final!Brilliantly observed scenes from a long - dead culture when football was not dominated by the greed of the players and the media.When reporters in trilbies phoned their copy in and fans didn't stab,kick or mutilate each other as a matter of course. Beautifully photographed with tantalising snippets from some of the best games played in the 1966 tournament and a nicely world - weary commentary spoken by Mr Nigel Patrick without any of the hyperbole of the usual football reportage and written by novelist and sports writer supreme Mr Brian Glanville. A wonderful soundtrack that enables you to hear the ball being kicked and the players shouting at one another is enhanced by music by Mr J.Hawksworth,former star bass player in the great Ted Heath orchestra. England itself appears as tottering on the verge of the Swinging Sixties whilst clinging determinedly to its back - to - back houses and industrial heritage. It is the way we were - not the way we have been portrayed in retrospect. A brilliant,moving,exciting experience recording an unparallelled sporting success. Undoubtedly one of the movies to see before you die.
Excellent Film
andeven23 September 2020
Very good film indeed that I have watched many times. I actually appear in it (very briefly indeed) and attended all the ten games in London. I won't give it the full ten stars because of its tendency to artiness and its failure to show more of the goals but it's well worth seeing.
Re Brian's comment, the point of which I don't really understand, it's true that the Scots won at Wembley the following year (is "thrashed" the right word for 3-2?) and proclaimed themselves World Champions on the strength of it but what goes around comes around. Shortly afterwards Northern Ireland beat them and then lost to England. So, using the same warped logic, we got it back! Don't believe a word of it, though.
Re Brian's comment, the point of which I don't really understand, it's true that the Scots won at Wembley the following year (is "thrashed" the right word for 3-2?) and proclaimed themselves World Champions on the strength of it but what goes around comes around. Shortly afterwards Northern Ireland beat them and then lost to England. So, using the same warped logic, we got it back! Don't believe a word of it, though.
World Cup winners
ger55champ22 May 2019
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