1966: The World Cup in Real Time

It is now 50 years since 1966 and all that. We've all heard Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous TV commentary: "Some people are on the pitch . . . They think it's all over . . . It is now," countless times. But, aside from that and a few other classic facts, what do most of us really know about the 1966 World Cup finals? 1966: The World Cup in Real Time retells the story of the iconic 1966 World Cup finals as if they were happening today—in a complete and highly-readable format. Live newspaper-style reports of all the matches, alongside reaction, off-field news and gossip from all 16 nations, form the basis of this unique book and bring the tournament back to life for the reader. There are tales of players breaking curfews, the England WAGS of the day, the Queen nervously asking how long was left as the clock ticked down in the final; while soccer's first-ever drug-testing program left the Brazil team worrying whether drinking coffee would lead to failed drug tests! Take yourself back to the era of Beatlemania, mini-skirts, black and white TVs, Harold Wilson's Labour government, the Cold War, and relive England's greatest-ever soccer triumph!

Ian Passingham is a journalist with more than 30 years' experience in local and national newspapers. Having worked as a news reporter, news editor, and sports editor with Essex County Newspapers, he joined the Daily Star in 1994 as a sports sub-editor. In 2003, he moved to the Sun as an assistant sports editor and has been a senior SunSport production journalist for the last 12 years.