"It Is Now! Remembering 1966 Through the Eyes of Those Who Were There

Sixty years on, the memory of England’s greatest footballing moment still burns bright. We asked some of our Ablewell family to share where they were on that famous July afternoon in 1966, and their stories are absolutely wonderful.

David’s Story

David was 28 years old and living in Holmes Chapel when England faced West Germany in the World Cup Final. TVs were a luxury back then, so David did what any good neighbour would do, he invited friends round to crowd around his 9-inch screen.

“Not many people had TVs,” he recalls, “so we invited friends around to watch it on our 9-inch TV.”

As a Manchester United fan, David was spoilt for choice when it came to favourite players. But it was Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick that truly stole the show. When that legendary third goal went in, the commentator’s words rang out across living rooms all over the country  “People are running on the pitch, they think it’s all over… It is now!” 4–2 to England!

The celebrations? David and his friends went out on the town, just as they did after many a great football match. Some traditions never change.

Rose’s Story

Rose was just 5 or 6 years old in 1966, curled up with Mum and Dad watching the match unfold on their black and white TV. She may have been small, but she remembers the excitement perfectly.

Her favourite player was the legendary Bobby Charlton, and the atmosphere in the neighbourhood was electric. The pub across the road, the Traveller's Rest, was alive with cheering and shouting. Rose still remembers the excitement when neighbours came home full of stories about meeting the players on the victory parade, the whole community was caught up in the magic of it all.

When asked how she felt when England won, Rose’s answer was one word: “Fantastic!”

Madge’s Story

Madge was 32 in 1966, and while she admits she didn’t watch the final herself, her parents certainly did. The atmosphere at home was a happy one nonetheless — “nice, the family enjoyed it,” she remembers.

Madge didn’t have a favourite player back then, but sixty years on, her enthusiasm for the game has only grown. As she puts it: “I enjoy watching England play now, watching the World Cup as we speak!”

Alison’s Story

Alison was 34 in 1966 and didn’t get to watch the final at all, she was too busy working at the grocery shop. Instead, she followed the action on the radio. But it’s not the football she remembers most vividly…

While everyone in the shop was distracted listening to the game, the turkey advertised in the shop window was stolen, and as Alison says, it “still makes me laugh to this day!”

Her boys and their dad would have been more interested, watching it at home while she worked, but Alison was perhaps doing the nation a greater service keeping the grocery shop running!

Brian’s Story

Brian watched the final alone at home on the telly, having got up especially after working a night shift as a Policeman. There was no big celebration for Brian, after the final whistle, it was straight back to getting ready for work.

What sticks in his memory most is the controversial third England goal, the shot that hit the crossbar and bounced down, the whole nation holding its breath. Brian was relieved when the referee gave it: “Happy they all decided to give the goal to England.”

A true dedicated fan, watching history being made between night shifts!

Kevin’s Story

Kevin was 24 in 1966 and watched the final at his university college students’ union, and what an atmosphere it must have been! He remembers Kenneth Wolstenholme’s iconic final commentary perfectly: the moment everyone thought it was over, then England scored again, and then it truly was, because they’d won!

The celebrations were exactly what you’d expect, they all went out for a pint together. “We were all very excited about the win,” Kevin recalls. Some things never change!

These stories remind us that football has always been about so much more than the game itself. It’s about communities gathering, the crackle of a small TV set, neighbours cheering through open windows, and moments that stay with you for a lifetime.