The first scandal of England’s 1966 World Cup occurred before the competition even started, when the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen. Weirdly enough, the prize was found on a street in South London by a dog named Pickles. The most infamous moment of the tournament was during the final between England and West Germany, when a controversial third goal from Geoff Hurst was awarded to England. Did it even cross the line? England went on to win 4-2. Following the winning goal, a BBC commentator uttered the famous words “they think it’s all over… it is now!” Over 32 million people watched the final in the UK, making it to this day the most watched event in the history of British television!
The competition was boycotted by all African nations because FIFA did not guarantee any African nation qualification. Countries also protested the readmission of South Africa due to the apartheid regime. African teams withdrew in protest, and refused to participate in future contests until at least one African team had an automatic place, which came about in 1970. 1966 was the first competition to have its own mascot, ‘World Cup Willie’ the lion, and the last tournament to be broadcast in black and white. Have a look at the original BBC intro!