No current England player is ever likely to need to sell any medals, but I think a World Cup winners medal would mean as much to any player now, as it did to any of the players from '66.
Now there is a surfeit of competitions In 1966 players didnt change clubs very often. Some players only chance of glory was winning the World Cup with the FA Cup second. Nowadays a player just gets a transfer to a club with a chance of winning the Premier League and Champions League every year. Then there's the Euros and the World Cup every four years. What did George Cohen win other than the World Cup? Ray Wilson won an FA Cup Winners medal What did Gordon Banks win? What did Alan Ball win? If England Won a World Cup now I doubt you could name 4 players who only collected one trophy in their lifetime between them other than the World Cup.
A World Cup winners medal was the pinnacle of any English footballers career in 1966 and still would be now.
The only Englishmen to win both World Cup and World Cup medals. And likely to remain so in the lifetime of most,if not all, posters on here.
As Bobby Charlton said, club football was the bread and butter, international football was the jam and cream. You didn't think about the financial rewards of playing for England, it was just a bonus.
I remember playing on a freezing cold January day for Courtney St Juniors against Longhill, early 60's - a lad wellied the ball against my inner upper thigh, lace first. I had that lace mark for a week and how I never burst into tears at the pain I have no idea. Anyone who was hit by one of those bastard things knows the feeling!
As an ex centre half (old money expression), I have gouges like the Grand Canyon on my forehead. Wish I'd played against Stan Matthews every game.
I met my present husband after watching his team play football in South Africa a few times back in the 60's. I asked him why he never headed the ball and he said that as a kid he had jumped to head a heavy mud caked ball to be met with the leather lace and after that pain experience decided he would adopt the Stanley Matthews approach and avoid heading the ball. After starting out at left wing in Junior school he finished (aged 39) as a sweeper centre half who never headed the ball!
In the fifties, I was playing in a house match and stupidly scored a goal with my head. At the time I was in the school team playing right wing as I was a bit nippy, and after that, I was put at Centre forward for the school team. I scored a few goals, non with my head, I hasten to add.
Someone who played with the great Tom Finney said you weren't frightened to head one of his crosses as he made sure the laces were on the other side. No doubt an exaggeration but his biggest fan, Bill Shankly, would have said he was capable of doing it.
Kicking a wet leather ball on a freezing cold morning with frozen puddles on the pitch was bad enough enough..... heading it...!!!!!?..... just think Kes...
Ray Wilson won an FA Cup Winners medal...Everton won league 1 title under Harry Catterick in 1969/70 What did Gordon Banks win?...League cup with Stoke. What did Alan Ball win? see above.
Hall Road juniors vs Endyke Juniors was a right grudge match especially on a cold, frosty November morning with a hint of an icy mist swirling in the air. Few prisoners were very rarely taken. Even the two sports masters engaged in verbal's.
George Cohen won nothing. Ramsey picked players who he thought could play the way he wanted and stick to his plan not based on reputations and the clubs they were with. Other England managers should try it.
