Sepia-tinged images of a smiling Bobby Moore, Jules Rimet trophy in hand, bathed in the Wembley sunshine – it’s still enough to stir the soul of any Englishman…
Next year marks half a century since that magnificent day. Not only is it the singular time that England have won the World Cup, but it remains the only occasion on which the country has hosted the Greatest Show on Earth.
In the years that have followed, the FA have been dealt several knock-backs, as various bids to bring the beautiful game’s showpiece back to these shores have failed miserably.
However, those of us who had given up all hope of one day welcoming the planet’s greatest footballers (or seeing lyrical geniuses like Pitbull prance about on stage in flashy opening ceremonies) at Wembley can dare to dream once more…
Deep beneath the soil near Gatwick airport – English soil, upon which football was at some point invented – recent digging has revealed that there could be as much as 100 billion barrels of oil.
Whereas it could be complete coincidence that oil rich nations have successfully bid for the tournament in recent years, many believe that such a significant find of black gold may just help grease the relevant hands in power…