July 1966: The dreams of an Iranian political correspondent are shattered to pieces when he is informed that instead of flying to Saigon, he will have to travel to London to report on the World Cup. To him, this is an insignificant matter at a time when the world is silently burning in the flames of wars and in the coldness of the Cold War. However, to his surprise, he finds football to be a new global language. World Cup 1966, in particular, appears to be reuniting people all over the globe. In the middle of the world's unrest, World Cup 1966 is a moment of fresh air. From the early elimination of the two time champions, Brazil and Italy, to the phenomenal appearance of North Korea; from the brave Portuguese men who gave their all to stay longer in the competition to the proud Germans who made every effort to repair the broken image of their nation; from the tears of Black Pearl to the nine goals of Black Panther; and from England's disappointing draw in the opening match to their glorious victory in the Final; the story brings back all the ups and downs of World Cup 1966, set against a stark backdrop of world events that defined that tumultuous time period.

This title looks at all the brightest stars from soccer's past and present.

It has been 50 years since Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup trophy at Wembley, and in this groundbreaking book, Henry Winter will address the state England are in on the golden anniversary of their greatest moment. Part lament, part anatomy of an obsession, both personal and collective, it analyses the truth behind the endless excuses, apportions the blame for the crimes against English football, but is also a search for hope and solutions

Football fans love lists: league tables; starting 11s; performance statistics. From the bestselling author of Hamlyn's Top 10 of Everything series comes a brand new collection of 250 exclusive lists that cover everything from the obvious to the obscure and uncover fascinating facts about the planet's favourite sport, including: Top 10 bestselling World Cup songs 10 World Cup unsung heroes Top 10 longest team names in the League of Wales 10 FA Cup giant-killers Top 10 highest-paid players 10 celebrities who had trials for professional clubs Top 10 football singles 10 unfortunately-named players Last 10 winners of the Mascot Derby 10 unusual football injuriesThe youngest goalscorers, the greatest comebacks, the worst disciplinary records and the most unusual club nicknames - all of these stats and more are revealed in this pocket-sized homage to the beautiful game. A conversational goldmine for men and the perfect present for the footy fanatic, Top 10 of Football is a must for every soccer-nut.

66: 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 football's first-ever drug-testing programme 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 TV, Harold Wilson's Labour government, the Cold War, and relive England's greatest-ever footballing triumph!

Wembley, 30 July 1966... Geoff Hurst completes his hat trick... England are the World Cup champions. Everyone knows how the story ends, but how did it begin? How did Alf Ramsey assemble an England team to win the trophy for the first, and so far only time? The choice of the final eleven was far from straightforward: in just over three years Ramsey selected no less than fifty players and, at the start of 1966, two of the winning team had still to make their debuts for England. This book charts the chequered path to eventual victory, assesses both the players who made the final squad and those who lost out and, with the help of previously unpublished photographs, provides a unique chronicle of professional football over fifty years ago.

East Asia : Seventh report of session 2005-06, Vol. 2: Oral and written Evidence