Book Review: 1966 And All That! The 50th Anniversary

There will be all sorts of publications that will be produced to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of England winning the World Cup, but none will likely match 1966 And All That! The 50th Anniversary in terms of its visual impact.

This book is in an A4 format favoured by the comic annuals of yesteryear, appropriate given that the focus of this publication is the work of illustrator Bob Bond. He worked on comics such as Valiant and Tiger and numerous football books including Scorcher, Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly and Roy of the Rovers.

At the heart of the book is a game-by-game overview of all the games from the 1966 World Cup tournament with Bond’s drawings bringing the brief match reports to life. There is in addition articles from some of the most respected Fleet Street writers who witnessed events fifty years ago including, Patrick Collins, Steve Curry, Bob Harris, John Keith and James Lawton.

Supplementing the story of England’s finest footballing hour, are some other stories from the sporting world fifty years ago, depicted through Bond’s wonderful drawings, including Henry Cooper’s loss to Muhammad Ali at Highbury and the Final Test between England and West Indies at the Oval. Some may question why these are included, but they add a useful context to a sporting year that was dominated by England’s finest footballing hour.

If you are looking for an in-depth, game-by-game analysis of the 1966 Finals, then this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for something a bit different and a book that will bring a smile to your face, then this hits the mark.