1966: The World Cup - One Week In | Classic Sport | BBC Archive

The 1966 World Cup in England is now a week old. David Coleman considers how things are going for the tournament, which had been the subject of much public skepticism in the months leading up to it. Early signs, however, are quite good - with both spectator numbers at the grounds and television viewing figures exceeding expectations.

First of all, David talks to three very invested England fans - Kathleen Peters, Daphne Cohen and Irene Greaves - the wives of England stars Martin Peters, George Cohen and Jimmy Greaves. How have they found the World Cup experience so far? How do they feel that their husbands are coping with the added scrutiny and expectation that comes with a World Cup on home soil?

Next, Ken Weeks gets a behind the scenes look at one of the tournament's daily referee conferences where 31 match officals representing 22 different nationalities review how the laws of the game are being interpreted throughout the competition. The sessions are chaired by former referee Ken Aston, who now works on the FIFA Referees Committee. During this session, the referees discuss incidents in the competition, to ensure consistent refereeing decisions throughout the World Cup. Finally, Mr Aston inspects the official Slazenger match balls, checking them for size, weight and pressure. How does he feel about the standard of refereeing in the 1966 World Cup thus far?

Danny Blanchflower journeys to the Peveril Of The Peak Hotel, deep in the heart of the Peak District, where the West German side are based. Helmut Schön's young side were impressive in their opening game - a 5-0 win over Switzerland - and fans have flocked to see them - but their subsequent 0-0 draw with Argentina has dampened expectations among their fans somewhat. Blanchflower quizzes manager Schön and press officer Dr Wilfried Gerhardt about how the squad are feeling after two games. Can West Germany lift the trophy?

Next, Frank Bough reports from the North East, where Sunderland's Roker Park and Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park are host venues. The North East group includes Italy, the Soviet Union, Chile and North Korea, but attendences for the games have so far been disappointing. There is a growing sense that the World Cup might be in danger of becoming something of a non-event in the North East. Have they been given a raw deal, as one spectator claims? What can be done about it?

Finally, back in the studio, David Coleman chats to Johnny Haynes, Jimmy Hill, former Danish international Dr Knud Lundberg, and French journalist Jean Eskenazi about the lack of goals in the competition so far, and whether the "kissing and cuddling" of players when they score a goal is excessive.

Clip taken from World Cup Report, originally broadcast on BBC One, 18 July, 1966.

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