How times change (and our view of what is "good")

Watching the 1966 World Cup final, in colour on Channel 4. The squad are rightly revered for their achievement, and will always be, but watching the play there are quite a few areas that strike me as "in need of improvement" compared to what we might view as being at least "good" and what should be "excellent" nowadays.

The following applies to BOTH teams;

1. The pitch, for a World Cup final, is appalling! I know it had rained and the surface was soft-ish, but it looks like the kind of ground I used to play Sunday football on!

2. We're used nowadays to structure, formation etc, whereas the play resembles the kind of thing you might wee nowadays in a kids game, where all the players rush to wherever the ball might be, rather than keeping station and "doing their job"

3. Passing. OMG! So many bad passes, so many times it gets given to the opposition, too much of the ball shown on way too many occasions, surely wouldn't be acceptable nowadays

4. "Pockets getting picked" and nutmegs, so many times players having the ball taken away, or being nutmegged when they should (as internationals) know better

5. Attempts on goal (trying to be kind there). Shots all over the place, haymakers, attempts at rugby try conversions, and from players who knew where the net was, Charlton (Bobby) included

Still enormously enjoyable, and at the end of extra time a famous England victory, but oh my, if they went up against the team going into tomorrows Euro final, blood on the floor!>;)

The " good old days " having a kick around in the park, pitch mixture of grass/stone & dog poo, rusty goal posts, no nets, white lines done by Stevie Wonder, rush goalies etc. Basic but at the time, it was like playing at Wembley, everyone wanting to be Banks, Moore or Pele. Good fun for an hour, then home for tea.

Watched it too
What struck me was the way no one rolled about on the floor after being clattered - and the tackles where harder than anything these days, also England winning 2-1 in the 88th minute - Gordaon Banks RUNS back from his goal to retrieve the ball and take his goal kick - from which they came back upfield and equalised! - NO timewasting, very little discent and a much more open game than anything we now witness.

addmitedly I wouldn't want us to go back to where we were thn as the skill levels where about the same as current league 1