My Goodison No.48: On The Field With The Emperor

Why was I on the same field as Pele, Eusebio, Beckenbauer, Yashin and Garrincha?

Okay, so maybe not on the pitch, but I was on the same field – sat on the byline with the photographers for the World Cup games hosted at Goodison in 1966.

Last year, while in my static caravan in Anglesey, I was watching the documentary 'Alfie's Boys' and suddenly I spotted 16-year-old me pitchside. A few months later I was reading the Liverpool Echo and I saw myself again, in full scout uniform, in the background of a photo of Wolfgang Helmut scoring the opening goal of the World Cup semi-final. 

How? Well, the achievements of the 10 Liverpool Queen’s Scouts were recognised by invitation to be press runners. In those days there was no digital facility so a photographer with a great shot would not wait to complete a roll but unwind the film, give it to me to run from the goal to the corner flag, then another Scout would run it out the ground for developing. By the time I got home from the game, the pink footy Echo would be in print with “my” photos and the next day in the tabloids. It couldn’t happen now!

Us Scouts all met for pre-match instructions and a group photo on the pitch. I could not resist kicking a loose ball into the net. What a goal, what a feeling. Was it the first and greatest goal in the Goodison World Cup? For me, yes! I got told off and to behave! It was well worth it – I like to think even Banks or Yashin would not have saved it.

Queens Scouts were told to be impartial and not cheer any team or goal, but I could not resist cheering Eusebio when he scored four (his two penalties were right by me) to rescue Portugal from 3-0 down against North Korea to win 5-3. 

The best-ever centre-forward display I ever saw was Florian Albert ('The Emperor') of Hungary getting 10/10 in match reports. What a player but still not a patch on The Golden Vision, Alex Young, or, later, Big Dunc. 

With the semi-final England v Portugal changed to Wembley 48 hours before the game, how disappointing that I did not grace the field with our Bally or Ray, or even Bobby M or Bobby C. Even my appearance on the field – not the pitch, remember(!) – in the World Cup semi-final between Russia and Portugal was no compensation for missing England. 

All these years on, I seem to have lost my many autographs of the world-class stars I watched but they will always be very special memories.

By Duncan Thomas, Evertonian

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A series of first-hand accounts describing moments that made us fall in love with Goodison Park, My Goodison - supported by the Club's Main Partner, Stake - is an evertonfc.com series, bringing you the most-treasured memories of fans, players, and staff both past and present, for our final season at the Grand Old Lady.