The FIFA World Cup 2026 competition has prompted one of the UK’s oldest entrepreneurs to recall the day England won the cup for the first and only time in 1966.
Peter Webber, 90, who lives in Berriew, near Welshpool, remembers the World Cup final on July 30, 1966 clearly, not only for England’s 4-2 extra time victory over West Germany at Wembley, but because of a mad dash to a Paladium show in central London.
He and his wife, Elaine, had invited an important business client to a show headlined by Tom Jones and recalls how grateful he was that the roads were virtually empty as he drove from Pinner.
He had booked tickets for the July 30 show in May or June not expecting it to clash with England winning the World Cup final.
Peter and Elaine, who was pregnant with second son, Philip, at the time, watched the final at her parents’ home in Pinner, whilst babysitting two-year-old son, Paul.
“When the match went to extra time, I began to panic that we wouldn’t get to the Paladium on time,” he said. “The journey would normally take up to 90 minutes but we got there in three quarters of an hour as there were few cars on the roads because everyone was busy celebrating England’s victory.
“After the show, all the car drivers were sounding their horns in celebration of England’s victory and we went along to the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, near Harrods, where the players were holding a celebratory dinner and their wives were not invited!
“I often joke with our second son Philip that he wasn’t there when we last won the World Cup because he was born on August 10!”
As for England’s hopes of winning the cup next month, 60 years after their only triumph, Peter says the team will need a huge improvement after their group stage matches.
He’s not a fan of slow build-up, possession football, instead favouring a more direct attacking approach with wingers and strikers taking on defenders.
Peter founded award-winning cytology and histology products company CellPath, which moved to Newtown from Hemel Hempstead in 1982. The family business was sold to American company StatLab Medical Products in 2022.
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