The man who paid £4 to watch England win the World Cup

Some people were on the pitch, they thought it was all over - and among only 96,000 people who were at Wembley to watch England lift the World Cup in 1966 was Derby County fan Liam Biggs.

Now in his 80s, the Rams season ticketholder was behind the net that bulged with Geoff Hurst's famous hat-trick hit which put England two goals ahead of West Germany as they won the trophy 4-2 on home soil.

And he paid just £4 to be at the final - and for a spot in the stands at seven other World Cup games.

"I must have watched Derby 1,500 times but I've only seen England twice," Liam said. "And that was one of them."

As World Cup fever gripped England and the nation tuned in to the campaign in black and white, Liam - from Aston-on-Trent in Derbyshire - had secured himself a set of tickets to attend eight matches being played around the country.

He said: "I bought a little book of tickets. I think it cost about four pounds in total in old money, which I would equate these days to about 125 quid.

"I attended games at Sheffield Wednesday, Villa Park, Goodison, and the final of course at Wembley.

"I didn't go to the play-off final for the third and fourth place but I went to all the others in my little Mini, running round Britain."

Building surveyor Liam still has the ticket stubs for the games, and his matchday programme from Wembley - a day that will live long in his memory, and in the consciousness of a nation.

After a tense match that finished two goals apiece after 90 minutes, in extra-time, Geoff Hurst scored a controversial goal, his shot hitting the crossbar and being ruled to have crossed the line, to put England ahead.

And as West Germany pushed forward, Hurst completed his hat-trick with a final goal, sealing a 4-2 victory and England's first and only World Cup.

Biggs said: "I was 23 at the time. I remember the day, we drove down to London, eventually got a Tube up to Wembley, got in and we were standing behind the goal which was a long way away from the pitch.

"We got excited, depressed, accordingly, but at the end, we were there.

"I think everybody when they walked down the stairs at the back we were all ashened, we'd worn ourselves out."

As celebrations in the stadium died down, Liam and his friends waited around for a chance to meet the players outside the ground.

He said: "It was very low-key compared to today. We went down after we'd won and stood round waiting for the teams to come out, they got in a single-decker bus as I remember and I think there were two motorbikes in front, and off they went.

"We went into London, four of us, had a few beers and a meal, and finished up in Trafalgar Square. Vehicles were going round with flags and this that and the other - nowadays that's normal but it was the first time ever I think.

"We finished up leaving London at about three in the morning, drove back home and in those days the M1 finished at Leicester Forest East, so the last hour was a battle home on the little side roads."

Six decades on, Liam plans to watch England attempt to bag a second World Cup at home with his wife, fellow Derby season ticket holder Marilyn, "on the sofa with a beer".

"I live in hope, but I won't be putting any money on it," he added.

Additional reporting by Pamela Gupta

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