Match of the day at Number 10 for Sue
A PROUD Doncaster woman visited 10 Downing Street to see the Prime Minister present her dad with the World Cup winner's medal he missed out on after the glorious final of 1966.
Sue Thomasson's father is George Eastham, a member of the legendary England football squad when the team beat West Germany 4-2 to win the Jules Rimet Trophy for the only time in the long history of the national game.
Former Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City star George, now 73, joined fellow squad members Peter Bonetti, Ron Springett, Jimmy Armfield, Gerry Byrne, Ron Flowers, Norman Hunter, Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan, John Connelly and Jimmy Greaves and representatives of the late manager Sir Alf Ramsey, trainer Harold Shepherdson and physiotherapist Les Cocker for the presentation by Gordon Brown.
Unlike the 11 England players who were actually on the field at Wembley for the final, squad members and officials did not receive medals at the time.
To rectify the situation, the special event was organised by FIFA so that the contribution made by all of the players in the squad could at last be officially recognised.
Sue, aged 48, a mother-of-four who lives in Alderson Drive, Tickhill, with husband Leigh, said: "My dad told me that after all these years he was going to be presented with a medal for being a member of the England World Cup winning squad and that he had a ticket for a guest.
"I have a sister Christine and a brother George so it was not easy deciding who should go but I was fortunate enough to be the one selected to accompany my dad to Downing Street. It was a wonderful day."
After lunch at the Royal Lancaster Hotel with World Cup hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst, the players and family members were taken in the England team coach to Number 10, where they met the PM.
Sue added: "Mr Brown chatted to each of the players and presented them individually with their cup-winning medal.
"Mr Brown was lovely and very sociable and he had time for all of us. He seemed to be very knowledgeable about football."
After having photographs taken inside and outside Downing Street, Sue and her father, who received the OBE in 1973 for his services to football, were whisked away by coach to see the England World Cup qualifying match at the new Wembley Stadium against Andorra.
Sue added: "The traffic was very heavy in London so on the drive to Wembley we were given an escort of police outriders. I am sure that the fans thought that we were the actual England team that was playing on the night as the crowd gave us a tremendous reception.
"We enjoyed a special meal in the VIP hospitality suite before taking our seats in the Royal Box. When my dad and all of the former players were introduced to the crowd at half time, they got a massive cheer and a standing ovation from all of the 58,000 spectators."
George now lives in South Africa and sees Sue every couple of years, so she was delighted to be part of his special day.
She said: "I was only six years old when England won the Jules Rimet trophy but over the years I have met all of the players who made up the winning team.
"To think that my dad played football for England and that he was a member of the squad that won the World Cup makes me very proud. I realise how much it means to him as well as to generations of England football fans."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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