As England prepares to take on Italy in the final of Euro 2020, my mind wandered back to the 1966 World Cup, the last time the team appeared in a final. I don't remember much of that World Cup, being only 8 at the time and living in a country that thought soccer was for "sissies or wogs." Much has changed in Australia since then, beginning with the historic qualification for the 1974 World Cup.

But I digress. On the eve of the 1970 World Cup in Brazil, the film "Goal", a documentary about the 1966 World Cup, was doing the rounds again of suburban cinemas in Sydney. As I recall it, my Forest U/11 soccer team attended a Saturday screening of the movie at an old cinema in Crow's Nest. It was exciting to be out with the team and the movie was great. All of us were rooting for England, of course, no offence meant to the West Germans. And such a clear recollection too!

Italy will be a tough ask for England. Like Germany, they are an excellent tournament team and not averse to diving in the box, or falling over, as they did against the Socceroos in 2006. Yes, I'm looking at you Fabio Grosso! I think they call it gamesmanship, though I have other ways of expressing it, none of them kind.

I found this copy of the "Goal" movie poster online and reproduce it below. Love the comic strip artwork, reminiscent of "Scorcher and Score."