THE World Cup final is on us and tomorrow the unstoppable Germans will take on Argentina for the title which could be theirs if they display as much skill, speed and authority which has been their hallmark in this competition.

Although football has been my first love and cricket both a passion and a full time profession, I have never in the years gone by have lost touch with the game which is so universal in its appeal.

I haven’t had much opportunity though to watch many matches in the ongoing competition, but from whatever I have been able to see on television I always had this inkling that the Germans were the best outfit and had the ability to sail past their group without much fuss.

This reminds me of the German team which controversially lost the final of the 1966 World Cup against England at Wembley where Geoff Hurst, the West Ham striker, scored a hat-trick — the only ever scored in a World Cup final so far — as I along with 96,924 people in the crowd witnessed history.

Germany then was a divided country. East Germans were behind the Berlin Wall occupied by the Communist ideals after the Second World War. It was only after the nineties when the Berlin Wall was demolished that the Germans got united as one country.

In 1966, they played as West Germany, having conceded only two goals before they reached the final. England, on the other hand, had not conceded a single goal until their semi-final against Portugal.

Watching the great Pele of Brazil and legendary Eusobio of Portugal was a lifetime experience in the initial rounds, but here I was sitting in awe right in the middle looking at the ever reliable Bobby Moore — the England captain — and German captain Francis Backenbauer bring in their squads in the middle as the ground reverberated with the sounds of their respective team slogans.

England won the final 4-2 after extra time, but not before a controversial goal which the Germans complained deprived them of the title.

England then were known as ‘wingless wonders’ because of their lack of thrust from the wingers. But man-to-man they were a match for the tough Germans.

The first goal came from Helmut Haller but England striker Hurst levelled with a crisp header to finish 1-1 at half time. Martin Peters, a tall and slim forward, scored the second goal for England after the break but not much later Wolfgang Weber made it 2-2.

In extra time, Geoff Hurst hit a scorching shot and the ball hit the cross bar and bounced down on line and cleared. The Dutch referee Gottfield Dienst, not sure if it was a goal, consulted the Russian linesman Tofiq Bahramov whether the ball completely passed over the goal line which he confirmed as the Germans protested that it didn’t.

Another cross and Hurst another shot into the goal from quite a distance to achieve the dream hat-trick. The Charlton brothers — Bobby and Jackie — embraced Bobby Moore so did Gordon Banks the goalkeeper after the final whistle as English fans chanted songs of glory and the Germans sunk in their seats in anger and disgust of being on the receiving end of a decision which went against them.

The whole England had erupted as celebrations started. As I walked back with my friend to my house, the cars in the street switched on their car horns hooting repeatedly their first ever victory in a World Cup.

Back in my apartment I heard on the radio that then prime minister of England, Harold Wilson is on his way to the team hotel not far from where I lived, and I rushed out to see the scenes.

On the balcony of the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington was the whole England team standing alongside the prime minister, holding the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Never since, has England shown that kind of standard in the game, nor have they reached any other final. But the Germans continued to impress and now that they are in the final again, they will not let the opportunity slip.

I am far afar here at Trent Bridge from the action but I can assure you that I will be glued to the TV to see if Lionel Messi and his men beat the odds and stop the Germans in what promises to be a tantalizing final.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014