Sixty Years of Hurt

Sixty Years of Hurt: England and the England Football Team is a story of football, politics and how the two worlds have met – or collided – since 1966.

By Jonny Brick, author of the acclaimed From Kids to Champions: The History of the FA Youth Cup.

Sir Geoff Hurst is the sole surviving player from England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, but the importance of the victory still has a hold on the national mood, for matters both on and off the pitch. Sixty years on from that momentous triumph, where is the nation now?

This unique book:

• Ties the performance of the England men’s football team with its people and politics, from 1966 to 2026, through various triumphs and disasters
• Offers a novel take on one of the nation’s most culturally important and enduring stories, the attempt to regain the FIFA World Cup: it is a story as much about Callaghan and Cameron as Beckham and Kane
• Brings you the views of England internationals and managers meticulously uncovered from memoirs and interviews
• Examines the English social and political landscape, using Parliamentary discussion, budgets and occasions where English football and politics have intersected
• Looks at the rise and demise of hooliganism, and how laws tried to keep it in check
• Explores the importance of football to the cultural life of the country

Sixty Years of Hurt is the definitive story of English football and politics, and how the two worlds intersect. It’s a must-read for football fans and political junkies alike.