It Was Just the Beginning
Who remembers what they were doing on 30th July 1966?
Were you at Wembley, watching England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra time?
Were you glued to your black and white television set, listening to Kenneth Wolstenholme’s immortal words: “They think it’s all over… it is now!”
Or were you in Denby Dale, at Holy Trinity Church, witnessing something just as historic—a double wedding?
The Double Wedding
On that sunny Saturday afternoon, identical twin sisters Margaret and Christine—born and bred in Denby Dale—stood side by side at the altar.
Margaret married William (Bill, as everyone calls him), who came from the neighbouring village of Cumberworth. Christine married John, who had travelled across from Liverpool, where they’d met at college.
It was a day of joy, celebration, and more than a little confusion.
The vicar, looking from one identical bride to the other, had a moment of genuine panic. Had he married the right girl to the right boy? The twins, ever mischievous, didn’t help matters by exchanging knowing glances throughout the ceremony.
A Boy, A Mission, and a Transistor Radio
Now, you have to understand—the brides family are serious football supporters. Both brothers and their dad had been to every World Cup match at Hillsborough. They were Huddersfield Town through and through. Missing the World Cup Final was a sacrifice of monumental proportions.
Enter the little younger brother, given a top-secret mission: armed with a transistor radio and an earpiece, hidden discreetly under the reception table, he was to relay score updates to the guests between the speeches.
Be subtle.
Be calm.
Keep everyone informed without disrupting the celebration.
He failed. Spectacularly.
When Haller scored for West Germany in the 12th minute, there was an audible groan.
When Hurst equalized six minutes later, a muffled cheer interrupted one of the best men’s speech’s.
By the time Martin Peters put England ahead in the 78th minute, the boy had given up all pretence of discretion.
And then came the 89th minute. Wolfgang Weber’s equalizer.
The match ended 2 – 2 so extra time was needed.
This brought Geoff Hurst’s controversial goal—did it cross the line?—and then his final strike.
England were world champions.
The boy could contain himself no longer.
The wedding reception had become, quite accidentally, a football commentary session.
What the Radio Couldn’t Capture
Of course, listening on the radio wasn’t the same as being there. The boy missed the famous television commentary. He missed seeing Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy. He missed the grainy black-and-white images that would be replayed for decades to come.
But when Kenneth Wolstenholme uttered those immortal words—”They think it’s all over… it is now!”—he had no idea how wrong he was.
It wasn’t all over. Not by a long shot.
For Margaret and Bill, for Christine and John, 30th July 1966 wasn’t an ending—it was just the beginning of 60 glorious years together.
The Journey Since
After the wedding, Margaret and Bill moved to the nearby village of Birdsedge, where they raised their two children. Life took them further afield eventually, and they now live in Colchester—a long way from the Yorkshire villages where it all began.
Christine and John headed to North Wales to start their married life, where they raised their son. These days, they’ve settled on the Wirral, close to where John’s journey to Denby Dale first began all those years ago.
Different paths, different places, but the bond between the twin sisters—forged in childhood in Denby Dale and sealed on that extraordinary World Cup Saturday—remains as strong as ever.
60 Years On
This year, on 30th July 2026, as England celebrates 60 years since winning the World Cup, we’ll be celebrating something even more remarkable—two marriages that have stood the test of time, built on love, laughter, and the occasional football interruption.
The boy with the transistor radio is now considerably older (and wiser, though he’d dispute the latter). His brother recently celebrated his 85th birthday at the ACCU Stadium, thanks to the generosity of Andy Booth—a Huddersfield Town legend who understands what the club means to this family.
And the twins? Still identical. Still mischievous. Still making people wonder which ones which.
So here’s to Margaret and Bill, now in Colchester. Here’s to Christine and John, on the Wirral. Here’s to 60 years of marriage, 60 years of memories, and 60 years of proving that sometimes, the best moments in life happen when you’re not watching television.
England may have won the World Cup in 1966, but that day, love won something far more lasting.
With hopefully many more years to come.
With love from that little football (and cricket) loving scamp, Richard Hobson.
Want more like this?
Read about Richard’s amazing wife …
Richard got in touch with us, to let us know she had planned to do 100 marathons in her retirement. Would I like to publish that in my news section?
Yes I would, said I! Here is the article we published in 2022 – which Richard later casually told me, the story got picked up by local news, then national, then American News got in contact and featured her over there.
All as a result of this little article we published –
Want to find out more about Richard?
He’s heavily involved with Denby Dale Cricket Club amongst many other projects no doubt.
You can find the contact details for Denby Dale Cricket Club here –
Or check out the events listed on the calendar happening at Denby Dale Cricket Club –
Thank you Richard for sharing another inspiring and heart warming story with us, keeping us informed and using our platform, I am very grateful to you.