60 Years of Marriage — and England Still Haven’t Made a Final
On 30th July 1966, England won the World Cup. But in Denby Dale, Margaret married Bill. Christine married John. It was, by any measure, a golden day, one that would prove to be worth every diamond that 60 years could bring.
Sixty years later, Margaret and Bill are still married. Christine and John are still married. England, however, have still not been back to a World Cup final.
Some things, it seems, are harder to repeat than others.
England’s Record Since the Wedding
And this year? Third place. Another tournament, another near miss, another brave campaign that somehow ends with everyone going home early. How many years do England fans have to wait — not just to see England in a World Cup final, but actually winning the thing? The players aren’t getting any younger. Neither, it has to be said, are the fans.
The penalty shootout curse. The early exits. The glorious failures. The years of hurt, as the song so accurately put it, haven’t exactly stopped — they’ve just been joined by more years of hurt.
Meanwhile, Margaret and Bill have celebrated ruby, golden and next up diamond anniversaries without a single penalty shootout. Christine and John likewise. The twins, it turns out, are considerably more reliable than the England football team.
The Children Do Their Bit
The celebrations have already begun. Mark, Tracey and Brian — who has flown all the way over from America, which is considerably further than Cumberworth — recently took all four parents out for a special weekend in London. Three children, four parents, sixty years of stories. One can only imagine the dinner table conversation, though it probably didn’t involve a transistor radio under the table.
But Brian, having made the journey from America, is clearly not finished. In a feat of logistical genius that would impress even the most seasoned event planner, on 28th July he will be whisking all four off for a day on the Llangollen Canal — a gentle, beautiful stretch of water through North Wales, where Christine and John started their married life all those years ago.
Now, some might say it’s a pity they won’t be on a bus trip instead. After all, if England’s football managers have spent sixty years being told to “park the bus,” perhaps the family could park one for the afternoon too. A canal narrowboat, sadly, offers no such tactical option — though it does move at roughly the same pace as England’s attack in the Argentina match.
Narrowboats move at approximately four miles per hour. There is nowhere to go. There is nothing to do but enjoy the scenery, drink tea, and talk. For four people with sixty years of shared history between two marriages, that sounds just about perfect.
30th July 2026 — Watch This Space
And so to the big question. On 30th July 2026, will England find a way to mark the 60th anniversary of their finest hour? And more importantly, will the double wedding celebrations continue in a manner befitting sixty glorious years?
Let’s just say that Brian hasn’t flown all the way from America for nothing, and that the little younger brother — who once failed spectacularly to keep a secret about six football goals — he has been rather busy making arrangements too. He’ll be holding a cricket day at Denby Dale Cricket Club.
Will the day live up to 1966? Watch this space.
Still Not All Over
England may still be waiting for their moment. Third place in 2026 is something, but it’s not 1966. The fans wait, the players change, the hope never quite dies — even if the hair of those fans has considerably thinned since Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick.
But on 30th July 2026, four people will have a quite lunch out and then sit in a garden on the Wirral and discover that sixty years of love, loyalty and laughter is worth celebrating with considerably more gusto than any football trophy.
Kenneth Wolstenholme said it best, even if he didn’t quite mean it this way.
“They think it’s all over…”
It most certainly is not.
Happy 60th Anniversary Margaret & Bill, Christine & John.
Here’s to many more. ❈