England’s long wait to contest another major final has come to an end.
The Three Lions will face Italy in Sunday’s European Championship decider and attempt to finally add to their World Cup triumph of 1966.
A lot has changed in the last 55 years. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how life then compares to now.
Cost of a pint
A pint of beer cost just two shillings in 1966 (Philip Toscano/PA) 1966: Two shillings (10 pence, or £1.75 in today’s money)
2021: £3.69
Number One in the singles charts
Singer Chris Farlowe topped the charts in 1966 (PA Archive) July 30, 1966: Chris Farlowe – ‘Out of Time’
July 9, 2021: Ed Sheeran – ‘Bad Habits’
Cost of a new car
Cars were expensive in 1966, with few families able to afford the luxury item (PA Archive) 1966: £950 (£15,968 in today’s money)
2021: £22,000
Average house price
House prices were only around three times the average wage when England won the World Cup (PA Archive) 1966: £3,620 (£60,848 in today’s money)
2021: £256,405
Top storyline in Coronation Street
Ken Barlow has been a character on Coronation Street for over 60 years (PA Media) July 1966: Ken Barlow starts a film society in the Glad Tidings Mission but one of the films shown by mistake is a nudist film.
July 2021: Todd Grimshaw reaches a new low as he steals from a homeless man’s funeral fund.
A ticket to the final
A ticket for the 1966 World Cup final cost just 10 shillings (PA Archive) 1966 World Cup: 10 shillings (50p, or £8.73 in today’s money)
Euro 2020: £81.78-£813.35
Average wage
The average wage in the UK in 1966 was £1,220 (PA Archive) 1966: For men, £1,220
2021: £27,768
George Cohen was only paid £200 more than the average wage when he played every game of the 1966 World Cup (PA Archive) George Cohen 1966: £1,400
Kyle Walker 2021: £7,800,000 (salarysport.com)
Litre of petrol
With far fewer cars on the road, petrol was relatively expensive in 1966 (PA Archive) 1966: One shilling and two pence (£1.02 in today’s money)
2021: 130.5p
Cinema ticket
Going to the cinema was a popular pastime, with ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ released in 1966 (PA Archive) 1966: Four shillings and 9.5 pence (24.03p in today’s money)
2021: £6.75
Pint of milk
Milk was a popular drink among footballers and was usually delivered in 1966 (PA Archive) 1966: Four pence (29p in today’s money)
2021: 42p
