Catching up with England’s champions

Here’s a look at what happened to the 11 players and manager Alf Ramsey following their success in the 1966 World Cup: Gordon Banks (born Dec 30 1937) His playing career all but ended when he lost an eye in a car crash in 1972. His nephew Nick Banks is the drummer for top British band Pulp. Life hasn’t been kind to Banks, who has survived two bouts of kidney cancer and lost a lot of money in a failed business venture.

He subsequently sold his World Cup medal and his international cap from the final. Has been honored in several ways, including a statue of his extraordinary save against Pele during the 1970 World Cup tournament. George Cohen (born Oct 22 1939) Remarkably similar to Banks in certain respects, although he didn’t make it to the 1970 World Cup. Has had three battles with cancer, and through financial hardship had to sell his winner’s medal — which his beloved Fulham bought. The team plans to erect a statue in his honor. Suffered personal tragedy when his brother was killed outside a nightclub in 2000. His nephew Ben won the Rugby World Cup three years later. Cohen is now raising money for dementia as four of his teammates from 1966 have been diagnosed with Alzheimers or significant memory loss, which some attribute to the impact of heading the then much heavier ball.

Bobby Moore (captain, born April 12 1941 - died Feb 24 1993)

Ended his playing days as a member of the Carolina Lightnin’ in the US. Management didn’t suit him well, ending in 1986 — the same year as he divorced his first wife and mother of his two children — after two seasons with Southend. Appeared in the movie Escape to Victory alongside Pele and Sylvester Stallone. Died of liver and bowel cancer in 1993. “I only ever cried over two people, (former Leeds star) Billy Bremner and Bob. He was a lovely man,” tough-as-teak defender Jack Charlton said in a BBC documentary of Moore’s life. Jack Charlton (born May 8 1935) One of the rare birds of the team to go on and experience success as a manager, not of England but of the Republic of Ireland. It was the unlikeliest of love affairs that saw ‘Saint Jack’ helped no end by a 1-0 win over England in the Euro ’88 finals — the first time the Irish qualified — and a run to the 1990 World Cup quarterfinals.

He stretched the rules regarding Irish heritage to the limit in obtaining players and wasn’t great at names, referring to Tony Cascarino as ‘the man with an ice cream seller’s name’ when he forgot it. Has partially made up with brother Bobby after a feud. It got so bad that Bobby said: ‘I don’t want to know him’. However, the brothers now see each other periodically. Ray Wilson (born Dec 17 1934) One of the quartet diagnosed with Alzheimers or significant memory loss, he enjoyed a successful post-soccer career by running a mortuary business. According to his wife Pat, Wilson — who was christened Ramon in honor of the Mexican silent movie star Ramon Navarro — wakes up every morning now and sings a Frank Sinatra song and has developed an interest in sketching. “He’s happy and if he’s happy, I’m happy. It’s as simple as that,” she told the Daily Mirror earlier this year. Nobby Stiles (born May 18 1942) Has not had the most enjoyable of times since retiring as a player. Suffered from depression during his time in charge of West Brom and later sold his winner’s medal and also his European Cup winner’s medal, which were both bought by his old club Manchester United. His handling of the United youth team bore rich results in the shape of David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Suffered a stroke and then prostate cancer, and in 2012 was diagnosed with Alzheimers, although it only became public last year.

Alan Ball (born May 12 1945 - died April 25 2007)

The flame-haired squeaky-voiced babe of the team and second of the 11 to pass away.

He died of a heart attack while trying to put out a fire in his garden, which had spread from his bonfire to the fence. His wife — and mother of their three children — pre-deceased him in 2004.

He also sold his winner’s medal and commemorative cap. Managed with a certain amount of success in the old First Division and then its successor the Premier League Portsmouth, bitter rivals Southampton as well as Manchester City. Bobby Charlton (born Oct 11 1937) The face of Manchester United. Lacked streetwise politics when it came to dealing with the now disgraced FIFA executive board in the failed English bid for the 2006 World Cup, but was part of the 2012 Olympic Games bid.

Knighted in 1994, he didn’t speak to his mother from 1992 until her death because of the animosity between her and his wife Norma. Still a stalwart representative of United.

Started a charity aimed at clearing landmines. “When I went, I saw the absolute mayhem that these mines cause,” he said after paying a visit to Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo. “Flying back home, I thought ‘there must be a better way’.” Geoff Hurst (born Dec 8 1941) The second of the World Cup knights — and still the only man to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

Dabbled in management, first with Chelsea and then with a Kuwaiti club side but returned to insurance sales after being sent packing by the Kuwaitis. Played a part in the unsuccessful 2006 World Cup bid.

Has been memorialized in two sculptures, one

in Manchester and one near his former club West Ham’s former ground. Martin Peters (born Nov 8 1943) Following his retirement, like his former Hammers teammate Hurst he opted to go into the insurance business.

Peters also did the odd bit of TV commentary and wrote a well-received biography titled The Ghost of ’66: The Autobiography’.

Another of the side to be diagnosed with Alzheimers, this time in 2013. “Dad hasn’t been to any of the 1966 celebration dinners so far; we had to pull him out,” his daughter Leann told the Daily Mirror in April. “We don’t talk about it in front of him. He won’t admit he has dementia. If we say that to him he replies ‘there’s nothing wrong with me’.” Roger Hunt (born July 20 1938) Another to avoid the pitfalls of management — he said he didn’t think he had the temperament for it. Opted instead to go into the family haulage firm, which he has made a huge success. Still Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer, he is often referred to as ‘Sir Roger’ — although Queen Elizabeth hasn’t seen fit to award him a knighthood.

Alf Ramsey (born Jan 22 1920 - died April 28 1999)

Manager Ramsey received a knighthood but precious little else thanks to the end of his reign, which saw England fail to qualify for the 1974 World Cup finals.

“The most incredible thing that ever happened in English football,” opined Ball afterwards regarding Ramsey’s poor treatment by the FA.

Ramsey developed Alzheimers disease and was content to live a reclusive life, watching American westerns with his wife in Ipswich before moving to a nursing home, where he died of a heart attack.