Viewers have hit out at after the broadcaster decided to show the 1966 World Cup final ahead of the final on Sunday.
England will face Spain in the final in Berlin at 8pm UK time in Berlin, with ’s team just one game away from ending 58 years of hurt.
And to mark the occasion, Channel 4 has decided to show the last time England’s men’s team won a major trophy, when they won the World Cup in 1966.
The tournament, played here in England, saw Sir Alf Ramsey’s team beat West 4-2 in the final, with striker Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick.
It’s a moment that went down as one of the very best in English sporting history, but it seems not everyone is keen to see the game all over again.
In fact, in response to the news, many users on Twitter have complained about the decision, with many viewers simply sick to the back teeth of the constant football.
User Titan1641 said, ‘As if there isn’t enough football on TV that day already not to mention tennis. Bloody sick of it already,’ serving a dig at Wimbledon too.
Scottish comedian Eleanor Morton responded by calling it ‘unhinged behaviour’ by the broadcaster, while Murd73 said: ‘For f**king crying out loud.’
The final was level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Geoff Hurst completing his hat-trick in the very last seconds of extra time – in fact, it was so close to the end of the game that some fans invaded the pitch as Hurst took the shot.
User @DeathofBuckley argued it would be ‘better if they showed the Lionesses winning Euro 2022’ and insisted footage of the World Cup final from 1966 was nothing more than ‘grainy footage of old men’.
Some people had other suggestions, hoping that Channel 4 would replay the 1996 Brit Awards, the 1982 World Cup final between West Germany and Austria, or an AI version of the 1966 final that sees England lose instead.
Others pointed out that Channel 4 made the same decision before the Euro 2020 final, which was played between England and Italy at the new Wembley Stadium.
Italy won that game on penalties after the game itself was drawn 1-1, with England missing three times in the fateful shootout.
England’s performances at Euro 2024 have been criticised, while manager Gareth Southgate has been hammered by some for his team selections, but England still made it to their second consecutive European Championship final.
The men’s team are looking to replicate the success of the women’s team, who won the Women’s Euro 2022 tournament at Wembley, beating Germany 2-1 in the final.
To date, it remains the greatest sporting achievement by an English football team since the World Cup final in 1966. The men’s team are aiming to win England’s first major trophy on foreign soil.
Watch the Euro 2024 final on BBC One and ITV at 8pm on Sunday.
