July 30, 1966, was a monumental day for England and 50 years on is yet to be repeated.

Some of what happened that day has passed into legend, including commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme’s immortal words “Some people are on the pitch, they think it’s all over... it is now”.

A new book marking the 50th anniversary of England’s 4-2 extra-time triumph over West Germany brings hundreds of ordinary people’s stories together alongside the thoughts of those directly involved, including the players themselves.

One of those featured in The 1966 World Cup Final, Minute by Minute, is Clive Bradburn, from Maidstone, a 19-year-old fireman on the day.

Clive said: “I was doing my first few fires and it was quite an exciting time for me, really. We used to get a lot of chimney fires in those days.

“We were watching the match at the station on a black and white TV – not many people had a telly at the time. We thought we’d chance our luck and started watching it. We watched to about halfway through the first half when we got a call.”

The call was from a house in South Park Road, where an elderly lady had a chimney fire.

“I’ll always remember it,” he said. “The flames were coming out of the chimney. We turned up and there’s this little old lady who had no idea that there was football on – and she had no telly!

“The bloke in charge, who was a bit of a Jack the lad, said to her “Where’s your telly?”. She said she didn’t have one but then said there was one in a box.

“So we got it going for her. It was the fastest we’d ever put out a fire because we wanted to get back for half-time.

“We left her chimney in a lovely condition and left her with the football playing. We got back and watched the rest of the match without another call.”

Clive added that World Cup fever hadn’t gripped the nation then in the same way as today.

“We didn’t have the communication then and not that many people had TVs. People just got on with it and most of it was done by radio.”

He added: “That day often crosses my mind when I drive past South Park Road.”

SPECIAL SCREENING

Clive Bradburn’s tale is one of a number that will be included in a film to be screened at Wembley Arena on the 50th anniversary of the greatest game in English football history.

The film will also be broadcast live from 2.30pm on Saturday, July 30, on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live, plus at the Gulbenkian cinema in Canterbury and Showcase Cinema at Bluewater.

Presented by Jeremy Vine and Louise Minchin, it includes guest appearances by Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Geoff Hurst, with actor Martin Freeman reading the words of Bobby Moore.

For tickets and details, visit wc66.org

WHEN ENGLAND RULED THE WORLD

For millions, July 30, 1966, was the greatest day of the greatest decade. The 1966 World Cup Final: Minute by Minute by Jonathan Mayo tells the story of the 24 hours through the eyes of the players, the fans at Wembley and those watching and listening at home and abroad.

It includes the former German POW on holiday in Wales keeping his nationality secret, comedian John Cleese surrounded by Germans in a café in Ibiza, the woman having a baby boy at the same time as the match and the Royal Marines band who played before kick-off.

The book also takes us back to the days when the England squad could walk to the cinema undisturbed the evening before the biggest game of their lives.

It costs £14.99 in hardback and is published by Short Books