He took only 20 players, instead of the allowed 22, left the experienced Bolton centre-forward Nat Lofthouse out of the party and failed to give young Bobby Charlton a game, a decision questioned even by Winterbottom’s young son.
Then a damaged knee put the talisman Tom Finney out for the tournament after a bone-crushing tackle in the first game against the Soviet Union, which England came back to draw 2-2. A goalless draw with Brazil and a 2-2 result against Austria left England with a playoff against the Soviet Union. They lost 1-0 and were on their way home, leaving the stage for a young Pele to thrill the world.
1 Eddie Hopkinson At 5ft 9in he was short for a goalkeeper, but played 14 internationals and made a record 578 appearances for Bolton Wanderers, winning the 1958 FA Cup. He was assistant manager of Stockport and a public relations manager for Warburtons Bakery. He died in April 2004, aged 68.
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2 Don Howe He joined Arsenal from West Bromwich in April 1964 and made 70 league appearances for the Gunners, whom he later coached and managed. He won 23 caps, was assistant England coach for 15 years and highly regarded as a club coach. Now retired, he lives in Hertfordshire.
3 Ronnie Clayton He played in only the playoff match at the World Cup, but was back in favour afterwards, eventually taking over the England captaincy from Billy Wright and finishing with 35 caps. The wing-half spent 18 years at Blackburn. He managed Morecambe and worked for the ATS tyre company. He is the guide for tours around Ewood Park.
4 Eddie Clamp A schoolboy international, Clamp was a powerful wing-half with excellent speed and a strong tackle. He spent 12 years at Wolves, where his mother was the laundry lady, before joining Arsenal and then helping Stoke win the Second Division title. He had four games for England. Clamp worked in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, as a builder and decorator. He died in November 1995, aged 61.
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5 Tom Finney An apprenticeship as a plumber and fighting in Africa during the second world war delayed his Preston debut. But within months of his first appearance Finney made the first of 76 England appearances. He played in 433 games for Preston, scoring 187 goals. He is president of the club and was knighted in 1998
6 Bobby Robson A skilful midfielder, Robson played more than 250 games for West Bromwich, sandwiched between spells at Fulham. He won 20 caps. He was in charge at Fulham and Ipswich before becoming England manager, taking them to two World Cups, and reaching the 1990 semi-final. He coached on the Continent and then at Newcastle until August 2004. Knighted in 2002, Robson was appointed football adviser for the Republic of Ireland last week.
7 Bryan Douglas He took over the England No 7 jersey from Stanley Matthews and proved a classic winger in 36 internationals, scoring 11 goals. Douglas had a one-club career with Blackburn, playing in more than 500 games and winning promotion to the First Division. He has retired after working as a sales representative for a paper merchant in Blackburn for 20 years
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8 Colin McDonald After completing his apprenticeship as a plumber, doing National Service and waiting two years for a first-team call-up at Burney, McDonald had a nightmare debut in a 5-1 defeat against Aston Villa. But with excellent positioning, he was one of the best players at the World Cup. A broken leg ended his career prematurely and he coached at Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Tranmere. He was manager at Bury for a short time and has retired.
9 Derek Kevan A bustling forward who was strong in the air, Kevan scored eight goals in 14 appearances for England. Nicknamed “The Tank”, he had club success at West Bromwich, where he scored 173 goals in 291 matches including eight hat-tricks in eight seasons. He also played for Chelsea and Manchester City and helped Stockport win the Fourth Division. He was a driver for a sign company in Birmingham.
10 Peter Brabrook A winger who joined Chelsea in 1954 and played nearly 500 games for the Blues, West Ham and Leyton Orient. He had a bit part in helping Chelsea win the First Division in 1955 and won the 1964 FA Cup with the Hammers. Capped three times. Brabrook ran a butcher shop and worked for Ovenden, a paper merchant. He returned to Upton Park as a coach and retired as youth coach in 2002.
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11 Bobby Smith He wasn’t used in the World Cup, but when he played for England, Smith was a prolific scorer. Thirteen goals in 15 games were testament to the scoring prowess of the Tottenham forward who helped Spurs win the League and Cup Double in 1961. A former painter and decorator, he has since had a double hip replacement.
12 Johnny Haynes The first English player to earn £100 per week, the talented Haynes was a loyal Fulham midfielder who won 56 England caps, going on to captain the team. During an 18-year spell at Craven Cottage he played more than 500 games. He then emigrated to South Africa, where he had a share in a bookmaker’s business. He retired to Edinburgh, but died last October at the age of 71.
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13 Alan A’Court A winger who spent 11 years with Liverpool, A’Court played in 382 games when the club was in the Second Division. Such was his talent that he played five games for England during this period, replacing the injured Finney in the World Cup. He was player-coach at Norwich, then coached in Zambia and New Zealand. He has retired.
14 Maurice Norman A powerful defender, Norman began his career at Norwich and played a central role in Tottenham clinching the Double in 1961. He won 23 caps, but a broken leg forced him to retire. He set up a wool shop in Frinton-on-Sea, then became a landscape gardener in Suffolk. He has retired to East Anglia.
15 Bill Slater The last amateur to play in an FA Cup final, Slater lost with Blackpool and then captained Wolves to victory in the cup. He won 12 caps and was a gymnast at the 1952 Olympics. He was president of the British Gymnastics Association until 2000. A director at the Liverpool and Birmingham universities, he coached his daughter Barbara to the 1976 Olympics.
16 Billy Wright The first player to win 100 caps. Wright’s career spanned 20 years. He became a Wolves great in midfield and then defence, playing in 70 consecutive internationals. Married to Joy, a singer with the group the Beverley Sisters, Wright managed Arsenal before becoming a TV executive. He died of cancer in September 1994.
17 Bobby Charlton The Manchester United midfielder played in 106 England matches and helped win the World Cup in 1966. After retiring, he managed Preston, then returned to Old Trafford as a member of the board. A prominent statesman in world football, he was knighted in 1994.
18 Peter Sillett A right-back who helped Chelsea win the 1955 First Division title, Sillett earned three caps. Arthritis forced him out of the game and he died in 1998, aged 55. His younger brother John managed Coventry to FA Cup success in 1987.
19 Peter Broadbent A creator rather than a scorer of goals, he helped Wolves win three league titles and an FA Cup final. After seven England games he had a successful babywear shop in Halesown. Retired, he lives in Codsall.
20 Tommy Banks A skilful but hard Bolton fullback, he won six caps and an FA Cup medal. He became a painter and decorator and has retired.