Legends back winner in Nostalgia Stakes

The old boys of '66 are on a different route these days – racehorse ownership. Their tip? Bet on England for 2006

Last week it was sushi and small talk at Beckingham Palace, on Thursday morning bacon butties and mind where you tread at Mick Channon's racing stables in Berkshire. Never a spare moment for England's World Cuppers, and certainly never a dull one. The boys of '66, that is.

They have been celebrating their togetherness again with charity do's, a reunion dinner and Beckham's bash, all topped off with a day at the races. It began at Channon's place at West Ilsley, one of the most prestigious in the business. Hardly surprising, as he purchased it from the Queen, who apparently calls him "young Michael". It was while he was chatting with her about his ambitions as a trainer during an encounter at Ascot that she said to him, "Well, young Michael, you'd better buy my yard". So he did, but for how much he won't say, except that it was "less than she wanted but more than I could afford!"

The footballer's love affair with racing left the betting shop for the parade ring some years ago, and no one is more devoted to it than the striker who took to saddling winners after 718 appearances for various League clubs and 46 for England. By comparison, Fergie is an Alex-come-lately in the game.

Channon still relishes the company of his old footballing fraternity, which is why he was in his element welcoming Bally, Hurstie, Big Jack and Co, all founder members of the 1966 World Cup Winners' Sporting Club, to his spread. Among them was Roger Hunt, retired from his transport business at 63, inevitably reminiscing about how different it all was in their day.

"We had two weeks at Lilleshall and a month on tour, ending up playing Poland. There was none of the hype you have now, none of the lavish parties or holiday trips to places like Dubai. All we did was train hard. Very hard. That was Sir Alf Ramsey's way. We were never allowed to think of anything but football."

The club chairman, Sir Geoff Hurst, concurs: "We stayed at Hendon Hall during the tournament and on our afternoons off Greavsie and I would think nothing of strolling down to Golders Green to look around the shops and have a cup of coffee. Can you imagine what would happen now if Beckham and Owen decided take a stroll?" With half a dozen of the other stars of '66, Hurst was at the Beckham party. "It was a fantastic affair, stunning. But as I said to my wife, it's very sad you have to wait until you're 60 before you are invited to the best party of your life."

Hurst had also just returned from Dubai, where England's players have spent the week in what has been described as Arabian Nights splendour. "My wife couldn't believe that the wives and girlfriends had been invited, too. Alf used to tell the girls, 'If I ever see the wives in the same hotel, their husbands will never play for England again'.

"Ray Wilson was joking about how Alf would have reacted to being at that party, sitting where Sven was. He would have been stony-faced, absolutely hating it."

The club, says Hurst, was Alan Ball's brainchild. "It's really taken off. Personally, I've never been a racing nut, but I find it a great day out. Dear old Bobby Moore would have loved it, just his scene. His death was so tragic because in the last 10 years the recognition of the squad, and what we achieved, seems much stronger than it has ever been."

The club, which was formed 18 months ago, is run by Jimmy Ball, 26-year-old ex-footballer son of Alan, and its members include Moore's widow, Stephanie. A dinner organised by the club in December raised £30,000 for the Bobby Moore Cancer Fund, and there are golf and cricket days. All survivors of '66 are members, except Sir Bobby Charlton. "Don't know why," says Ball Jnr. "Apparently he prefers to do his own thing. All of the lads have called him, and tried to persuade him to join, but he doesn't want to get involved."

Unlike brother Jack, who admits he doesn't know a fetlock from a free-kick but enjoys the craic. When Channon paraded the pride of his stable, Queen's Logic, who was the favourite for the 1,000 Guineas but had to pull out injured and now runs in the Irish 1,000 Guineas next Sunday, he asked Charlton: "What do you think, Jack?" "Well," came the reply, "it's got a big arse."

"Days like this are exclusive," says Jimmy Ball. "Rubbing shoulders with the legends and getting the lowdown from Micky Channon. You can't buy it."

Actually you can. An interested punter can become a club member for £1,000 and according to one of them, Nick Carr, from Windsor, who runs a mortgage company, it is well worth it. He was there on Thursday with his pal James Ponder, for a day which began in Channon's yard, being driven in his four-wheel up to the gallops, back for champagne brunch, followed by an afternoon in a VIP box at Newbury races, with a slap-up lunch. Plus the opportunity to chat about World Cups past and present with the Legends. "There's no airs and graces with them," says Carr. "They're a super bunch, all so friendly."

There are impromptu tutorials on training from the 53-year-old Channon and the odd tip, if they're lucky. But they must be up early. The dawn run for his 150-strong string starts at 5am.

The club has 35 members and wants to attract more so it can buy more horses like the one they currently own, Pic Up Sticks, a three-year-old colt who won at York last year and has never been out of the first four in his eight races. He's already won £5,000 this year, and members have received a £400 dividend.

The British Horse Racing Board are encouraging more people to become owners through similar partnerships. According to Jackie Hutchinson, the BHB's industry marketing manager, the sport still suffers from an élitist image. "This is no longer the case. Now there are more and more partnerships in which individuals or groups of people can share their costs, and hopefully the profits. It's a great social experience and good fun, too. Racing for all, really. You can go in at all sorts of levels. A twentieth share in a racehorse could be as little as £30 a week, the price of a meal out."

Meanwhile, with England's last big win 36 years ago, it's time to place your bets on the World Cup Stakes. As punters rather than players this time round, the old champions are rooting solidly for England, but none will admit to risking a wager on Eriksson's dark horses, though they all reckon reckon 2006, with the event in Germany, could be the best bet since 1966. Thoroughbreds all, and still refusing to be put out to pasture.