Where are they now?

A friendship with the comedian, Frank Skinner, has earned Jeff Astle new celebrity through his appearances on the BBC2 show Fantasy Football League, much to the amusement of the former West Bromwich Albion and England striker's clients in his day job; a window-cleaner anywhere within a 20-mile radius of his home near Burton on Trent.

Astle scored 174 goals in 361 games for Albion, including the extra-time winner against Everton in the 1968 FA Cup Final, which meant he had scored in every round. Within four years of his notorious miss for England against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico, however, he was shining panes for a living.

"I'd left West Brom to play non-League, and there was a lad in the Weymouth team who asked me to help on his round," Astle said. "I really enjoyed it and I still love it now. Cartilage problems ended his professional career prematurely at 31.

"I'd be a millionaire if I played today, but I can't grumble. There was no money in football then and a lot ended up with nothing at all.'' Astle, now 52, began his career with Notts County, but he remains faithful to West Brom, watching every match, home and away, with his wife, Laraine, and 16-year-old Claire, the youngest of three daughters.

"The club are struggling these days and I fear we'll go down without a cash injection for new players, but the supporters are still fantastic.''