1966 and all that. Hero Peters knows the score
Charles Campion on the Q&A with a man who proved he really knows his stuff
The third Young's Know Your Stuff evening attracted the largest audience so far, held as it was in the downstairs bar at the Brook Green Hotel just prior to the first game in this year's Football World Cup.
The noisy crowd, (thankfully without vuvuzelas) gathered for a tasting of three Young's beers and a question-and-answer session with 1966 World Cup winner and goal scorer Martin Peters.
A consummate professional, Peters was described by former England manager Sir Alf Ramsey as being 10 years ahead of his time.
He started his career with West Ham and played more than 700 games in a club career that took him from Upton Park to Spurs, Norwich and Sheffield United.
The room was buzzing with pre-World Cup excitement and there was plenty of banter between the guests and beer writer Melissa Cole as she took us through a tasting and discussed the differences between three Young's cask ales – Bitter, London Gold and Special Bitter. The appreciative audience, some of whom admitted that hitherto they were not cask ale fanatics, were quick to take on board the vocabulary of tasting and to enjoy the beers which were in excellent condition. Questions from the floor made it obvious they know their stuff and were interested in the nuances of brewing.
When Martin Peters took centre stage you couldn't fail to notice what a gentle yet passionate man he was. His life has been centred on football and he has an undiminished love of the game. By way of context he told the room that when he started he was paid £7 a week in the winter and only £6 a week out of season. His views on the World Cup were underpinned by a prayer that we will not suffer too many injuries as the key to success in major tournaments is to get all the country's best players onto the pitch when it counts.
One member of the audience asked for his opinion on the infamous 1966 disputed goal "Was it, or was it not, over the line?" Peters had a twinkle in his eye as he replied: "Of course it was a goal, I was there!" The evening drew to a close — a case of They think it's all over...and it was! But most of the audience stayed for another pint and the debate carried on as Peters signed autographs.
Read more reflections on the recent Know Your Stuff events here:
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