Sixty Years of the World Cup

Sixty Years of the World Cup is a personal, nostalgic, fun and frank reflection on the author’s six-decade association with football’s biggest showpiece. Brian Barwick journeyed just five miles to his first World Cup match during the iconic 1966 tournament held in England, but later travelled the globe witnessing first-hand some of football’s greatest and most controversial moments. As a major national TV sport producer and executive, he was also responsible for how the tournament was broadcast to tens of millions of viewers on the BBC and ITV. A stint as CEO of the FA brought him the unique experience of being personally associated with the triumphs and tribulations of trying to win the World Cup. During his 60-year relationship with football’s greatest prize, he witnessed many of the tournament’s most famous matches, most gifted players and coaches, and iconic and controversial moments, meeting colourful personalities, making programmes that broke TV audience records and even helping an operatic aria to become a worldwide smash-hit!

Author Biography

Brian Barwick OBE is well known in broadcasting and sport. He worked for BBC Sport for 18 years, was Match of the Day editor and lead editor on the BBC’s coverage of World Cups, Olympic Games and Sports Personality of the Year awards. He left the BBC as its head of sport in 1997 and spent seven years at ITV. As chief executive of the FA, he worked with three England managers, opened the new Wembley Stadium and launched the Respect campaign.