A FIFA 1966 World Cup winner's medal awarded retrospectively to the England player Jimmy Greaves, in .750 continental gold by Huguenin Freres, Switzer

A FIFA 1966 World Cup winner's medal awarded retrospectively to the England player Jimmy Greaves, in .750 continental gold by Huguenin Freres, Switzerland, the obverse with an enlarged copy of the original 1966 medal in raised relief to the centre, the reverse with laurel and inscribed WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, JULES RIMET CUP, ENGLAND 1966, circular, diameter 50mm., in wooden case of issue; sold with a signed letter of authenticity from Jimmy Greaves (2) In November 2007 FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced that world soccer's governing body would award medals to those players who were part of a winning squad but did not play in the decisive match of tournaments between 1930 and 1974. Jimmy Greaves was one of 122 former players eligible to receive a World Cup winning medal after missing out on playing in the final tie in 1966. Coaching staff would also qualify for a medal. According to FIFA regulations in place until 1974 only players who appeared in the final were eligible for a medal, but the regulations were changed in 1978. For the first time that year World Cup winners Argentina were awarded a total of 25 gold medals for the winning squad, with the Netherlands receiving 25 silver-gilt runners-up medals. In 1966 Jimmy Greaves, who was allocated the No.8 squad number, played in all three of England's Group A matches v Uruguay, Mexico & France. He sustained a leg injury in the France match and played no further part in the tournament his place being taken by eventual hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst. Three other non-finalist members of the 22-man World Cup squad also participated at the Group stage, John Connolly v Uruguay, Terry Paine v Mexico & Ian Callaghan v France. From the quarter-final onwards Alf Ramsey left the team unaltered and so the medals on 30th July 1966 were presented to Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, J. Charlton, Moore, Ball, B. Charlton, Hurst, Peters & Hunt. The eleven England squad members who missed out on the final in 1966 received their medals from Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a reception at Downing Street on 10th June 2009. Three medals were also presented posthumously to manager Sir Alf Ramsey and his coaching staff Harold Shepherdson and Les Cocker.