Caborn backs our medal fight for heroes of '66

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The FA last week wrote to FIFA, describing it as "an idea worth pursuing" while former sports minister Caborn, who sees it as "a great idea", hopes to take up the matter personally with FIFA President Sepp Blatter this week.

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Caborn believes that Blatter will be sympathetic to the plan and, if successful, it would ensure that medals are awarded to all those World Cup winning squad members overlooked down the years.

"I think it's a great idea and I have already spoken to Sepp's aides about it," said Caborn. "They thought it was a good idea and the next thing is to put it to Sepp and then the FIFA executive committee.

"I can see a ceremony at Wembley where you invite all the players, or members of their families if some players are deceased, from around the world. Everybody loves coming to Wembley. It is still the home of football and would be the fitting venue. It would be a great occasion."

An FA spokesman added: "We believe this is certainly an idea worth pursuing and we are hoping for a response soon to a letter we have written to FIFA."

Modern World Cup finalists each receive 45 medals, 23 for the squad with the rest going to coaches and back-up staff. In the 14 tournaments before 1986, however, only those appearing in the final received medals.

It means that players such as Jimmy Greaves, who played in group matches in 1966 before getting injured, and Jimmy Armfield, who recently featured in these pages, would be honoured.

It is believed there are almost 300 players eligible for medals worldwide.

England's 1966 back-up XI: Ron Springett (Sheff Wed), Peter Bonetti (Chelsea), Jimmy Greaves (Tottenham), John Connolly (Man Utd), Jimmy Armfield (Blackpool), Gerry Byrne (Liverpool), Ron Flowers (Wolves), Norman Hunter (Leeds), Terry Paine (Southampton), Ian Callaghan (Liverpool), George Eastham (Arsenal).