Sir Alf Ramsey - "the leader of the gang".

By Neil Silver, PA Sport

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England's 1966 World Cup winners were more than just a football team - they were "brothers".

That is how Martin Peters describes the unique bond which existed between Sir Alf Ramsey's heroic lions - a bond which still exists to this day.

"We were more than just team-mates, we were brothers," said Peters. "We were like a gang and Alf was the leader of the gang.

"It was thanks to Alf that we all became so close. He saw us as his family and created a tremendous spirit throughout the entire squad because he wanted his players to stick together.

"We hug each other whenever we meet up nowadays because we are still that close."

If the players were like brothers, then Ramsey was very much the strong father figure watching over his flock.

Peters explained: "In those days the players liked to enjoy a half pint of lager, so after a game Alf would say 'If you want a beer then I'll buy you a beer', and he would buy you a pint.

"It was his way of saying 'You will do what you are told but if you want a beer then I'll buy you a beer'.

"Then he would relax in his chair drinking a brandy - that was his drink - holding court with his players. When he was finished he would stand up and say 'Goodnight gentlemen'. We all knew that was our cue to go to bed, we all knew it was time for us to go up.

"It was all part of his way of keeping us together. Alf knew that a few of the lads once slipped out to the bar at the local golf club and he frowned on that, so they never did it again. But he didn't mind us having a drink if we were part of his close-knit squad, all pulling in the same direction."

Peters saw that togetherness at its height on the day after the World Cup final in 1966, and never tires of telling the story which highlighted that bond.

"All the players were due to receive for playing in the final was £60 appearance money, and we were happy with that," recalled Peters.

"We didn't negotiate a bonus but over lunch the next day the FA offered to pay a pool of £22,000 pro-rata to the number of games we played.

"Therefore, Bobby Charlton would have got the full share because he played all six games, I played five games, Terry Paine played one game and someone like Ron Flowers didn't play any.

"But immediately the players said this was a squad thing, led by Alf, and we split it £1,000 each. That is the way we were and Alf led us that way - all for one and one for all. We still carry that spirit today and there is a warmth when we see each other."

Peters missed England's first game of the World Cup finals against Uruguay but was brought in for the second game, when he replaced John Connelly against Mexico.

He was a permanent fixture from then on and scored in the final - the other goal to go with Geoff Hurst's legendary hat-trick.

Peters' goal was England's second in the final itself, putting them 2-1 up against West Germany with 12 minutes to go, before the match was taken into extra time and Ramsey's men won 4-2.

"It was a 'Roy of the Rovers' story for me," recalled Peters. "The goal wasn't spectacular, but I was in the right place at the right time and I managed to put it away.

"It was like being struck by lightning. Wondrous. Everyone was suddenly jumping all over me and even our goalkeeper Gordon Banks came out as far as the halfway line.

"Scoring the goal was a huge achievement but the greatest moment was when the final whistle went and we realised we had won.

"In 1966 I was only 22, the second youngest player in the team. At first I found it daunting, but you were there on merit and had to stand up and be counted.

"The match was the pinnacle of my footballing career - you cannot beat being in the World Cup."

Peters again paid tribute to the late, great Ramsey for the way he picked his team and the tactics they used to lift the Jules Rimet trophy.

Peters, who these days works in insurance and is a non-executive director of Tottenham, said: "Alf had a knack of picking you for the position you played in for your club.

"He played you as he saw you and so if you were a left-back he wouldn't make you a left winger. You didn't work on too many things other than what you did for your own club.

"The backbone of his team was Gordon Banks in goal, the back four led by Bobby Moore, and Bobby Charlton in front of them and then he tinkered a bit with the rest.

"He pulled aside Geoff Hurst and me a few times and talked about the near post ball which we used a lot at West Ham. He told us he wanted to do it for England and the goal we scored against Argentina was a goal made out of that move.

"On the day of the final there were a lot of people in the dressing room before the game, all the helpers and the rest of the squad. It was very tense and so Alf cleared everybody out except the team.

"He was a very mature man and had seen everything and done everything. I don't think the spirit in the German dressing room was as good as England's - ours was possibly the best in world football under Alf.

"After the game he didn't want to get involved. He was reluctant to lift the trophy and didn't want to go around the pitch with the team.

"At the final whistle when everybody jumped up he just stayed sitting on the bench, taking it in his stride, although deep down inside he was thrilled."