Sir Alf Ramsey brought several new faces for the visit of the current European champions, Spain. For various reasons, six of England's World Cup-winning side were missing but Sir Alf now had the chance to have a look at a few of the understudies.

The game was a tactical battle and took a long time to produce a goal with neither side seemingly able to outsmart the other. Spain played in their normal style, despite previous rumours of new tactics whilst England stuck rigidly to their 4-3-3 formation. The technical ability of both sides could not be questioned and the professionalism shone through. But the spectators were looking to see just a little piece of flair in the pattern to inspire them.

Goal-attempts were few and far between in the first half and the interval score of 0-0 was most predictable. It was not until the 70th minute that the match finally awoke from the chess-like action. There was the most tremendous downpour as the heavens opened and for some inexplicable reason it seemed to lift England.

John Hollins, making an impressive debut, began a move down the left with Alan Mullery. Mullery's return pass was carried almost to the corner-flag by Hollins before a delightful centre found Alan Ball's red head. Ball nodded it back across goal for Roger Hunt to fire in a shot on the turn. Iribar saved well but could not hold the shot and Jimmy Greaves, looking much sharper by the minute, pounced like a hungry panther to shoot home the first goal.

That was just the tonic England needed and soon afterwards Greaves forced a fine save from Iribar with another crashing shot which resulted in a corner. The bombardment was now rocking Spain back on their heels as England found new zest in their play. The pressure on the Spanish defenders was intense and on 75 minutes a lovely move started by Bobby Moore left Geoff Hurst free on a clever run. The West Ham striker crossed from the right and there was Hunt, completely unmarked, to head pasr Iribar.

That, as they say, was that. Near the end, Spain almost gained a consolation goal when Amancio, their most dangerous forward, fired in a fierce shot which beat Bonetti and crashed into the net. However, a sharp-eyed linesman had noticed that flying winger Gento's cross had been made from the wrong side of the goal-line.
  

John Hollins won his only cap for England and played a prominent part in the first goal. His centre to the far post was headed down by Alan Ball into the path of Roger Hunt, whose shot was blocked and Jimmy Greaves banged in the rebound. It was his forty-fourth and final goal for England. Hunt scored England's second goal in a match played for much of the time in a torrential downpour. Peter Bonetti, Keith Newton, Brian Labone and John Hollins were all brought into the Ramsey fold as he started to build for the 1968 European Championship finals.
  

This match pitted the world champions against the European champions. Spain had lost on their two previous visits to Wembley, the last in 1960. In 1965, England had won 2-0 in Madrid.
Less than a year earlier, Spain had been in England for the World Cup but were knocked out in the first round. But in their defence of the European Championship they had played three games without conceding a goal.
The stubborn Spanish defence finally capitulated with 20 minutes remaining. When Ball headed down Hollins's cross, Hunt's shot was blocked, but Jimmy Greaves converted the rebound in an instant. Five minutes later an unmarked Roger Hunt headed past Iribar from Hurst's centre.
Spain were back at Wembley within a year for the first leg of the European Championship quarter-final.
     

In the last home international of 1966-67, England won 2-0. Their opponents, Spain, held out until the 70th minute, although England had had the majority of the play. The Spaniards, precise in midfield, lacked power and penetration in front of goal. England, on the other hand, created chances but failed to capitalize on them. Hunt and Ball missed good chances in the first half and one or two players seemed slightly jaded after a long season.

A torrential rainstorm mid-way through the second half created a fantastic scene amid the floodlights, the like of which has not been seen at a football match at Wembley before. Soon after the rain eased off, Greaves scored for England. Hollins centred to the near post, Ball headed the ball across the goal, Hunt shot, and this was blocked but the rebound was collected by Greaves, who swivelled to shoot the ball into the net. A second goal followed within five minutes. Moore sent a long crossfield ball into the Spanish penalty-area, Hurst collected the ball near the goal-line and chipped it to the far post where Hunt headed the ball into the roof of the net.

Four minutes from the end, Amancio put the ball past Bonetti with a good shot but the referee ruled that the ball from Gento had crossed the goal-line before crossing it.

It was a good win for England from a team which showed a number of changes brought about by injuries and club tours.
     

Source Notes

TheFA.com
BDFutbol.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG