Beat England’s World Cup disappointment at Portland Basin Museum

England may be out of the 2026 World Cup, but a Tameside museum is letting fans relive the 1966 win.

With England having exited the 2026 World Cup after losing to Argentina in the semi-final yesterday (July 15th), now might be the perfect time to relive England’s 1966 glory by visiting the Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Since May, the museum has had an exhibition on display all about the 1966 Men’s World Cup which took place in England. And which, as most people will be aware, England ended up winning. The final at Wembley saw England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time, with Geoff Hurst famously scoring a hat-trick.

Hurst was actually born in Tameside before moving to Essex, which is why he now has a mural on Wood Street, which was unveiled ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Given that the 60 years of hurt that England football fans have experienced are now set to continue for at least another four years (for the men’s team), we may as well relive the last time we actually won the tournament.

The 1966 World Cup exhibition has been on display since May 23rd, but is continuing until September 4th. It features items from the museum’s own collection, as well as rare items owned by a private collector. Items include signed photos of the World Cup-winning squad, match tickets, programmes, and ‘World Cup Willie” souvenirs. There are also relevant cultural items from the era, including Beatles memorabilia, plus fashion, toys, and technology from the time.

Portland Basin Museum is open from 10am to 4pm from Tuesday to Sunday every week.