End 60 years of Bert's England hurt

World Cup legend Bert Williams called on England to end his 60 years of hurt by beating the United States in their opening game.

It would cap a great day for former Wolves star Bert, 90, who was today awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The accolade came with the nation gripped by World Cup fever with an estimated 20 million viewers expected to tune in for the game, which kicks off at 7.30pm on ITV1 tonight.

Pubs and clubs will be packed tonight and the National Grid is primed for a huge surge at half time as millions of kettles - and beer pumps - are turned on.

Bert was in goal when England suffered the biggest shock in their history, losing 1-0 to the USA in the World Cup in Brazil in 1950 despite a team packed with stars such as Tom Finney and Billy Wright.

Today Bert declared: "I really want the lads to end my 60 years of hurt and do it for me - and the memory of Billy. Hopefully the modern generation can put the record straight after all these years."

Mr Williams, who received the MBE for services to football and charity after raising over £100,000 for the Alzheimer's Society, said: "I could not be more proud. It is the crowning achievement of a wonderful life for a boy from the back streets of Bradley and it would put the icing on the cake if the team set the record straight for me in South Africa tonight.

"It is the perfect contrast. Receiving the MBE is one of the best things to have happened to me while losing to the Americans 60 years ago was one of the worst. It was a fluke result. We should have won 9-1."

Bert, a great grandfather and the oldest surviving England player to have taken part in competitive matches, will watch the game at his home in Shifnal.

Wolves chairman Steve Morgan said today: "Everyone at Wolves is delighted for Bert, one of the club's most well loved and respected sons. It's fitting it's come on the day the current squad begins their campaign."

Meanwhile, fans have been pulling out the stops to show support for the team. Black Country postman Bryn Nicholls has even painted Three Lions on his lawn, while in Bristol, an artist has painted a dramatic image of a fan across his house.

Wolves fan Bryn, aged 52, spent three days completing his homage to the team.

He enlisted the help of his 21-year-old niece, Emma, to project a cardboard cut out lion onto the wall so he could create a huge cardboard stencil. Mr Nicholls, of Apley Road, Wollaston, had to order a specially-made one litre mix of blue paint to painstakingly create the lions on his lawn.

The father-of-three delicately sprayed red roses around the lions by hand before edging the 10 x 6 ft lawn with a blue outline paint.

"I'm really proud of it," he said, "Come on England!"

Report by John Scott