REMEMBER '66? Few words are more capable of filling an English person with pride than this phrase referring to England's most glorious sporting moment: winning the world cup at Wembley on July 31 1966.

Football fans still wear replicas of the red full-sleeved shirt worn by hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst and his team mates in their 4-2 defeat of Germany.

And as World Cup fever begins to spread, it's a fair bet that many England fans will be wearing their '66 replica shirts in the hope it might have a talismanic effect and bring some soccer success to Beckham and the boys as they compete in Japan and South Korea in this year's championships.

The 1966 football top is likely to be one of the best sellers among the memorabilia in the shops to mark World Cup 2002.

Appropriately enough, Past Times, the retailer specialising in historical gifts, is selling replica '66 shirts for £35. Visit the shop in Castlegate, York, or order a catalogue by telephoning 01993 770431 or visit online at www.Past-Times.com

If that's not enough, Past Times also has videos of the 1966 World Cup final (£6), so you can relive that historic highpoint - or puff up your deflated pride if England make an early exit.

Armchair fans can get cosy in an array of weird and wonderful pieces of furniture - guaranteed to brighten up any bachelor pad.

Littlewoods has a football sofa befitting that soccer-mad comic double act Baddiel and Skinner or anyone with a serious dose of World Cup fever (it costs £159). Soccer Flopper is a sofa-bed in a choice of colours: red and white, black and white or blue and white with a football pattern on the cushions.

World Cup partygoers can guarantee a seat at any gathering with the fold-away England chair from Asda (£7.77). In white, with a red St George's cross across the seat, it comes with a useful drinks stand.

Should you decide the best place to watch those dawn kick-offs is from bed, you can still support England from under the duvet. Asda has single duvet sets, again featuring the red cross of St George, for £9.97. Alternatively, Woolworths has a Union Jack sleeping bag at £12.99.

They say football is a game of two halves, which has spurred on Asda to produce a pizza of two halves (£2.99) - one side features cocktail sausages, the other slices of pepperoni.

Nestle has brought out a limited edition World Cup box of Quality Street called 'Quality Team' full of enough chocolates to sustain anyone with a sweet tooth through 90 minutes of football. The 480g box costs £3.35.

And Asda has some sweet cupcakes complete with an iced three lions emblem on top, 98p for a pack of six.

With early-morning and lunch-time kick-off times, time keeping is going to be crucial for fans. Umbro has brought out a special World Cup watch called Stealth (£29.99) which has dual time functions as well as a scheduler with eight alarms. Available from H Samuel, it comes with a free Umbro peaked cap.

Younger fans will find there are plenty of World Cup goodies to spend their pocket money on. Woolworths has an England stationery kit featuring a folder and tin with pencil, ruler, sharpener and eraser for £3.99 which, come victory, might prove useful for sending gloating letters to pen friends overseas. Sainsbury's has an England kids' cap (£5.99), Union Jack (£2.99), gym bag (£6.99) and water bottle (£2.99).

Infuse your World Cup party with patriotic spirit with red, white and blue banners, bunting, balloons and streamers as well as Union Jack plates from Woolworths, prices from 99p.

For those leaving these shores during the World Cup, you can still keep the flag flying with an England beach towel from Sainsbury's. A reason, if ever there was one, to get up before the Germans.

Updated: 08:37 Saturday, May 25, 2002