Young football fans who besieged the England team's hotel in Hendon during the 1966 Football World Cup are being asked to identify themselves as part of a charity fund raiser in aid of Cancer Research.

So far one boy who was photographed outside the former Hendon Hall Hotel alongside Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves has come forward.

Michael Hart, then 13, who now lives at Woodside Park, remembers waiting outside the hotel to collect the team’s autographs. The hunt is on to see if any more of the youngsters can be identified.

Hendon Hall is now Signature at Hendon Hall care home where Mr Hart was one of the guests at an event to hand over a cheque for £1,200 towards an eventual target of target of £1,966 to celebrate England’s 1966 World Cup victory.

Mr Hall, who in the 1960s lived nearby at Holders Hill, said that he and other young fans waited outside the hotel as often as they could during the team’s month-long stay during the World Cup.

Until contacted by Signature he had not seen the photograph that was taken at the time. He is shown standing directly between Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves.

While waiting outside to catch team members as they came and went, Mr Hall managed to collect autographs of 22 of the 24-strong squad and they take pride of place in his 1966 World Cup scrapbook.

His biggest regret was that on the morning of the final he was outside the hotel and remembers someone coming out to ask if anyone wanted a ticket.

“I didn’t have any money at all in my pocket so I couldn’t buy the ticket. You can imagine, 57 years later, that’s still my one big regret.

“Of course, there was no security in those days so we could try to stop the players and talk to them. After the final, there was bedlam outside the hotel.”

Mr  Hall said that he recognised only one other boy who appeared in a second photograph with fans surrounding Bobby Charlton.

He says he remembers that the first name of the young fan on the far right was Marcus because they were in the same Boy Scout group.

Since he was a boy Mr Hall has supported Leyton Orient and whenever his club plays Barnet he always tries to attend, recalling visits to Barnet FC’s former stadium at Underhill and their replacement ground at The Hive.  

Also joining in the celebrations were Carole Chesterman (left) who is seen with a picture of the England team’s celebration at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington where she was then a press officer.

Ms Chesterman, of Regents Park Road, Finchley, is with Sue Rosenberg, who is a resident at Signature Hendon, and who ran a pharmacy in Chigwell opposite where Bobby and Tina Moore lived.  Her daughter Judith went to school with the Moores’ daughter Roberta. 

Julie Chanel, client liaison manager for Signature at Hendon Hall, who helped organise the event, said they would love to identify more of the young fans and she hopes they will contact her.

Mr Hall, who was a pupil at St David’s County Secondary School, Hendon, was identified through friends of members of Mill Hill U3A.

The appeal for the fans to come forward is on You Tube: https://youtu.be/sMA8BWiqc4Y

In support of the fund raiser, the home unveiled a plaque is honour of Sir Bobby Moore.