Geoff Hurst
Encyclopedia
Sir
Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE (born 8 December 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne
, Lancashire
) is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham
. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick
in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England
in their 4–2 win over West Germany
at the old Wembley. Such an achievement was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was only five months and eight games into his international career, and was not considered his country's premier centre forward.
, Lancashire
, but moved with his family to Chelmsford
, Essex
, at the age of eight. He attended Kings Road Primary School, where a house is now named after him. The son of a lower-division footballer, Hurst's own footballing career began when he was apprenticed to West Ham United
.
Hurst played one first-class cricket
match for Essex
, against Lancashire
at Aigburth
in 1962, although it was not a successful outing: he made 0 not out
in the first innings
, and was bowled
by Colin Hilton, again for 0, in the second. However, he appeared 23 times in the Essex Second XI between 1962 and 1964, before concentrating entirely on football.
in 1964 with Hurst scoring the second equaliser in a tight and exciting 3–2 victory over Preston North End at Wembley. A year later, Hurst was back at Wembley for the final of the European Cup Winners Cup against 1860 Munich, and West Ham won 2–0. The following season he was in the West Ham side which lost the League Cup
final on aggregate to West Bromwich Albion
, and in February 1966 he was given his debut for England by manager Alf Ramsey
. Hurst remains the most recent British-based player to notch a double hat-trick
in a top-flight league match: he achieved this remarkable feat in a First Division match against Sunderland
at Upton Park on 19 October 1968, which saw the Hammers defeat the Wearside
rs 8-0.
. He then signed for the Seattle Sounders
of the NASL
in 1976. Unlike many players who went over to the NASL from Europe to end their careers, Hurst rapidly proved his worth, and became a valuable member of the Sounders team. He was the team's second-leading scorer, helping the Sounders make it to the playoffs for the first time in their brief history, with 8 goals and 4 assists in 23 regular season games, and 1 goal in the playoffs. More important than Hurst's numbers was his sense of timing: not only did he score the first (in the home opener against Portland) and the last (in the playoffs against Vancouver) goals of the season, 5 of his 8 goals were game-winners. After Seattle, Hurst played in Kuwait
and signed for Cork Celtic in January 1976.
and Roger Hunt
. Greaves and Hunt were indeed picked for the three group games against Uruguay
, Mexico
and France
, but in the latter game, Greaves suffered a deep gash to his leg which required stitches, and Hurst was called up to take his place in the quarter final against Argentina
. With captain Bobby Moore
and young midfielder Martin Peters
already in the side, it completed a trio of West Ham players selected by Ramsey at this most crucial stage of the competition.
Argentina were talented but preferred a violent approach to the game, which saw them reduced to ten men. The game was still tightly contested as it entered its final 15 minutes, but then Peters swung over a curling cross from the left flank and Hurst, anticipating his clubmate's thinking, got in front of his marker to glance a near post header past the Argentine keeper. England won 1–0 and were in the semi finals.
Greaves was not fit for the game against Portugal
so Hurst and Hunt continued up front, and England won 2–1 thanks to a brace from Bobby Charlton
, the second of which was set up by Hurst. As the final against the Germans approached, the media
learnt of Greaves' return to fitness and, while appreciating Hurst's contribution, started to call for the return of England's most prolific centre forward.
Ramsey, however, would not be swayed. Hurst had played well enough to keep his place and, with substitutes still disallowed in competitive football, Greaves' hopes of taking part in the final were dashed. Ramsey informed Greaves and Hurst of his decision the day before the game, and would be conclusively vindicated.
early on, but six minutes later Moore was fouled just inside the German half of the field. He quickly picked himself up and delivered the free kick to Hurst, totally unmarked in his run, as the Germans regrouped. The goalkeeper seemed frozen as the header thundered past him, levelling the match. In the second half, chances went begging for both sides before England won a corner on the right with a quarter of an hour left on the clock
. Alan Ball
took it, outswinging the ball to Hurst on the edge of the area. Hurst turned to shoot and the ball deflected high into the air, looping down on to the right boot of Peters, who smashed it home.
The Germans equalised with virtually the last kick of the game, forcing extra time. The subsequent 30 minutes would shape the rest of Hurst's life. In the first period, Ball flicked a pass inside to Hurst in the penalty box who struck a strong shot towards goal with his right foot, falling backwards as he did so. The ball beat the goalkeeper, hit the crossbar and bounced down before Wolfgang Weber
, scorer of the Germans' second goal, headed it out for a corner. England's players claimed a goal; the Germans were just as adamant that the ball had not fully crossed the line. The referee Gottfried Dienst
, unsure, decided to consult his linesman, Tofik Bakhramov
, on the right flank, who had waved his flag to get the official's attention. The Soviet
linesman signalled that the ball had crossed the line, and the goal was given. The Germans were furious and protested with the linesman vociferously, but because the linesman spoke only Russian, Turkish
and Azeri, that was a pointless exercise. Ever since, football reporters and commentators on England games have called in jest for a "Russian linesman" (although actually Bakhramov was from Azerbaijan
) whenever there has been a contentious decision to make, especially when that decision has not gone England's way.
Advances in technology have never conclusively proved that the ball crossed the line; on the contrary, in 1995 the Sunday Times reported that image analysis by researchers at Oxford University had concluded that the whole of the ball did not cross the goal-line, and so a goal should not have been awarded (Computer blows whistle on England's 1966 World Cup win by Adam Jones and John Davison, 23 July 1995). Nevertheless, both Dienst and Bakhramov were insistent at the time and continued to justify their decisions in the decades to come, while Hurst never saw the ball bounce down because his momentum on shooting had taken him backwards on to the Wembley turf. However, he always believed the ball was in the net because of Hunt's reaction – the Liverpool
striker was following in as the ball hit the bar and turned to celebrate a goal instead of trying to knock the rebound into the net. Hurst's argument was that a natural goalscorer such as Hunt would have put the ball into the net himself had he been in any doubt.
It looked like a 3–2 win for England with Hurst as the hero with the winning goal but in the last seconds, as the Germans were pushing everyone forward to seek the equalizer, Moore cleared his lines with a long ball over the German defence. While spectators ran on the field, Hurst ran on towards the goal, stating later that he aimed for the top left corner knowing that, should it miss, the resulting delay would eat away valuable seconds. As it happened, the left-footed shot was struck perfectly, completing a stunning victory and a hat-trick which remains unique to this day. The referee allowed the goal despite the spectators on the field, and there was no time for the Germans to restart the match.
Hurst still emerged the hero of the win but, as a result of the third goal, became an icon of world football too.
It is stated often that Hurst's hat-trick is technically a "perfect hat-trick", as he scored with his head, right foot and left foot. Others feel this is contentious, as he scored a disputed goal. It is not a "flawless hat-trick" as this has to be scored without the opposition scoring any goals between the first and third goals.
to his lips as Moore shaped to play the final pass to Hurst. He didn't blow it, however, yet some supporters misheard, assumed the game was complete and started invading the pitch. As Hurst collected the pass, BBC
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
immortalised his own contribution to the day with one of the most famous pieces of football commentary ever:
Hurst was immediately jumped on by Alan Ball, the only other player upfield at the time Moore played the pass. Meanwhile, camera
s quickly snapped a bemused-looking Greaves in his suit and tie on the England bench, amazed at the achievements of the man who had replaced him. Greaves would later say it was an emotional reaction but he was just as thrilled for Hurst and England as the other squad players who had not been picked for the final.
, scorer of the Germans' first goal, acquired the ball and was seen holding it as he collected his runner's up medal. He returned it to England more than 30 years later.
The media were desperate to speak one-on-one with Hurst and they found him the day after the final, back home in London. As if to prove that life had to go on, Hurst was carrying out the mundane task of mowing his lawn when the journalists turned up.
Hurst was named in the Ramsey squad which played in Mexico to defend the World Cup in 1970. He scored the only goal of England's opening game against Romania
as England progressed to the quarter finals, where once again they faced West Germany. Hurst played a part in a goal for Peters which put England 2–0 up, but the Germans forced their way back and won 3–2 after extra time.
In 1972, West Ham reached the semi final of the League Cup
when they played Stoke City
over two legs. In the home leg for West Ham, they were awarded a penalty which Hurst took. His powerful shot into the top corner was saved by the Stoke goalkeeper and Hurst's international team-mate Gordon Banks
, who succeeded in deflecting the ball over the bar. Stoke won the tie and ultimately the competition. Hurst left West Ham to join them later the same year for £
80,000. He had played 502 games for West Ham, during which time he had scored 249 goals in all competitions.
His England career ended the same year with yet another game against West Germany, in the qualification stages for the 1972 European Championships, which England lost. He had won 49 caps and scored 24 goals, currently putting him 11th in the all-time England scorers' list.
and manager of Chelsea
from 1979–81. He joined Chelsea, then in the Second Division
, before the 1979–80
season, initially as assistant manager to Danny Blanchflower
. When Blanchflower was sacked, Hurst was appointed manager. Things initially went well, and for much of the season Chelsea were on course for promotion, but two wins from their final seven league games ensured the club finished 4th. The following season again began well, with the Blues among the early promotion pace-setters before a dismal run set in, with Chelsea scoring in just three of their final 22 league matches, culminating in Hurst being sacked on April 23, 1981 and Chelsea finished 12th in the league. It was a far cry from a decade earlier, when Chelsea had been European Cup Winners' Cup
winners, although his cause was not helped by Chelsea's perilous financial situation.
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|1976||Seattle Sounders
||NASL
||24||9||||||||
529||212||||||||
24||9||||||||
553||221||12||13||565||234
Since 1966, only three players have come close to emulating Hurst's hat-trick in a World Cup final. Mario Kempes
of Argentina in 1978, Zinedine Zidane
for France in 1998 and Ronaldo for Brazil
in 2002 all scored two goals in World Cup finals but did not manage a third.
Hurst's contribution to the English game was recognised in 2004 when he was inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame
. Hurst is also one of the few footballers who have been knighted, and this recognises his contribution to the game.
In popular culture, a shot bouncing off the crossbar and hitting the line is referred to as a "Geoff Hurst style shot" if no goal is given, or a "Geoff Hurst style goal". An example of that is David Trezeguet (of Juventus's) penalty against Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final
when it went to penalties. As he shot, the ball smacked the bar, and in similar circumstances it was not clear if it crossed the line.
He is currently Director of Football for McDonald's
fast food chain.
On April 1, 2010 Hurst took part in an April Fool with online betting company Blue Square. The company staged a mock up press conference to announce their continued sponsorship of the Football Conference in which a journalist asked Hurst if the second goal of his World Cup hat-trick crossed the line. For the purpose of the stunt Hurst acted out a confession that he'd known all along that the ball had not crossed the line. This was retracted later in the day.
Hurst was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of East London
in November 2010.
A new statue of Geoff Hurst by Sculpture For Sport was unveiled outside local club Curzon Ashton in December 2010. He is shown alongside fellow 1966 squad member Jimmy Armfield
and Simone Perrotta
, all World Cup medal winners born in the borough of Tameside
whose council commissioned the work.
, Surrey
, with his wife Judith. They have been married since October 1964, having met three years previously at a youth centre. They have three daughters; Claire (born 1966), Joanne (born 1969) and Charlotte (born 1977) and two grandchildren.
industry. He also became much in demand as a pundit and a motivational speaker. In 1998 he was knighted
.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE (born 8 December 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
) is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in their 4–2 win over West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
at the old Wembley. Such an achievement was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was only five months and eight games into his international career, and was not considered his country's premier centre forward.
Early life
Hurst was born in the Lake Hospital Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, but moved with his family to Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, at the age of eight. He attended Kings Road Primary School, where a house is now named after him. The son of a lower-division footballer, Hurst's own footballing career began when he was apprenticed to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Hurst played one first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match for Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
, against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
at Aigburth
Aigburth
Aigburth is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Located to the south of the city, it is bordered by Dingle, Mossley Hill, and Garston.-History:...
in 1962, although it was not a successful outing: he made 0 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in the first innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, and was bowled
Bowled
Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
by Colin Hilton, again for 0, in the second. However, he appeared 23 times in the Essex Second XI between 1962 and 1964, before concentrating entirely on football.
Club career
Hurst was initially a strong-running midfielder but was converted to a centre forward by manager Ron Greenwood. West Ham won the FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1964 with Hurst scoring the second equaliser in a tight and exciting 3–2 victory over Preston North End at Wembley. A year later, Hurst was back at Wembley for the final of the European Cup Winners Cup against 1860 Munich, and West Ham won 2–0. The following season he was in the West Ham side which lost the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final on aggregate to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, and in February 1966 he was given his debut for England by manager Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
. Hurst remains the most recent British-based player to notch a double hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a top-flight league match: he achieved this remarkable feat in a First Division match against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at Upton Park on 19 October 1968, which saw the Hammers defeat the Wearside
Wearside
Wearside is an area of north east England, centred on the continuous urban area formed by Sunderland, Seaham and other settlements by the River Wear. Mackems is a nickname used for the people of Wearside....
rs 8-0.
His final years as a player
Hurst wound down his career with Stoke City and also West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. He then signed for the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
of the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
in 1976. Unlike many players who went over to the NASL from Europe to end their careers, Hurst rapidly proved his worth, and became a valuable member of the Sounders team. He was the team's second-leading scorer, helping the Sounders make it to the playoffs for the first time in their brief history, with 8 goals and 4 assists in 23 regular season games, and 1 goal in the playoffs. More important than Hurst's numbers was his sense of timing: not only did he score the first (in the home opener against Portland) and the last (in the playoffs against Vancouver) goals of the season, 5 of his 8 goals were game-winners. After Seattle, Hurst played in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and signed for Cork Celtic in January 1976.
International career
Hurst settled into international football quickly but as the World Cup approached, it seemed clear that his inclusion in Ramsey's squad of 22 would merely be as a different option to the first choice partnership of Jimmy GreavesJimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
and Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
. Greaves and Hunt were indeed picked for the three group games against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, but in the latter game, Greaves suffered a deep gash to his leg which required stitches, and Hurst was called up to take his place in the quarter final against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. With captain Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
and young midfielder Martin Peters
Martin Peters
Martin Stanford Peters, MBE is a former football player and member of the victorious England team which won the 1966 World Cup as well as playing in the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
already in the side, it completed a trio of West Ham players selected by Ramsey at this most crucial stage of the competition.
Argentina were talented but preferred a violent approach to the game, which saw them reduced to ten men. The game was still tightly contested as it entered its final 15 minutes, but then Peters swung over a curling cross from the left flank and Hurst, anticipating his clubmate's thinking, got in front of his marker to glance a near post header past the Argentine keeper. England won 1–0 and were in the semi finals.
Greaves was not fit for the game against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
so Hurst and Hunt continued up front, and England won 2–1 thanks to a brace from Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
, the second of which was set up by Hurst. As the final against the Germans approached, the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
learnt of Greaves' return to fitness and, while appreciating Hurst's contribution, started to call for the return of England's most prolific centre forward.
Ramsey, however, would not be swayed. Hurst had played well enough to keep his place and, with substitutes still disallowed in competitive football, Greaves' hopes of taking part in the final were dashed. Ramsey informed Greaves and Hurst of his decision the day before the game, and would be conclusively vindicated.
The World Cup Final
West Germany took the lead through Helmut HallerHelmut Haller
Helmut Haller is a former footballer who represented West Germany at three World Cups.A playmaker and striker who made his international debut at age 19 in 1958, he played at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England and the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, earning a total...
early on, but six minutes later Moore was fouled just inside the German half of the field. He quickly picked himself up and delivered the free kick to Hurst, totally unmarked in his run, as the Germans regrouped. The goalkeeper seemed frozen as the header thundered past him, levelling the match. In the second half, chances went begging for both sides before England won a corner on the right with a quarter of an hour left on the clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
. Alan Ball
Alan Ball (footballer)
Alan James Ball, Jr., MBE was a professional English footballer and football club manager.He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years...
took it, outswinging the ball to Hurst on the edge of the area. Hurst turned to shoot and the ball deflected high into the air, looping down on to the right boot of Peters, who smashed it home.
The Germans equalised with virtually the last kick of the game, forcing extra time. The subsequent 30 minutes would shape the rest of Hurst's life. In the first period, Ball flicked a pass inside to Hurst in the penalty box who struck a strong shot towards goal with his right foot, falling backwards as he did so. The ball beat the goalkeeper, hit the crossbar and bounced down before Wolfgang Weber
Wolfgang Weber
Wolfgang Weber was a footballer best remembered for scoring the last-minute equaliser for West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final....
, scorer of the Germans' second goal, headed it out for a corner. England's players claimed a goal; the Germans were just as adamant that the ball had not fully crossed the line. The referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
, unsure, decided to consult his linesman, Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov , commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani football referee notable for being the linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany...
, on the right flank, who had waved his flag to get the official's attention. The Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
linesman signalled that the ball had crossed the line, and the goal was given. The Germans were furious and protested with the linesman vociferously, but because the linesman spoke only Russian, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and Azeri, that was a pointless exercise. Ever since, football reporters and commentators on England games have called in jest for a "Russian linesman" (although actually Bakhramov was from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
) whenever there has been a contentious decision to make, especially when that decision has not gone England's way.
Advances in technology have never conclusively proved that the ball crossed the line; on the contrary, in 1995 the Sunday Times reported that image analysis by researchers at Oxford University had concluded that the whole of the ball did not cross the goal-line, and so a goal should not have been awarded (Computer blows whistle on England's 1966 World Cup win by Adam Jones and John Davison, 23 July 1995). Nevertheless, both Dienst and Bakhramov were insistent at the time and continued to justify their decisions in the decades to come, while Hurst never saw the ball bounce down because his momentum on shooting had taken him backwards on to the Wembley turf. However, he always believed the ball was in the net because of Hunt's reaction – the Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
striker was following in as the ball hit the bar and turned to celebrate a goal instead of trying to knock the rebound into the net. Hurst's argument was that a natural goalscorer such as Hunt would have put the ball into the net himself had he been in any doubt.
It looked like a 3–2 win for England with Hurst as the hero with the winning goal but in the last seconds, as the Germans were pushing everyone forward to seek the equalizer, Moore cleared his lines with a long ball over the German defence. While spectators ran on the field, Hurst ran on towards the goal, stating later that he aimed for the top left corner knowing that, should it miss, the resulting delay would eat away valuable seconds. As it happened, the left-footed shot was struck perfectly, completing a stunning victory and a hat-trick which remains unique to this day. The referee allowed the goal despite the spectators on the field, and there was no time for the Germans to restart the match.
Hurst still emerged the hero of the win but, as a result of the third goal, became an icon of world football too.
It is stated often that Hurst's hat-trick is technically a "perfect hat-trick", as he scored with his head, right foot and left foot. Others feel this is contentious, as he scored a disputed goal. It is not a "flawless hat-trick" as this has to be scored without the opposition scoring any goals between the first and third goals.
Last minute
The referee had put his whistleWhistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
to his lips as Moore shaped to play the final pass to Hurst. He didn't blow it, however, yet some supporters misheard, assumed the game was complete and started invading the pitch. As Hurst collected the pass, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...
immortalised his own contribution to the day with one of the most famous pieces of football commentary ever:
Hurst was immediately jumped on by Alan Ball, the only other player upfield at the time Moore played the pass. Meanwhile, camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s quickly snapped a bemused-looking Greaves in his suit and tie on the England bench, amazed at the achievements of the man who had replaced him. Greaves would later say it was an emotional reaction but he was just as thrilled for Hurst and England as the other squad players who had not been picked for the final.
After the match
It wasn't until the celebratory banquet that evening that Hurst realised he had scored a hat-trick, assuming that the final whistle had been blown before he'd struck the ball into the net for his third goal. This meant he had not attempted to get the match ball as a souvenir, which hat-trick scorers traditionally do. HallerHelmut Haller
Helmut Haller is a former footballer who represented West Germany at three World Cups.A playmaker and striker who made his international debut at age 19 in 1958, he played at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England and the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, earning a total...
, scorer of the Germans' first goal, acquired the ball and was seen holding it as he collected his runner's up medal. He returned it to England more than 30 years later.
The media were desperate to speak one-on-one with Hurst and they found him the day after the final, back home in London. As if to prove that life had to go on, Hurst was carrying out the mundane task of mowing his lawn when the journalists turned up.
Later international career
Hurst continued to play and score for England, and although he won no further honours with West Ham or England in the 1960s he still maintained his England place for much of the period; for the 2–3 seasons immediately after 1966 he was an internationally renowned striker and goalscorer.Hurst was named in the Ramsey squad which played in Mexico to defend the World Cup in 1970. He scored the only goal of England's opening game against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
as England progressed to the quarter finals, where once again they faced West Germany. Hurst played a part in a goal for Peters which put England 2–0 up, but the Germans forced their way back and won 3–2 after extra time.
In 1972, West Ham reached the semi final of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
when they played Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
over two legs. In the home leg for West Ham, they were awarded a penalty which Hurst took. His powerful shot into the top corner was saved by the Stoke goalkeeper and Hurst's international team-mate Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
, who succeeded in deflecting the ball over the bar. Stoke won the tie and ultimately the competition. Hurst left West Ham to join them later the same year for £
Pound (currency)
The pound is a unit of currency in some nations. The term originated in England as the value of a pound of silver.The word pound is the English translation of the Latin word libra, which was the unit of account of the Roman Empire...
80,000. He had played 502 games for West Ham, during which time he had scored 249 goals in all competitions.
His England career ended the same year with yet another game against West Germany, in the qualification stages for the 1972 European Championships, which England lost. He had won 49 caps and scored 24 goals, currently putting him 11th in the all-time England scorers' list.
Managerial career
Upon his retirement from playing, Hurst moved into management and coaching. He was assistant to his ex-West Ham boss Ron Greenwood after the latter took over the England job in 1977, player-manager of Telford UnitedTelford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
and manager of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
from 1979–81. He joined Chelsea, then in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, before the 1979–80
1979-80 in English football
The 1979–80 season was the 100th season of competitive football in England.- FA Cup :Second Division West Ham United, managed by John Lyall, won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1–0 with a Trevor Brooking goal...
season, initially as assistant manager to Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
. When Blanchflower was sacked, Hurst was appointed manager. Things initially went well, and for much of the season Chelsea were on course for promotion, but two wins from their final seven league games ensured the club finished 4th. The following season again began well, with the Blues among the early promotion pace-setters before a dismal run set in, with Chelsea scoring in just three of their final 22 league matches, culminating in Hurst being sacked on April 23, 1981 and Chelsea finished 12th in the league. It was a far cry from a decade earlier, when Chelsea had been European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
winners, although his cause was not helped by Chelsea's perilous financial situation.
Playing statistics
|-|1959–60
The Football League 1959-60
-Overview:The 1959–1960 season was the 61st completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||rowspan="13"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||rowspan="16"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||3||0||0||0||||
|-
|1960–61
The Football League 1960-61
-Overview:The 1960–1961 season was the 62nd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||6||0||||||||
|-
|1961–62
The Football League 1961-62
-Overview:The 1961–1962 season was the 63rd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||24||1||||||||
|-
|1962–63
The Football League 1962-63
-Overview:The 1962–1963 season was the 64th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||27||13||||||||
|-
|1963–64
The Football League 1963-64
-Overview:The 1963–1964 season was the 64th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||37||14||7||7||||
|-
|1964–65
The Football League 1964-65
-Overview:The 1964–1965 season was the 65th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||42||17||1||2||||
|-
|1965–66
The Football League 1965-66
-Overview:The 1965–1966 season was the 66th completed season of The Football League.This season is notable for Liverpool winning the title with only 14 squad players.-Final league tables :...
||39||23||4||4||||
|-
|1966–67
The Football League 1966-67
-Overview:The 1966–1967 season was the 67th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||41||29||||||||
|-
|1967–68
The Football League 1967-68
-Overview:The 1967–1968 season was the 68th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along...
||38||19||||||||
|-
|1968–69
The Football League 1968-69
-Overview:The 1968–1969 season was the 69th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
||42||25||||||||
|-
|1969–70
The Football League 1969-70
The 1969–1970 season was the 70th completed season of The Football League.Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland were both relegated.Huddersfield Town claimed...
||39||16||||||||
|-
|1970–71
The Football League 1970-71
-Overview:The 1970–1971 season was the 71st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool...
||39||15||||||||
|-
|1971–72
The Football League 1971-72
-Overview:The 1971–1972 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also...
||34||8||||||||
|-
|1972–73
The Football League 1972-73
-Overview:The 1972–1973 season was the 73rd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool cruised to another championship triumph in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Manchester...
||rowspan="3"|Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
||38||10||||||||
|-
|1973–74
The Football League 1973-74
-Overview:The 1973–1974 season was the 74th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with...
||35||12||||||||
|-
|1974–75
The Football League 1974-75
-Overview:The 1974–1975 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:David Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in...
||35||8||||||||
|-
|1975–76
The Football League 1975-76
-Overview:The 1975–1976 season was the 76th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in...
||West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||10||2||||||||
|-
|1976||Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
||NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
||24||9||||||||
529||212||||||||
24||9||||||||
553||221||12||13||565||234
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
 |
13 September 1979 | 23 April 1981 | 79 | 35 | 18 | 26 | 44.30 |
Legacy and post football career
England fans claim that the achievement of Hurst remains unique in global football, while others point out that he scored only one undisputed goal at full time, plus a controversial one in extra time.Since 1966, only three players have come close to emulating Hurst's hat-trick in a World Cup final. Mario Kempes
Mario Kempes
Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi is a retired Argentine footballer. His father, Mario, also a footballer, inspired him to play from a young age. At the age of 7, he began playing with a junior team and at 14, he joined La Cuarta de Talleres...
of Argentina in 1978, Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
for France in 1998 and Ronaldo for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in 2002 all scored two goals in World Cup finals but did not manage a third.
Hurst's contribution to the English game was recognised in 2004 when he was inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
. Hurst is also one of the few footballers who have been knighted, and this recognises his contribution to the game.
In popular culture, a shot bouncing off the crossbar and hitting the line is referred to as a "Geoff Hurst style shot" if no goal is given, or a "Geoff Hurst style goal". An example of that is David Trezeguet (of Juventus's) penalty against Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
when it went to penalties. As he shot, the ball smacked the bar, and in similar circumstances it was not clear if it crossed the line.
He is currently Director of Football for McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
fast food chain.
On April 1, 2010 Hurst took part in an April Fool with online betting company Blue Square. The company staged a mock up press conference to announce their continued sponsorship of the Football Conference in which a journalist asked Hurst if the second goal of his World Cup hat-trick crossed the line. For the purpose of the stunt Hurst acted out a confession that he'd known all along that the ball had not crossed the line. This was retracted later in the day.
Hurst was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
in November 2010.
A new statue of Geoff Hurst by Sculpture For Sport was unveiled outside local club Curzon Ashton in December 2010. He is shown alongside fellow 1966 squad member Jimmy Armfield
Jimmy Armfield
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...
and Simone Perrotta
Simone Perrotta
Simone Perrotta, Ufficiale OMRI is an English-born Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma...
, all World Cup medal winners born in the borough of Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
whose council commissioned the work.
Personal life
He now lives in WeybridgeWeybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, with his wife Judith. They have been married since October 1964, having met three years previously at a youth centre. They have three daughters; Claire (born 1966), Joanne (born 1969) and Charlotte (born 1977) and two grandchildren.
Honours
In 1975 Hurst was decorated with the MBE. In later years, Hurst became a successful businessman, working in the insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
industry. He also became much in demand as a pundit and a motivational speaker. In 1998 he was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
.
- World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 1966 - UEFA Euro/European Championships/ (Bronze-medal): 1968
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1965
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 19641964 FA Cup FinalThe 1964 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Preston North End at Wembley. West Ham won 3–2, with goals from John Sissons, Geoff Hurst and Ron Boyce... - International Soccer LeagueInternational Soccer League (1960-1965)The International Soccer League was a U.S. based soccer league which was formed in 1960 and collapsed in 1965. The league, affiliated with the American Soccer League, featured guest teams primarily from Europe and some from Asia, South America, Canada and Mexico.-History:In 1960, William Cox, a...
: 19631963 International Soccer League-League standings: GP W T L GF GA Pts Section I West Ham United 6 3 2 1 14 10 8 A.C. Mantova 6 3 1 2 15 10 7 Kilmarnock F.C...
External links
- Geoff Hurst Official iPhone App
- Geoff Hurst at CSA Celebrity Speakers
- The official website of Sir Geoff Hurst MBE
- Sir Geoff Hurst's Hat-Trick – for England against West Germany in the FIFA World Cup on 30 July 1966
- England-Expects.org – Comprehensive website detailing current and historical information about the England team
- English Football Hall of Fame Profile
- Geoff Hurst's cricket record from CricketArchive
- BBC radio interview with Geoff Hurst, 1997