Sir Geoff Hurst: England’s 1966 World Cup hero still can’t believe he got picked for the final and says the ball definitely did cross the line
Only man to score a World Cup final hat-trick on his journey from West Ham's reserve to national hero in 1966
IT remains England's finest moment in international football.
When the Three Lions lifted the 1966 World Cup trophy, one name was on the lips of the English public.
Sir Geoff Hurst, as he is now known, had become an overnight hero - netting a hat-trick to defeat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in a pulsating final.
But if it wasn't for an injury to Jimmy Greaves, likelihood is Hurst wouldn't have been in the starting line-up.
Struggling for form as a midfield player, he couldn't get a game for his club side West Ham two years before his moment of glory.
However, his luck was about to change.
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In an interview for the book GOAL!, Hurst recalled his shock at being called up for the squad by Alf Ramsey.
It was only an injury to Jimmy Greaves against France that meant Sir Geoff could make his debut against Argentina in the quarter-final.
Hurst said: "Two years before I was a struggling midfield player who could hardly get a game for West Ham.
"Fans used to write to me asking me to get Bobby Moore’s autograph for them.
“I was on the bench for the Uruguay game. It was disappointing we didn’t win but I remember just being glad to be there.
"I hadn’t deserved to start because I hadn’t played so well in a couple of games.
“Jimmy damaged his shin in the France game. He wasn’t just world-class, he was one in a whole generation. I was lucky.
“That’s how I made my debut in the quarter-final against Argentina."
'He mishit it and it went in the top corner'
PHOTO-JOURNALIST Michael Donald curated a book called GOAL!, interviewing all the men, still alive, who have scored in a World Cup final.
He sat down with Sir Geoff Hurst, who relived his iconic 1966 World Cup moment.
"For me, Geoff epitomises more than the others how the game has changed," Michael said.
"Geoff assumed that the day before the World Cup final, Jimmy Greaves would've been fit and would've started instead.
"So, he went out to the cinema in North London the night before with a group of his teammates. That would never happen today.
"With the famous fourth goal, his thinking was he'd just hit it as hard as he could and it would go into the crowd.
";Instead, he mishit it and it went in the top corner."
Hurst revealed how he learned he was going to start in the final before heading off to the cinema with the rest of squad.
But he was banished from telling anyone.
“The night before the final we all went to the cinema. Alf told each player individually whether they were playing or not.
"I still wasn’t sure about me, but he took me aside - I honestly can’t remember where exactly - and told me I was playing.
"He said, ‘You’re playing tomorrow. Don’t tell anybody."
Talking about the opening England goal, Hurst recalled it was just like something he'd done in training for the Hammers.
“Our first goal was like something from the training ground. At West Ham we were conditioned to take throw-ins, corner kicks and free kicks very quickly.
“It’s very satisfying taking something from the training ground to the World Cup Final.
Two years before I was a struggling midfield player who could hardly get a game for West Ham. Fans used to write to me asking me to get Bobby Moore’s autograph for them.
Sir Geoff Hurst, GOAL!
"Bobby won the free kick. You can see him looking up. He takes it very quickly.
"I’d already flattened the goalkeeper earlier on so he wasn’t going to come out and get involved.
"You could get away with a bit more then, so Hans Tilkowski was still on his line, and I scored the goal."
Arguably, the most famous World Cup goal is the one in the 1966 World Cup final that prompted the question, 'Did it cross the line?'
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Hurst's extra-time shot cannoned off the underside of the bar and down onto the turf.
The striker is adamant it was in.
“I though the disputed goal for me technically was a good goal. I’ve always believed it was in.
"It was a very difficult cross from Alan Ball. I had to take a couple of touches to get it back on line and hit it on the half-turn."
In the final moments of extra time, Hurst burst onto a long ball from the Moore before striking an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
However, he admitted hitting the back of the net was the last thing on his mind. He just thought that if it went over or wide, that would waste more time.
“Another great thing about Bobby was the ability to hit the ball from defence to attack.
"As I’m going to the edge of the box, I’m thinkin ‘I’m going to hit this now with my left foot.
"The game’s nearly finished and, if it goes beyond the goal into the crowd, by the time the ball-boy gets it to Tilkowski the German keeper, the game’s got to be over.
“The next morning, I picked up the national newspaper, front page of a national newspaper, and it said: ‘England Win World Cup - See back page.’ Astounding.”
© Michael Donald 2017
GOAL! by Michael Donald is published by Hamlyn, £20 (