Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst — known to one and all as Geoff Hurst — is still the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. He did it at Wembley Stadium in 1966 when England beat West Germany 4 – 2.
The 6-foot West Ham striker was born at Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, in December of 1941. He was only six years old when the family moved down to Chelmsford in Essex. His father, Charlie, was a professional footballer who played at centre-half for Bristol Rovers, Oldham Athletic and Rochdale.
Geoff would go on to score a total of 24 goals in his 49 appearances in an England shirt.
As well as for his World Cup Final heroics, he will also always be associated with West Ham. He was apprenticed to them at the age of 15, and eventually scored 242 goals for the club in his 500 first team appearances. With them he won the FA Cup in 1964, and the European Cup Winners Cup the following year.
After being sold to Stoke City for £80,000 in 1972, he spent three seasons with that club before finishing his Football League career with West Bromwich in 1976. But that wasn’t the end of his overall footballing career — he played in Ireland with Cork Celtic, and in the USA with Seattle Sounders.
Then it was back to the UK to manage non-league Telford United, and a 2-year stint as Chelsea manager from 1979 to 1981.
I met him and Bobby Moore on the same night-time occasion. To me they were like chalk and cheese. Bobby was cheerful, enthusiastic, and warm. Almost immediately I went to work with and for him at his soccer camps, and he became a good friend.
I found Geoff Hurst a very different character — rather offhand, almost to the point of rudeness, giving the impression of conceitedness. Maybe it had something to do with what side of the bed he got out of that morning.
After the accompanying photograph was taken, he asked me, “How much are you going to sell it for now?”
As I said, chalk and cheese.
