Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst, MBE (born December 8, 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire) is a footballer enshrined in the game's 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 Germany at 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. Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In sports, a hat-trick (more often rendered in North America as hat trick, without the hyphen) is associated with achieving something in a group of three. ... The FIFA World Cup Trophy, which has been awarded to the world champions since 1974. ... 1966 was the year that the Football World Cup went back to the country that first conceived football: England. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... Wembley Stadium is a football stadium located in Wembley, London. ...

Early career

Hurst was born in the Lake Hospital Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire but moved with his family to Essex at the age of five. The son of a lower-division footballer, Hurst's own footballing career began when he was an apprentice with West Ham United.Before he played for West Ham United he played for the mighty Tandridge League team, Chipstead. Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... West Ham United F.C. are a football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London and play their home matches at The Boleyn Ground. ... West Ham United F.C. are a football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London and play their home matches at The Boleyn Ground. ...

Hurst was initially a strong-running midfielder but was converted to a centre forward by manager Ron Greenwood. West Ham won the FA Cup in 1964 with Hurst scoring the second equaliser in a tight and exciting 3-2 victory 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. Ron Greenwood CBE (November 11, 1921 — February 8, 2006) was an English football player and manager, best known for being manager of the English national football team from 1977 until 1982. ... Note: for the full results of all FA Cup finals, see FA Cup Final The FA Cup - this is the fourth trophy, in use since 1992, and identical in design to the third trophy introduced in 1911. ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic cup competitions. ... (Redirected from 1860 Munich) TSV 1860 München, also known as Löwen (The Lions), is a German sports club in Munich with over 23,000 members, first created July 15, 1848. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... Look up Aggregate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... West Bromwich Albion Football Club is an English football club that was formed in 1878 by workers from Salters Spring Works in West Bromwich (then in Staffordshire, now part of the West Midlands). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

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 several more times in the Essex Second XI in 1963 and 1964, before concentrating entirely on football. First-class cricket matches are those between international teams or the highest standard of domestic teams in which teams have two innings each. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at the County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford, though with smaller grounds elsewhere. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is an English first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester. ... Aigburth (pronounced egg-birth) is a suburb of Liverpool, England. ... Not out is a term used on cricket scorecards to signify that a batsman has not been dismissed when the innings is finished. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ... Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. ...

1966 World Cup campaign

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 Greaves 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. James Peter Jimmy Greaves (born 20 February 1940) is an English former football player, and more recently a television pundit. ... Roger Hunt MBE (born Golborne, Lancashire 20th July 1938) was a footballer whose predatory instincts made him one of the English games most feared and respected strikers. ... Robert Frederick Chelsea Bobby Moore, OBE (April 12, 1941 - February 24, 1993) was an English footballer and captain of West Ham and the English 1966 World Cup-winning team. ... Martin Stanford Peters MBE, (born Plaistow, London, November 8, 1943) was a football player and hero of the victorious England team which won the 1966 World Cup. ...

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. Sir Robert Bobby Charlton, CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. ...

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. A substitute is a player in football who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. ...

The World Cup Final

West Germany took the lead through Helmut Haller 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. Helmut Haller (born July 21, 1939 in Augsburg, Germany) was a footballer who represented proud West Germany at three World Cups. ... A clock (from the Latin cloca, bell) is an instrument for measuring time. ... Alan James Ball, MBE (born May 12th 1945 in Farnworth, Lancashire) is an English former professional footballer and football club manager. ...

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 who struck a strong shot towards goal, 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 wanted 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 linesman, from Azerbaijan, signalled that the ball had crossed the line and the goal was given. The Germans were furious and protested with the linesman vociferously, though as the linesman only spoke Russian and Turkish, that was a pointless exercise. Ever since, football reporters and commentators on England games have called in jest for a "Russian linesman" (Azerbaijan was part of the USSR at the time therefore all states under Moscow direction were often incorrectly referred to as "Russian") whenever there has been a contentious decision to make, especially when that decision has not gone England's way. Wolfgang Weber (born June 26, 1944) was a footballer best remembered for scoring the last-minute equaliser for West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. ... Gottfried Dienst (1920 - 1 June 1998 in Basel) was a Swiss football referee. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ...

The debate on Hurst's second goal will last forever. Advances in technology have never conclusively proved that the ball crossed the line^{[dubious — see talk page]}, and generally support the opposite view, but Bakrahmov was insistent at the time and continued to justify his decision in decades to come until his death. For his part, 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. Liverpool Football Club are a football club based in Liverpool, in the north west of England. ...

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, which should have made the referee to interrupt the game, Hurst ran on towards the goal, stating later that he intended just to blast it as far away as he could to eat away valuable seconds. He did rather better than that - the shot flew into the net at the near post, 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 ^{[citation needed]} 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. Yet others point put that a "perfect hat-trick" has to be scored within one half, but in 120 minutes he scored only one undisputed goal, as two of his goals came under controversial circumstances, with his second goal having been proven as none since.

Last minute

The referee had put his whistle 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 the most famous piece of football commentary ever: A whistle is a one-note woodwind instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, invariably known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of £4 billion. ... Kenneth Wolstenholme, DFC (born Worsley, Lancashire,. July 17, 1920; died March 25, 2002) was the original football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, responsible for the games most famous commentary phrase. ...

"And here comes Hurst, he's got... (notices invaders) ...some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over! (Hurst shoots and scores) It is now! "

Hurst was immediately jumped upon by Alan Ball, the only other player upfield at the time Moore played the pass. Meanwhile, cameras 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. A camera is a device used to capture images, usually photographs, either singly or in sequence such as with video cameras. ...

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. Haller, scorer of the Germans' first goal, acquired the ball and was seen holding it as he collected his losers' medal. He returned it to England more than 30 years later. State Banquet. ... A souvenir stall in London, England A souvenir (from French, for memory) is an object that is treasured for the memories associated with it. ...

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. London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

Continuing international career

Hurst continued to play and score for England but at the age of 24, his career had obviously peaked. Nothing in football could ever surpass winning the World Cup and scoring a hat-trick in the final. He won no more honours with West Ham in the 1960s but maintained his England place for much of the period, and was still an internationally-feared goalscorer by the time he was named in Ramsey's squad which would go to Mexico and defend the World Cup in 1970.

Hurst scored the only goal of England's opening game against Romania as England progressed through to the quarter finals, where once again they would face West Germany. Hurst played a part in a goal for Peters which put England 2-0 up, but the Germans forced their way back in 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. He blasted the ball with some power for the top corner, but Stoke goalkeeper and Hurst's international team-mate Gordon Banks somehow fingertipped the ball over the bar. Stoke won the tie and ultimately the competition, and Hurst left West Ham to join them later the same year for £75,000. He had played one game short of 500 for West Ham, scoring 252 goals. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... Stoke City Football Club (known as Stoke Football Club until 1925) is a football club from Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Gordon Banks OBE (born December 30, 1937) is a former English footballer, elected in a poll by the IFFHS as the second best goalkeeper of the 20th Century. ... For the network protocol, see finger protocol. ... The pound, a unit of currency, originated (at least in Britain) as the value of a pound mass of silver. ...

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. The 1972 European Football Championship (Euro 72) final tournament was held in Belgium. ...

His final years as a player

Hurst wound down his career with Stoke City and also West Bromwich Albion. Stoke City F.C. (known as Stoke F.C. until 1925) is a football club from Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... West Bromwich Albion Football Club is an English football club that was formed in 1878 by workers from Salters Spring Works in West Bromwich (then in Staffordshire, now part of the West Midlands). ...

In 1976 Geoff signed for the Seattle Sounders of the NASL. Unlike many players who came over to the NASL from Europe to end their careers, Hurst rapidly proved his worth, and became a valuable member of the Sounder's 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. The Seattle Sounders are a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. ... NASL logo North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional American soccer league that operated from 1968 to 1984. ...

After Seattle, Hurst played a bit more (in Kuwait and with Cork Celtic) and then dabbled in managing. He was briefly Player/Manager for Telford United, served as assistant coach for England from 1977-1982, and managed Chelsea for two years after that. Club: Cork Celtic Cork Celtic F.C.. Years: 1951 - 1979 (1951 - 1959 as Evergreen United) City: Cork City Honours: League Championship 1973. ... Telford United F.C. were an English football team based in Telford, Shropshire. ...

In 1975 Geoff was decorated with the MBE. He also played first-class county cricket for Essex, one of the last sportsmen to play both football and cricket at the top level, something that was decades earlier not particularly rare (if uncommon). As mentioned earlier, he tried his hand unsuccessfully as a manager, initially at Telford United and most notably with Chelsea. He was also an assistant to his ex-West Ham boss Ron Greenwood after he took over the England job in 1977. Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at the County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford, though with smaller grounds elsewhere. ... Telford United F.C. were an English football team based in Telford, Shropshire. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously as The Pensioners), founded in 1905, are an English Premier League football team. ...

In later years, Hurst became a successful businessman, working in the insurance industry. He also became much in demand as a pundit and a motivational speaker. In 1998 he was knighted. He is currently Director of Football for McDonald's fast food chain. Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of catastrophic financial loss. ... The dignity of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. ... McDonalds in Times Square, New York McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest fast food chain, selling primarily hamburgers, chicken, french fries and carbonated drinks, and more recently salads, fruit and carrot sticks. ...

In perspective

English fans claim that the name and achievement of Geoff Hurst remains unique in global football, while others point out that he scored only one undisputed goal in regular time, plus two controversial ones in extra time.

Since 1966, only three players have come close to emulating Hurst's hat-trick exploits in a World Cup final. Mario Kempes of Argentina in 1978, Zinedine Zidane for France in 1998 and Ronaldo for Brazil in 2002 have all scored two goals in World Cup finals but not managed a third. On the other hand, Zidane and Ronaldo had decided their games in regular time and thus no extra time to score, while the 1978 final also lasted 120 minutes, with Kempes scoring one of his goals in extra time. Mario Alberto Kempes (born July 15, 1954 in Belville, Córdoba) is an Argentine former football striker. ... Qualifying countries The 1978 Football World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and 25, 1978. ... Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born 23 June 1972 in Marseille, France), popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a former French football player of Kabyle ethnicity, whose parents immigrated to France from Kabylie, Algeria. ... The 1998 Football World Cup was held in France, by the FIFA decision in July 1992 beating a bid by Morocco to host the event. ... Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (b. ... Qualifying countries The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. ...

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 football knights and this highlights his contribution to the game. The Hall of Fame is housed at The National Football Museum in Preston, England. ...

External links

• Sir Geoff Hurst's Hat-Trick - for England against West Germany in the FIFA World Cup on 30 July 1966
• Sir Geoff Hurst and other 1966 Legends available for After-Dinner Speaking and Appearances
• Cricinfo
• Cricket Archive
• England-Expects.org - Comprehensive website detailing current and historical information about the England team
• English Football Hall of Fame Profile
• Sir Geoff Hurst MBE and other 1966 Legends available for Speaking Engagements and Personal Appearances