I'm looking to find out as much as I can on Geoff Hurst, who scored for England during the '66 World Cup final. Start with what team(s) did he play for? I can use their websites as sources as well. I've got an autorgraphed picture of him that we are going to present to the trainer of my son's football team. I'm going to have each of the boys ask him a trivia question that will lead to his knowing the identity of the player. Any ideas or trivia will help. Thanks in advance!!
He played for West Ham. Only man to score a Hat-trick in a World cup final. Thats all I can tell you.
Born in Ashton-Under-Lyne, 8 December, 1941, He played for Stoke City (01-08-1972 to 31-05-1975) after leaving West Ham (01-08-1959 to 31-05-1972) Joining then WBA (01-08-1975 to 31-05-1976) before leaving football. Had a short stint as Chelsea'a Manager (13-09-1979 to 30-04-1981) with Bobby Gould as his assisant. (he was crap but bobby was a laff) He owns a pub in Putney (The Regal Arms) though he is never there (cept when it suits him)
Geoff Hurst Geoff Hurst stands unique as the only man to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. He was born in Ashton-under-lyne, Lancashire, in 1941 and turned professional with West Ham United. Between 1959 and 1972 he made over 400 league appearances and scored 180 goals, helping the Hammers win the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winner's cup the following year. Both matches were at Wembley and Hurst made it a remarkable hat-trick in 1966, when England lifted the Jules Rimet trophy. His second goal in that final was one of the most controversial in World Cup history when his shot hit the crossbar and bounced over the line(?). Hurst had made his debut, against West Germany, only five months before the World Cup and it was an injury to Jimmy Greaves that saw him into the side in the finals, where he scored the winner against Argentina in the quarter final. He also appeared in the 1970 World Cup and in 1972 he moved to Stoke City before finishing his career at West Bromwich Albion. Hurst won 49 caps and scored 24 goals for England. He managed Chelsea and Telford United and assisted Ron Greenwood with the national squad. His appearance for Essex against Lancashire means that he is the only first-class cricketer to have won a World Cup winner's medal at soccer. planetworldcup.com
Geoff Hurst only played in the WC Final because Jimmy Greaves had jaundice. Had Jimmy Greaves played, he'd have scored 6. 7-2 to England.
On an obscure point, I think Hurst had a very short lived career as a professional cricketer (bowler) for Essex, in the days when it wasn't uncommon for footballers to do that (mid/late 60s).
Oh, I see that matthewowen got there ahead of me. It will teach me to read all the posts in a thread before jumping in!
Actually, he didn't leave football after the WBA. He played the 1976 season in the NASL for the Seattle Sounders. Of course, you may have not considered that football...
He was knighted by the queen 3 years ago for his services to football, which don't equate to mcuh other than a hatrick in the world cup finals. He is the only player to score a hatrick in the actual finals He played for West Ham for almost all of his career other than a short stint in America He insists on people calling him "sir geoff" which goes to show what a real dick head he is, even bobby charlton englands highest ever scorer doesn't make his friends call him sir bobby. HE IS A REAL PRICK
Forgot to mention, Sir Alf Ramsay kept faith with him after Greaves had recovered from injury. Hurst was never half the player Greaves was so to say Hurst holds a unique place in english football history is true, but anyone who knows anything about English football will know he was average compared to a genius like Jimmy Greaves. And he really is an almighty tosser, met him a few times and couldn't stand the twat.
I quite considered that football back then. When it's all you've got, it's all you've got. I was even a Cosmos season ticket holder!!
Good man. When it was all you could do, you did it. On the subject of people slagging Geoff Hurst - be fair, it's not as if Greavsie was white as the driven snow either.