1966 World Cup England Wembley winner Sir Geoff Hurst coming to King's Lynn Alive Corn Exchange

Published: 06:09, 10 February 2023

See a World Cup winner this weekend: An Evening with Sir Geoff Hurst is on Sunday at the Lynn Alive Corn Exchange at 7.30pm, writes Peter Woodhouse.

One of only two scorers of a hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final, Sir Geoff made his name with club side West Ham United, with whom he made 499 league and cup appearances, scoring 248 goals.

He was Player of the Year three times and won the FA Cup with West Ham in 1964 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.

Sir Geoff Hurst. Photo: www.christianlawson.co.uk

However, it was playing in the national side that launched him as a world football icon – not only as being part of the team that won (unlike France’s losing finalist Kylian Mbappé during the winter!) the World Cup in 1966 but also scoring a hat-trick in that final for England.

Asked what it felt like, he said: “It’s hard to put the feeling into words especially in my case because I only made my debut in 1966 so it was all potentially overwhelming. I was young but I enjoyed it all.”

Hence Kenneth Wolstenholme’s words “They think it’s all over — it is now” for England’s fourth goal.

World Cup Final, 1966, Wembley, England, 30th July, 1966 England 4 v West Germany 2, England captain Bobby Moore holds aloft the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy as he sits on the shoulders of his teammates, from left to right: Jack Charlton, Nobby Stiles, Gordon Banks (behind), Alan Ball, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson, George Cohen and Bobby Charlton, after the match. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images).

In 1998 the BBC announced that clip has been the most shown sporting piece of footage on television.

Tickets cost £31.50/VIP £67. To book, go to https://www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk/theatre/whats-on/event/an-evening-with-sir-geoff-hurst/

Football Stage What's On News Pete Woodhouse