Geoff Hurst

Geoff Hurst
Born	Geoffrey Charles Hurst (1941-12-08) December 8, 1941 Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
Other names	Sir Geoffrey Hurst
Occupation(s)	Professional footballer (retired), football manager
Years active	1958–1976 (player), 1979–1981 (manager Chelsea), other coaching roles
Known for	First player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final (1966)
Notable work	Scored winning hat-trick for England in 1966 FIFA World Cup final; FA Cup winner 1964; European Cup Winners' Cup winner 1965

Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst (born 8 December 1941) is a retired English professional footballer renowned for his role as a striker. He made history as the first player to achieve a hat-trick in a World Cup final, leading England to a 4–2 triumph over West Germany at Wembley Stadium in 1966. After the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton in October 2023, Hurst remains the sole surviving member of England's victorious 1966 squad.

Hurst launched his professional journey with West Ham United, where he netted 242 goals across 500 appearances for the first team. During his tenure, he secured the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. In 1972, he transferred to Stoke City for £80,000 and contributed to their Watney Cup victory in 1973. After three seasons, he wrapped up his Football League career at West Bromwich Albion in 1976. Subsequently, Hurst played abroad with Cork Celtic in Ireland and the Seattle Sounders in the United States before returning to England to manage non-league side Telford United. His coaching career also included roles within the England national setup and as manager of Chelsea from 1979 to 1981. Later, he coached Kuwait SC prior to dedicating himself to business pursuits.

On the international stage, Hurst scored 24 goals in 49 caps for England, participating in the 1966 World Cup, UEFA Euro 1968, and the 1970 World Cup tournaments. He also briefly pursued cricket, appearing once in first-class cricket for Essex in 1962 before committing fully to football.

Early life

Born on 8 December 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England, Hurst had two younger siblings named Diane and Robert. When he was six years old, his family relocated to Chelmsford, Essex. His father, Charlie Hurst, was a professional footballer who played for clubs including Bristol Rovers, Oldham Athletic, and Rochdale. His mother, Evelyn Hopkins, descended from a Gloucestershire family with German ancestry. From an early age, Hurst displayed a strong enthusiasm for football.

In addition to football, Hurst played one first-class cricket match for Essex against Lancashire in 1962 but ultimately focused on football after limited success on the cricket field. Between 1962 and 1964, he featured twenty-three times for Essex's Second XI, primarily fulfilling wicket-keeping duties.

Around age fourteen, under his father's management, Hurst made a single appearance for the reserves of Halstead Town.

West Ham United

At fifteen years old, Hurst joined West Ham United as an apprentice. He was part of the squad that reached the FA Youth Cup final in 1959 alongside Bobby Moore. After making his senior debut in December 1958, he signed professional terms four months later with a weekly wage of £7 plus a £20 signing bonus. Initially limited to sporadic appearances and witnessing Moore's faster progression, Hurst briefly contemplated concentrating on cricket.

The arrival of manager Ron Greenwood in April 1961 brought a shift towards skill-based training rather than pure fitness regimes. Although Hurst missed early preseason sessions due to cricket commitments, he made twenty-four appearances at left-half during the 1961–62 campaign and scored his inaugural club goal in December 1961. Greenwood transitioned him into a striker role by September 1962, where he formed an effective partnership with Johnny Byrne; that season Hurst tallied thirteen goals across twenty-seven First Division matches.

In the summer of 1963, West Ham undertook a tour of New York and competed in the International Soccer League, gaining valuable experience against elite international teams.

During the 1963–64 season, West Ham finished fourteenth in league standings but excelled in the FA Cup competition. Hurst contributed several goals leading up to the final where West Ham defeated Second Division side Preston North End by a score of 3–2; Hurst scored an important equalizer during that match. This victory earned them qualification for the following season’s European Cup Winners' Cup.

In European competition, West Ham advanced past K.A.A. Gent, AC Sparta Prague, FC Lausanne-Sport, and Real Zaragoza before reaching the final against TSV 1860 München held at Wembley Stadium. They secured their maiden European trophy with a 2–0 victory.

Following an outstanding personal season in 1965–66 where Hurst scored forty goals in fifty-nine appearances and achieved World Cup glory with England, Manchester United’s manager Matt Busby offered £200,000 for his transfer—an offer declined by Greenwood. That same year West Ham lost the League Cup final to West Bromwich Albion.

The inconsistent campaign of 1966–67 included memorable moments such as Hurst’s hat-trick against Leeds United but also featured an FA Cup exit at the hands of Third Division Swindon Town. Both Hurst and Greenwood emphasized entertaining attacking football rather than focusing solely on winning trophies.

On 19 October 1968, Hurst remarkably scored six goals during an emphatic 8–0 victory over Sunderland—a rare feat that was somewhat marred by controversy surrounding one goal involving handball.

In 1972 West Ham reached the League Cup semi-finals facing Stoke City. During the home leg, Hurst missed a penalty saved by Gordon Banks; Stoke ultimately won the replay preventing West Ham from advancing to another Wembley final appearance.

Stoke City

In August 1972, Hurst was transferred to Stoke City for a fee of £80,000. Early in 1973, after contracting pneumonia, he traveled to South Africa for recuperation and played on loan with Cape Town City. During his time at Stoke, he missed only four matches and played a significant role in helping the team retain its position in the First Division.

By January 1974, manager Tony Waddington entrusted Hurst with accommodating new recruit Alan Hudson, providing a stable environment for the promising midfielder. The club achieved a fifth-place finish in the 1973–74 campaign, marking the highest league placement of Hurst's career. In the following 1974–75 season, he netted 11 goals over 41 appearances, contributing to Stoke’s repeat fifth-place finish, narrowly trailing champions Derby County by four points.

West Bromwich Albion

During the summer of 1975, Hurst moved to West Bromwich Albion for £20,000. He featured in 12 matches and scored twice early in the 1975–76 season before opting to continue his career in the United States. At 34 years old, Hurst recognized that he was no longer suited to spearhead West Brom’s efforts to secure promotion from the Second Division.

Later career

Hurst briefly joined Cork Celtic in Ireland in January 1976. Later that year, he signed with the Seattle Sounders of the NASL, quickly establishing himself as a vital contributor. He finished as the Sounders’ second top scorer with eight goals and four assists across 23 regular-season matches, adding one goal during the playoffs and helping guide the team to its inaugural postseason berth.

1966 World Cup

Hurst earned his first cap for England against West Germany on 23 February 1966. Solid performances against Scotland and Yugoslavia secured his inclusion in the squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Nevertheless, lackluster displays in pre-tournament friendlies against Finland and Denmark resulted in Jimmy Greaves and Roger Hunt being chosen for the final warm-up match versus Poland. Greaves and Hunt started England’s group stage games against Uruguay, Mexico, and France, but following Greaves’ leg injury in the last group game, Hurst was brought into the lineup for the quarter-final clash with Argentina.

Although Argentina’s aggressive approach reduced them to ten men, the encounter remained tightly contested until Martin Peters delivered a cross that Hurst headed home, securing a 1–0 victory and England’s advancement to the semi-finals.

With Greaves still sidelined by injury, Hurst partnered Hunt up front against Portugal, aiding a 2–1 win highlighted by two goals from Bobby Charlton—one set up by Hurst himself. Ahead of the final versus Germany, media speculation suggested Greaves might return to the starting lineup; however, manager Alf Ramsey retained faith in Hurst and selected him to lead the attack in the crucial match.

World Cup Final

West Germany initially took the lead through Helmut Haller, but just six minutes afterward, Bobby Moore earned a free kick deep in the German half. He delivered the ball to Hurst, who headed it past goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski, leveling the score at 1–1.

With only 12 minutes left on the clock, an Alan Ball corner kick set up a shooting opportunity for Hurst. His attempt deflected off Wolfgang Weber and found Martin Peters, who scored to put England ahead. Germany managed to equalize late in the game through Weber, bringing the score to 2–2 by full-time.

Early in extra time, Ball provided a cross to Hurst, whose shot hit the crossbar and bounced down near the goal line. Referee Gottfried Dienst consulted with linesman Tofiq Bahramov, who confirmed that the ball had crossed the line, awarding the controversial so-called Wembley goal.

As Germany pushed forward in search of an equalizer, Bobby Moore took advantage of their advanced positioning and sent a long pass to Hurst, who scored once more to secure England’s 4–2 triumph. BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme famously remarked:

Hurst became the first player to achieve a hat-trick in a Men's World Cup final, a record that stood until 2022, when Kylian Mbappé netted three goals for France against Argentina. Importantly, Hurst remains unique as the only player to score a World Cup final hat-trick and emerge victorious.

Later international career

Hurst was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 1968 but did not feature in the semi-final defeat by Yugoslavia. He did, however, score during England’s 2–0 third-place win over the Soviet Union at the Stadio Olimpico.

On 12 March 1969, Hurst recorded his second international hat-trick in a commanding 5–0 victory against France. He was subsequently named in England’s squad for the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico. Hurst scored England’s sole goal in their opening match versus Romania. England progressed to the quarter-finals against West Germany, where Hurst assisted on Martin Peters' goal. Despite having a goal disallowed and nearly scoring with a header, England were defeated 3–2 after extra time.

During qualification for UEFA Euro 1972, Hurst found the net against both Greece and Switzerland. His final appearance for England came on 29 April 1972 in a 3–1 loss to West Germany; he was substituted with twenty minutes remaining and did not represent England again. Although selected for a subsequent match following injuries within the squad, he withdrew due to injury.

Managerial career

Upon concluding his playing days, Hurst shifted focus to coaching and management. He spent three years as player-manager at Telford United competing in the Southern League before joining Ron Greenwood's coaching team for the England squad in 1977. During his tenure, he supported Greenwood through UEFA Euro 1980 and the 1982 FIFA World Cup, with England exiting at the group phase in both tournaments.

Chelsea

Prior to the 1979–80 campaign, Hurst took on the role of assistant manager at Chelsea, then competing in the Second Division, working under Danny Blanchflower. Following Blanchflower’s dismissal, Hurst was promoted to manager and appointed Bobby Gould as his assistant. Chelsea remained contenders for promotion for much of that season but ultimately finished fourth, narrowly missing out due to goal difference. To raise funds, Hurst sold players including Eamonn Bannon, David Stride, and Trevor Aylott for a total of £250,000, reinvesting £300,000 on acquisitions such as Colin Lee, Dennis Rofe, and Colin Viljoen. In hindsight, he admitted that Viljoen was a poor acquisition and regretted Lee’s unfortunate injury issues.

The subsequent season began promisingly with Chelsea positioned among early promotion favorites; however, their form collapsed dramatically, securing only three wins in the last 23 league fixtures. This downturn led to Hurst’s dismissal as Chelsea ended the season in 12th place.

Kuwait SC

After his departure from Chelsea in April 1981, Hurst briefly entered the insurance sector before returning to football management in 1982 with Kuwait SC, signing a lucrative contract. His tenure included a controversial disciplinary action against club captain Saad Al-Houti, yet he was unable to overcome Dave Mackay’s Al-Arabi side’s dominance in the league. Hurst left Kuwait in April 1984 and resumed work within the insurance industry.

Legacy

In 2003, Hurst was immortalized in The Champions, a statue by sculptor Philip Jackson that honors the 1966 World Cup-winning team. Located near West Ham United’s former Boleyn Ground, the monument also features figures such as Martin Peters, Hurst himself, Bobby Moore, and Ray Wilson.

His significant contributions to English football were further acknowledged with his induction into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Additionally, Hurst is among a select group of footballers who have been knighted for their services to the sport.

In 2010, a statue commemorating Hurst was unveiled outside the ground of Curzon Ashton F.C., alongside other World Cup winners from the region including 1966 squad member Jimmy Armfield and 2006 Italian champion Simone Perrotta.

West Ham honored Hurst again in 2021 by unveiling a statue at the London Stadium featuring him alongside Bobby Moore and Martin Peters, celebrating their contribution to West Ham's triumph in the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Following the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton in October 2023, Hurst remains the sole surviving English player from the 1966 World Cup Final.

Personal life

By 2021, Hurst resided in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, alongside his wife Judith, whom he wed on 13 October 1964 after meeting her three years prior; Eddie Presland served as best man at their wedding. The couple had three daughters, with their eldest, Claire, succumbing in 2010 after a ten-year struggle with a brain tumour. Hurst had a brother named Robert, who tragically died by suicide in 1974.

In November 2020, Hurst committed to donating his brain to support dementia research, inspired by the passing of several teammates from the 1966 World Cup squad—including Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Ray Wilson, and Nobby Stiles—all of whom suffered from the condition.

While playing for Stoke City F.C., Hurst was the proprietor of the Royal Oak Inn located in Eccleshall.

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
West Ham United	1959–60	First Division	3	0	0	0	0	0	—		3	0
	1960–61	First Division	6	0	0	0	0	0	—		6	0
	1961–62	First Division	24	1	1	0	2	0	—		27	1
	1962–63	First Division	27	13	0	0	2	2	—		29	15
	1963–64	First Division	37	14	7	7	6	5	—		50	26
	1964–65	First Division	42	17	1	2	1	0	10	1	54	20
	1965–66	First Division	39	23	4	4	10	11	6	2	59	40
	1966–67	First Division	41	29	2	3	6	9	—	49	41
	1967–68	First Division	38	19	3	1	3	5	—	44	25
	1968–69	First Division	42	25	3	2	3	4	—	48	31
	1969–70	First Division	39	16	1	0	2	2	—	42	18
	1970–71	First Division	39	15	0	0	2	0	—	41	15
	1971–72	First Division	34	8	4	4	10	4	—	48	16
	Total		411	180	26	23	47	42	16	3	500	248
Stoke City	"First Division"|"0"|"0"|"1"|"0"|"0"|"0"|"0"|"0"|"1"|"0"
	"First Division"|"38"|"10"|"0"|"0"|"3"|"2"|"2"|"1"|"43"|"13"
	"First Division"|"35"|"12"|"1"|"0"|"4"|"1"|"5"|"2"|"45"|"15"
	"First Division"|"35"|"8"|"1"|"0"|"4"|"3"|"1"|"0"|"38"|"8"
	Total !108 !30 !3 !0 !11 !6 !8 !3 !130 !39
Cape Town City (loan) | 1972–73 | NFL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 5
West Bromwich Albion | Second Division | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 2
Cork Celtic | 1975–76 League of Ireland | League of Ireland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 3
Seattle Sounders | 1976 North American Soccer League season | NASL | 23 | 8 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 8
Career total !561 !228 !29 !23 !60 !48 !24 !6 !674 !299

International

National team appearances and goals by year

National team	Year	Appearances	Goals
England	1966	11	7
	1967	6	2
	1968	6	2
	1969	8	7
	1970	11	3
	1971	6	3
	1972	1	0
Overall total		49	24

The score column displays England's tally first; the score shown reflects the state of the match immediately after each goal by Hurst.

Catalogue of international goals by Geoff Hurst

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score after goal	Final result	Competition
1	2 April 1966	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Template:Fb	1–0	4–3	1965–66 British Home Championship
2	23 July 1966	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1966 FIFA World Cup
3	30 July 1966	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	1–1	4–2 (a.e.t)	1966 FIFA World Cup Final
4				3–2
5				4–2
6	16 November 1966	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	1–0	5–1	1966–67 British Home Championship
7				2–0
8	15 April 1967	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	2–3	2–3	1966–67 British Home Championship
9	22 November 1967	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	1–0	2–0	1967–68 British Home Championship
10	8 June 1968	Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy	Template:Fb	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1968
11	11 December 1968	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	Friendly
12-14	12 March 1969	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	2–0, 3–0, 5–0	5–0	Friendly
15				3 May 1969			Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Template:Fb	3–1	3–1	1968–69 British Home Championship
16-17				10 May 1969			Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	2–0,3–1	4–1	1968–69 British Home Championship
18	8 June 1969	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Template:Fb		2–1	2–1			Friendly
19	25 February 1970	Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Template:Fb	2–0	3–1	Friendly
20	21 April 1970	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Template:Fb	2–1	3–1	1969–70 British Home Championship
21	2 June 1970	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1970 FIFA World Cup
22-24	21 April – 1 December 1971 (various venues)	Various European venues (London, Basel, Athens)	Various opponents (GRE, SUI)	Multiple match-winning goals	Various victories (UEFA Euro qualifiers)	UEFA Euro 1972 qualification

Managerial statistics

Overview of managerial performance by club and period

Club	Start date	End date	Performance record
			P	W	D	L	Win %
Chelsea	13 September 1979	23 April 1981
Overall total

Honours

West Ham United

• FA Cup champion: 1963–64 season
• FA Community Shield: 1964 (shared title)
• European Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1964–65 campaign
• Football League Cup finalist: 1965–66 season

England National Team

• FIFA World Cup champion: 1966 tournament
• UEFA European Championship Third place: 1968

Personal Achievements

• Hammer of the Year: awarded in 1965–66, 1966–67, and 1968–69 seasons
• Top scorer in the EFL Cup during the 1963–64, 1965–66, and 1966–67 seasons
• Ballon d'Or nominations received in 1966, 1967, and 1970
• Named in the World Soccer World XI for three consecutive years: 1967, 1968, and 1969
• Included in the UEFA European Football Championship Teams of the Tournament in 1968
• Recipient of the Rothmans Golden Boots Awards in 1970
• Recognized among the Football League 100 Legends in 1998
• Honored with the FWA Tribute Award in 1998
• Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004

Honours and Titles

• Appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1979
• Bestowed the title of Knight Bachelor in 1998

References

General

Specific

External links

• Official website of Sir Geoff Hurst MBE geoffhurst.com
• Geoff Hurst at CSA Celebrity Speakers