Geoff Hurst facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir
Geoff Hurst
MBE

Hurst signing autographs outside Upton Park in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Geoffrey Charles Hurst
Date of birth	(1941-12-08) 8 December 1941 (age 83)
Place of birth	Ashton-under-Lyne, England
Height	5 ft 11.5 in (1.82 m)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1957–1959	West Ham United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1958–1972	West Ham United	411	(180)
1972–1975	Stoke City	108	(30)
1973	→ Cape Town City (loan)	6	(5)
1975–1976	West Bromwich Albion	10	(2)
1976	Cork Celtic	3	(3)
1976	Seattle Sounders	23	(8)
1976–1979	Telford United
Total		561	(228)
National team
1959	England youth	6	(0)
1963–1964	England U23	4	(1)
1966–1972	England	49	(24)
1966–1972	The Football League XI	7	(4)
Teams managed
1976–1979	Telford United
1979–1981	Chelsea
1982–1984	Kuwait SC
Honours Men's football Representing  England FIFA World Cup Winner 1966 England UEFA European Championship Third 1968 Italy
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst (born 8 December 1941) is a famous English former footballer. He played as a striker. He is best known for being the first player ever to score three goals (a hat-trick) in a World Cup final. This happened when England beat West Germany 4–2 at Wembley in the 1966 World Cup final. After Sir Bobby Charlton passed away in October 2023, Sir Geoff Hurst became the last living player from that amazing 1966 winning team.

Hurst started his career at West Ham United. He scored 242 goals in 500 games for them. While at West Ham, he won the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. In 1972, he moved to Stoke City. He played there for three seasons and won the Watney Cup in 1973. He then played briefly for West Bromwich Albion before playing in Ireland and the United States. He later returned to England to manage Telford United. He also coached for the England team and managed Chelsea from 1979 to 1981.

Overall, Hurst scored 24 goals in 49 games for England. Besides winning the 1966 World Cup, he also played in UEFA Euro 1968 and the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Before focusing on football, he even played one first-class cricket match for Essex in 1962.

Early Life and Other Sports

Geoff Hurst was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, England, on 8 December 1941. When he was six, his family moved to Chelmsford, Essex. His father, Charlie Hurst, was also a professional footballer. Geoff loved football from a young age.

Before becoming a full-time footballer, Hurst played one first-class cricket match for Essex in 1962. It wasn't a very successful game for him, as he scored zero runs in both chances to bat. However, he played many times for the Essex Second team as a wicket-keeper before choosing to focus only on football.

Club Football Career

West Ham United Years

Hurst began his football journey as a young player at West Ham United when he was 15. He played in youth teams alongside future England captain Bobby Moore. He made his first team debut in December 1958. Four months later, he became a professional player.

At first, Hurst played as a midfielder. But in September 1962, his manager, Ron Greenwood, decided to try him as a striker. This was a great move! Hurst quickly became a top scorer. He formed a strong partnership with Johnny Byrne.

In the 1963–64 season, West Ham had a great run in the FA Cup. Hurst scored important goals, helping his team reach the final. They faced Preston North End at Wembley. West Ham won the match 3–2, with Hurst scoring one of their goals.

Winning the FA Cup meant West Ham could play in the European Cup Winners' Cup in the 1964–65 season. They played against teams from different countries. West Ham made it to the final, where they beat TSV 1860 München 2–0. This was West Ham's first European trophy.

In the 1965–66 season, Hurst scored an amazing 40 goals in 59 games. After his success with England in the World Cup, Manchester United tried to buy him for a lot of money, but West Ham refused.

On 19 October 1968, Hurst scored six goals in one game against Sunderland. West Ham won that match 8–0. This was a very rare and impressive achievement.

Stoke City and Later Clubs

In August 1972, Hurst moved to Stoke City. He played there for three seasons. During his time at Stoke, he helped them win the Watney Cup in 1973. Stoke also finished fifth in the league in the 1973–74 season, which was a great result.

After Stoke, Hurst played briefly for West Bromwich Albion in 1975. He then played for Cork Celtic in Ireland. In 1976, he moved to the United States to play for the Seattle Sounders in the NASL. He was a key player for them, helping them reach the play-offs for the first time.

International Football Career

The 1966 World Cup

Geoff Hurst played his first game for the senior England team against West Germany in February 1966. He played well and earned a spot in the squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Initially, Jimmy Greaves was the main striker. But in a group game, Greaves got injured. This opened the door for Hurst to play in the quarter-final against Argentina. Hurst scored the only goal in that game, a header, helping England win 1–0.

Greaves was still injured for the semi-final against Portugal. Hurst continued to play up front, and England won 2–1. As the final against West Germany approached, many wondered if Greaves would return. But England manager Alf Ramsey chose Hurst to start the final.

World Cup Final Goals

The final was a thrilling match. West Germany scored first, but six minutes later, Bobby Moore passed to Hurst, who headed the ball into the net to make it 1–1.

Later in the game, Martin Peters scored to give England a 2–1 lead. But West Germany scored a very late goal, making it 2–2 at the end of normal time. The game went into extra time.

In extra time, Alan Ball crossed the ball to Hurst. Hurst shot powerfully, and the ball hit the crossbar, bounced down, and then was cleared away. The English players thought it was a goal, but the Germans disagreed. The referee consulted his linesman, who said the ball had crossed the line. This goal, known as the Wembley Goal, was given, putting England 3–2 up.

As the game was ending, West Germany pushed forward. Bobby Moore sent a long pass to Hurst. Hurst ran with the ball and shot into the net. This made the score 4–2 to England, and the whistle blew soon after.

With this goal, Geoff Hurst became the first and only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. It's an amazing achievement that no one else has matched!

Later International Games

Hurst also played for England in UEFA Euro 1968. He scored in the third-place play-off match against the Soviet Union, which England won 2–0.

In March 1969, Hurst scored another hat-trick for England in a 5–0 win against France. He was part of the England squad that went to Mexico to defend their World Cup title in the 1970 World Cup. He scored the only goal in England's first game against Romania. England reached the quarter-finals, where they again faced West Germany. England lost 3–2 in extra time.

Hurst played his last international match in April 1972. He scored 24 goals in 49 games for England.

Managerial Career

After he stopped playing, Hurst became a manager and coach. He managed Telford United for three years. He also worked as a coach for the England team under Ron Greenwood.

Chelsea Manager

In 1979, Hurst became assistant manager at Chelsea. When the manager was sacked, Hurst took over. Chelsea was in the Second Division at the time. In his first season, Chelsea almost got promoted, finishing fourth. However, the next season was not as good, and Hurst was sacked in April 1981.

Kuwait SC

After leaving Chelsea, Hurst worked as an insurance salesman. But in 1982, he was offered a chance to manage Kuwait SC in Kuwait. He managed the team for two years before returning to his business career.

Legacy and Recognition

World Cup Sculpture – Hurst second from left

A model shirt bearing Hurst's name at the Olympic Stadium

In 2003, a statue called The Champions was created to honor the 1966 World Cup winning footballers. It features Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Bobby Moore, and Ray Wilson. The statue is located near West Ham United's old stadium.

Geoff Hurst's amazing contribution to English football was recognized in 2004 when he was added to the English Football Hall of Fame. He is also one of the few footballers who have been made a Sir by the Queen.

In 2010, a statue of Hurst was put up outside Curzon Ashton F.C.'s ground. It shows him with two other World Cup winners from the area: Jimmy Armfield (from the 1966 squad) and Simone Perrotta (who won with Italy in 2006).

Personal Life

As of 2021, Sir Geoff Hurst lives in Cheltenham, England, with his wife Judith. They have been married since 1964. They had three daughters, but sadly, their eldest daughter Claire passed away in 2010 after a long illness.

In 2020, Hurst offered to donate his brain for research into dementia after his death. This was because several of his 1966 World Cup teammates, like Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, and later Bobby Charlton, had suffered from the disease.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hurst goal.

List of international goals scored by Geoff Hurst

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 April 1966	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Scotland	1–0	4–3	1965–66 British Home Championship
2	23 July 1966	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Argentina	1–0	1–0	1966 FIFA World Cup
3	30 July 1966	Wembley Stadium, London, England	West Germany	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	Wales	1–0	5–1	1966–67 British Home Championship
7				2–0
8	15 April 1967	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Scotland	2–3	2–3	1966–67 British Home Championship
9	22 November 1967	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Northern Ireland	1–0	2–0	1967–68 British Home Championship
10	8 June 1968	Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy	Soviet Union	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1968
11	11 December 1968	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Bulgaria	1–1	1–1	Friendly
12	12 March 1969	Wembley Stadium, London, England	France	2–0	5–0	Friendly
13				3–0
14				5–0
15	3 May 1969	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	3–1	3–1	1968–69 British Home Championship
16	10 May 1969	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Scotland	2–0	4–1	1968–69 British Home Championship
17				3–1
18	8 June 1969	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Uruguay	2–1	2–1	Friendly
19	25 February 1970	Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	2–0	3–1	Friendly
20	21 April 1970	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Northern Ireland	2–1	3–1	1969–70 British Home Championship
21	2 June 1970	Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico	Romania	1–0	1–0	1970 FIFA World Cup
22	21 April 1971	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Greece	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 1972 qualification
23	13 October 1971	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 1972 qualification
24	1 December 1971	Karaiskakis Stadium, Athens, Greece	Greece	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1972 qualification

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

West Ham

• FA Cup: 1963–64
• FA Charity Shield: 1964 (shared)
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1964–65
• Football League Cup runner-up: 1965–66

England

• FIFA World Cup: 1966
• UEFA European Championship Bronze medal: 1968

Individual Awards

• West Ham United Hammer of the Year: 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69
• World Soccer World XI: 1967, 1968, 1969
• UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 1968
• Rothmans Golden Boots Awards: 1970
• Football League 100 Legends: 1998
• FWA Tribute Award: 1998
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2004

Orders

• Member of the Order of the British Empire: 1979
• Knight Bachelor: 1998

See also

In Spanish: Geoff Hurst para niños