England’s historic FIFA World Cup victory, Sir Geoff Hurst reflects on his unforgettable summer of 1966…
Skating to Success
In the midst of preparing for the festive fixtures in Christmas 1965, I was training with my West Ham United teammates at the Forest Gate roller-skating rink. Suddenly, manager Ron Greenwood called me over and delivered incredible news: I had been called up to the England squad for the Poland game. It was a dream come true, and I could hardly believe I would have the opportunity to represent my country. Although I didn’t get to play in that particular match, I made my England debut in the following February’s friendly against West Germany at Wembley, which ended in a 1-0 victory for us.
Reflecting on my scoring record, especially after West Ham’s FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup triumphs, I sometimes wonder if my England call-up should have come earlier. In early April, I faced Scotland at Hampden Park, which was an intimidating and testing international game. Fortunately, I played well, scored a goal against future teammate Bobby Ferguson, and contributed to our 4-3 victory.
Shortly after, in early May, we secured a 2-0 win against Yugoslavia, during which Martin Peters earned his first cap as well. My performance for West Ham in the 1965/66 season was impressive, with 40 goals in 59 games, earning me a place in Sir Alf Ramsey’s provisional World Cup squad. Alongside Bobby Moore and Martin Peters, I attended the get-together at Lilleshall, knowing that only 22 players would eventually make the cut. The uncertainty during those three weeks was nerve-wracking, even Bobby couldn’t provide any hints about the final selection. As a newcomer, I questioned whether I would be chosen, despite being one of the country’s most in-form strikers with those 40 goals. However, my doubts turned to delight when I was handed the prestigious No. 10 shirt for the World Cup