England hero Sir Geoff Hurst reflects on the sadness of winning the 1966 World Cup

“This wasn’t a four-act drama, it was just a nosebleed,” he said backstage before a sold-out show in Chesham resumed the tour. “It was very annoying, but I’m fine, I’m fine.” If Sir Geoff has become more aware of his own mortality since Charlton went up to the celestial dressing room, he won’t advertise it.

“Just looking at Bobby’s record – 750 appearances for Manchester United, 250 goals from midfield, one in three, 106 England caps, 49 goals, one in two – he’s an amazing player. You know what happened, it’s totally unbelievable,” Hurst said. .

“He was naturally quite headstrong, but he was the exact opposite, a gentleman off the field. When the lads got together for a golf day in 1966, we spent hours together. He was a great ambassador for football and this country.”

Does Hirst miss his band of brothers? “When I look at the team pictures now, I’m so sad to know they’re no longer around and England have yet to win a World Cup since we won it. It’s important to note that under Gareth Southgate we are now approaching the 2018 semi-finals and Euro finals in a much better situation than we have seen for a long time.

“But it’s great that people want to keep the story of 1966 alive until England win again. We met for a few days, the lads played golf, the wives went shopping, and then we had dinner.

“It lasted long after we finished playing, probably 16 or 17 years, and those were great times. We took turns organizing social gatherings. Martin Peters and I I think we started in the Fox Hills in Surrey, the last meeting was near Junction 13 of the M6 ​​and Ron Flowers (former Wolves midfielder and 1966 England squad) near Stafford. We hosted it. But its numbers dwindled and its days sadly came to an end.”

One of the charities on Hearst’s farewell tour is the Alzheimer’s Association. This is a painful alliance as some of his comrades in ’66 were led into the sunset in the shadow of dementia-related illnesses. “This is a very scary disease because it’s a nightmare for the families and loved ones around people who are diagnosed with this disease,” Dr. Hurst said.

“My wife Judith and Martin’s wife Kathy have known each other for 60 years and still speak almost every day, but when I learned what Kathy was going through in the last few years of her life, it was terrifying. Am I angry about Alzheimer’s disease? I’m not angry, but there is growing evidence that there is a link between heading in soccer and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Masu.

“A study of men in Scotland found that footballers are 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia-related illnesses than men on the street. We’re doing enough to tackle it, aren’t we? Is it? This is a complex and devastating problem that many people are currently grappling with.”

Hurst is the only player to score a hat-trick for a winning team in a World Cup final. “Kylian Mbappe would have won another winners’ medal in exchange for his hat-trick against Argentina (in the 2022 final),” he said, adding that he won his former club’s first trophy in 43 years in the last Europa Conference League. said the delighted West Ham legend. summer.

The Three Lions hero remains optimistic about England’s chances of qualifying for Euro 2024, saying: It would be a huge shame if we didn’t get at least a lot closer to the finals. Anything less would be an anticlimax. ”

And what if the Genie of the Lamp granted the veteran’s wish to change the face of modern football? “I’ve been involved in the game all my life and it’s easy because it’s just his three letters, VAR.

“Goal line technology is fine because it works, whether it’s black and white, yes or no. But because of VAR, the players can’t celebrate, the fans can’t celebrate and the referees can’t celebrate. is making more mistakes than before.

“How can a game be fun if people sitting in front of a screen are looking for obscure ways to disallow goals that no one notices? Soccer is about glory, it’s about scoring goals. But we now have a system that is loaded in a way that negates them. That can’t be right.”

Sir Geoff, please tell them.

An Evening with Sir Geoff Hurst Theater Tour 2024: For a full list of dates, please visit www.geoffhurst.com.

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