Sir Geoff Hurst, the hat-trick hero of England's 1966 World Cup final victory, has spoken of the 'extreme sadness' he feels whenever he sees a picture of the team. At 82, Hurst is now the only surviving member of Sir Alf Ramsey's side that beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley 58 years ago.
The death of Sir Bobby Charlton last October at the age of 86 left Hurst as the sole remaining player from that historic squad. In an interview with The Times, Hurst reflected on the toll of time: 'It's no fun getting old. There's an element of lottery about it. About how long you've got and what you might get.'
Hurst said every time he sees a picture of the 1966 team or watches a game they played, he feels extreme sadness. 'To go through what we did together… They were a great bunch of lads and a great bunch of players,' he added.
Many of his former teammates have died in recent years, including Ray Wilson (2018), Gordon Banks and Martin Peters (2019), Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles (2020), Roger Hunt (2021), and George Cohen (2022). Captain Bobby Moore died in 1993, and Alan Ball in 2007.
Hurst also criticised modern football, particularly VAR and diving. 'The only thing that is the same is the goalposts,' he said. 'I think VAR is spoiling the game. And the diving and feigning of injuries – I find that absolutely disgraceful.'
Looking ahead to this summer's European Championship in Germany, Hurst praised Gareth Southgate's squad: 'I think they're the best bunch of players we've had since '66. I am extremely hopeful we could win it. That would be fantastic.'
