Last Boy of ’66
The Sunday Times bestseller
FOUR FOR ENGLAND. THREE FOR HURST.
'Images of us celebrating have taken their place in the nation’s photo album. Trophy aloft, smiling into our future.
Banksy, George, Jack, Mooro, Ray, Nobby, Bally, Bobby, Martin, Roger. My ten teammates. My old friends. They’ve now all gone. Heroes from an era that is slipping into sepia.'
But it isn't all over. Not yet. One of them is still here, and before he goes, Geoff wanted to get down his final thoughts about 1966. He talks about Alf Ramsay - his vision, his drive, his loyalty. Also his shyness, even awkwardness. About his teammates, about Jimmy Greaves - hard workers, cool heads, dedicated pros. Geoff tells their collective story, digging below the surface, reflecting on their victory, its impact on their lives.
It was a bittersweet onward journey for the Boys of '66. Their legacy was squandered and their team uncelebrated. But the eleven of them shared something that no other Englishman has ever experienced. Here Geoff brings them all together, one last time, to see them make history.
Geoff Hurst secured a unique place in the history of football in 1966 when he became the first player to score a hattrick in a World Cup Final, helping England to win their first and only World Cup. He spent the vast majority of his career at West Ham United before joining Stoke City and then moving on to coaching and management. Knighted in 1998 and inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004, Sir Geoff has cemented his place as one of the most iconic figures in English football.
Beyond the beautiful game, Sir Geoff is dedicated to raising awareness for many charitable causes, including the Alzheimer's Society, and serves as an ambassador for Sue Ryder. He lives in Gloucestershire with his wife Judith. This is his sixth book.