Last Boy of 66 offers an intimate look at England's 1966 World Cup triumph through the eyes of hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst. This British football book brings to life the team's camaraderie and the era's humble values, making it an essential read for any football enthusiast.
Product Information: And here comes Hurst. He's got... Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over. It is now. It's four!
Geoff Hurst's extraordinary hat trick turned him into a global superstar overnight. There is no player in the history of the game so universally identified with a single match.
But the full story of the nation's biggest ever sporting victory is about much more than those final moments. Here Geoff remembers his teammates, the times they spent on and off the pitch, the extraordinary journey they went on together, what football meant to each of them, their work ethic, their culture of team loyalty, their continued bond over the decades.
The enormous salaries paid to today's Premier League stars means that when they finish playing, few will ever have to work again. The 1966 team never had that option. They were payed GBP60 per match, and received a GBP1,000 bonus for winning. Most tried, and failed, to become successful managers, with Jack Charlton being a notable exception. Twenty years after they scored the England goals in the final, Geoff and Martin Peters were selling motor insurance. Ray Wilson was an undertaker.
Yet all remained aware they achieved something on 30th July 1966 which may never be repeated, and did so staying close to their roots. The day after the final Alan Ball stopped at a motorway cafe on the M6. One or two people asked to see his winner's medal, then left him to his egg and chips. Geoff mowed the lawn. 'That's what you did on a Sunday'.
In Last Boy of 66 our 1966 hat-trick hero takes us back to those very different days. A definitive and important eye-witness account, to be treasured by fans and historians for generations to come.
Other Information: 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.
