Sir Geoff Hurst told West Ham TV of his delight at seeing the Hammers win at Liverpool for the first time in nearly 52 years
Sir Geoff Hurst has hailed West Ham United for ending their Anfield heartache – 52 years after scoring the winning goal at Liverpool.
The Hammers and England legend had to rub his eyes in joyful disbelief while watching final Barclays Premier League scores filter through on Saturday evening – Liverpool 0 West Ham United 3.
That result marked West Ham’s first victory at the home of the Reds since 14 September 1963, when Hurst and fellow future FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters scored in a 2-1 success for Ron Greenwood’s side.
Speaking to West Ham TV during a visit to talkSPORT to discuss the impending release of the film BO66Y The Movie – a tribute to his late, great captain and teammate Bobby Moore – Hurst said he was happy that the Hammers’ Anfield hoodoo was finally a thing of the past.
“It’s talked about every year when we go to Liverpool and people remind us and it’s in their programme and in the press that we haven’t won there since ’63,” he began.
“I remember the game well because we used to do quite well against Liverpool in that period. We drew 2-2 with them in the 1964 Charity Shield as it was, which was held up at Anfield as they were the league champions, and I scored another goal there.
“I remember the win there and the goals. For Martin’s goal when he scored, he was in the corner of the box and cut in on his right foot and screwed it into the bottom left-hand corner past Tommy Lawrence.
“For my goal I beat the offside trap. We had a ball knocked over because Liverpool played quite flat and I knocked it under Tommy, who was nicknamed the Flying Pig, as he came out with one touch.”
The Hammers and England legend had to rub his eyes in joyful disbelief while watching final Barclays Premier League scores filter through on Saturday evening – Liverpool 0 West Ham United 3.
That result marked West Ham’s first victory at the home of the Reds since 14 September 1963, when Hurst and fellow future FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters scored in a 2-1 success for Ron Greenwood’s side.
Speaking to West Ham TV during a visit to talkSPORT to discuss the impending release of the film BO66Y The Movie – a tribute to his late, great captain and teammate Bobby Moore – Hurst said he was happy that the Hammers’ Anfield hoodoo was finally a thing of the past.
“It’s talked about every year when we go to Liverpool and people remind us and it’s in their programme and in the press that we haven’t won there since ’63,” he began.
“I remember the game well because we used to do quite well against Liverpool in that period. We drew 2-2 with them in the 1964 Charity Shield as it was, which was held up at Anfield as they were the league champions, and I scored another goal there.
“I remember the win there and the goals. For Martin’s goal when he scored, he was in the corner of the box and cut in on his right foot and screwed it into the bottom left-hand corner past Tommy Lawrence.
“For my goal I beat the offside trap. We had a ball knocked over because Liverpool played quite flat and I knocked it under Tommy, who was nicknamed the Flying Pig, as he came out with one touch.”
When I saw the results on TV when I got home about six o’clock I saw nothing-three and had to look again!
Aside from the match-winning goals, Sir Geoff also recalled a comedy moment as West Ham tried to play out the clock in the final few moments.
“The funny part about it was we were hanging on 2-1, not at The Kop but down the other end and there were about five minutes to go and we had a corner,” he smiled. “Peter Brabrook, who was a bit of a joker at Chadwell Heath, used to have this trick of kicking the back of his other foot and missing the ball and tripping himself up on the training ground.
“He actually did this taking the corner! He went to take the corner, kicked his back leg, missed the ball and fell over! These days that is a yellow card and possibly real trouble, but we just fell about laughing with three or four minutes to go!”
Fast forward more than half a century and Sir Geoff was able to celebrate another victory at Anfield – at last – as Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho netted in a historic Barclays Premier League 3-0 success.
“It is overdue and quite remarkable,” he enthused. “When I saw the results on TV when I got home about six o’clock I saw nothing-three and had to look again! It was astonishing, but records are there to be broken, so it’s great!”
*To find out more about BO66Y The Movie – the documentary film produced by broadcaster and lifelong Hammer Matt Lorenzo and featuring interviews with many of those who knew him best – please click here.
“The funny part about it was we were hanging on 2-1, not at The Kop but down the other end and there were about five minutes to go and we had a corner,” he smiled. “Peter Brabrook, who was a bit of a joker at Chadwell Heath, used to have this trick of kicking the back of his other foot and missing the ball and tripping himself up on the training ground.
“He actually did this taking the corner! He went to take the corner, kicked his back leg, missed the ball and fell over! These days that is a yellow card and possibly real trouble, but we just fell about laughing with three or four minutes to go!”
Fast forward more than half a century and Sir Geoff was able to celebrate another victory at Anfield – at last – as Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho netted in a historic Barclays Premier League 3-0 success.
“It is overdue and quite remarkable,” he enthused. “When I saw the results on TV when I got home about six o’clock I saw nothing-three and had to look again! It was astonishing, but records are there to be broken, so it’s great!”
*To find out more about BO66Y The Movie – the documentary film produced by broadcaster and lifelong Hammer Matt Lorenzo and featuring interviews with many of those who knew him best – please click here.