Today, Gi Grimsby News had the pleasure of meeting football legend and World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst, along with local football coach Harry North.
After making an appearance in Laceby and Cleethorpes yesterday, we were presented with a rare opportunity to interview both at Sir Geoff’s event today in Hull.
Here’s what they had to say:
Q: So, Sir Geoff, what’s brought you to Hull today?
Sir Geoff: “I’ve come to swim the Humber!”
Q: Is that all you’ve got on the docket?
Sir Geoff: “Surely you must know why I’m here?”
Q: Your farewell tour?
Sir Geoff: “Well, this isn’t actually part of the Farewell tour. This is one of the theatres that I do; I’ve done a few like this. But the farewell tour relates to my theatre tour. We’ve just finished that group of them, and we’ve got more booked for September and October. My agent has booked 21 theatre tours for February, March, and April next year, which is a bit ambitious! Then interspersed into that is the odd dinner like this.”
“I’m actually doing a book, and they wanted to call it “Last Man Standing”, but my wife didn’t like that, so that was out, so they are going to call it Last Boy of ‘66, and it will come out in the autumn, ready for the Christmas market.”
Q: How come you ended up in Laceby yesterday then?
Sir Geoff: “Well, that was the venue that I was booked to appear at.”
Q: Yes, but you also came to see Harry and his coaching?
Sir Geoff: “Yes, it was good, and it was good seeing all these young kids, around 7 or 8 year olds, having a great time.”
Q: So Harry, what was it like having the surprise visit from the legendary Sir Geoff Hurst?
Harry: “Well, it was massive, but not just for myself, for the coaching, but for the people of Laceby, the community, and the people of Grimsby, really.”
“It’s massive, really, not just for the young kids to meet such a footballing legend, but for the older generation as well. For the kids, to see a footballer like Sir Geoff is beyond believable for their age.”
Q: Sir Geoff, what sort of inspirational words would you give to kids at that age looking to get into football?
Sir Geoff: “Very simple advice really for kids that age and upwards is to just enjoy it; don’t get concerned whether you get picked for your school team or not; just improve your skills; play as a team and not as an individual; there’s no I in team; train and play with them; get on with them; and primarily, just enjoy it.”
Q: Now, am I correct in saying that about six months before your epic match in 1966, where you won the World Cup, you played against Grimsby? Do you remember anything about that match?
Sir Geoff: “I remember being there; you never forget coming to Grimsby! I do remember the game. I thought we won 2 – 0, but I was told last night by a man that was there that it was 2 – 2, but I think I scored in it, and he said I scored both of them.”
“So I do remember, but you must remember that it was 60 years ago! All my life and stuff is in this book, and there’s stuff you remember very clearly and some stuff where I have no idea. Someone showed me a cutting, this guy that I’m doing the book with who’s done a lot of research, and my father-in-law had huge cuttings of my era, which I had in sacks, and he looked through them and came out with one cutting, which was 3 years before the World Cup, before I was playing for the England team. I played for the football league who played against the then-England team, and I’ve got absolutely no recollection of that whatsoever. My first game against England? The football league? I played with Roger Hunt funnily enough, and that was three years before I got anywhere near the team, and the England team only had two players then that ended up with me in the final, and I played with Roger in the football league and who I ended up playing with in the final.”
Q: So, Harry, tell me a little bit about yourself then?
Harry: “So, I started playing football from ever since I was young really. My dad put football on to me quite strongly. I played at Grimsby, Boston United, and I’ve had a few injuries as of today such as problems with my shoulder, but I always wanted to stay in football while waiting for my operation, so I thought what I could do was go and help young people be the next Geoff Hurst!”
“So, that’s the idea, just to help people become better, improve their confidence, and make friends in the game, have fun and it just started from there really.
“I started out with one-to-one sessions down at Laceby, and it really built on from then; it’s had massive interest, and I had gotten a lot of people asking about going on to group sessions, so I started that.”
Q: Sir Geoff, what sort of words would you offer to not only players but also people looking to coach football like Harry?
Sir Geoff: “Coaching tips for me: I was very fortunate to work with a fantastic coach, an unbelievable coach called Ron Greenwood, who developed the players at the club, and we had three players, as you know, from West Ham who won the World Cup. So astonishing teaching and coaching.
“Two things I would say, though, about when you are coaching people, kids, or even adults, is make sure they are aware and are looking all the time of where people are around you, not just your teammates, but also where the defenders are, and as a player, when you receive a ball, always receive it side on. That is something we were taught in those medieval days. So you need to be aware of playing as a team, your teammates, and receiving the ball side-on.
“We had a thing at West Ham, which was revolutionary then, where we played a game with the first team against the reserves, and during the game he [Ron Greenwood] would blow the whistle and stop and say ‘close your eyes’ and would ask the players where their teammates were and where the opposition was, and the best player at it was Mooro (Bobby Moore). He’d know exactly where people were and where the ball was and if there was a guy two yards behind you. That’s another little technique that was fairly good then.”
Q: So, Harry, what sort of age range do you coach then?
Harry: “At the minute, I coach from under 6s and under 7s all the way up to under 10s and under 11s. But that’s the group sessions. For the one-on-one sessions, it’s all ages and all abilities, really.”
Q: Harry, am I correct in saying you are 16 at the minute, so are you still at school?
Harry: “Yes, I am, but no, I’ve left school now to get stuck in my coaching and just, like I say, to make kids better players and to make they enjoy their football and make friends.”
Q: Now, did your dad help you along? Was he a coach?
Harry: “My dad did coach, but I was the one who wanted to get into it really. My dad was more of a “become a player”, but it’s hard because of my injuries, but I will be getting back into my football.
“My dad has been a massive help; don’t get me wrong. He’s given me good advice, and I’ve had a lot of help from my mum, to be honest. I have no transport, you see, so to get to my training sessions and those sorts of things, I need the support from my parents, and not just from my dad in football, but from my mum being a taxi driver, to be honest!”
“To be honest, I just want to say thank you to them because, without them, these sorts of things wouldn’t be possible.”
Q: Sir Geoff, I must ask: do you have any opinions on Grimsby Town at the minute?
Sir Geoff: “I have no idea! But, I do know that they won 3 – 0.”
Q: Sir Geoff, forgive me if I ask a slightly cheeky question here. So, I have had a look at the footage from the 1966 World Cup game on the way here, and in our modern world, with goal line technology and VAR, would that goal still count?
Sir Geoff: “I think, quite clearly, if they had VAR in our time, I think it would show quite conclusively that the ball was at least a foot over the line!”
Q: Harry, is there anything you would like to add before we finish up?
Harry: “My main goal is, first and foremost, to make the kids better players, but second of all, to make sure they have fun. I think if they are having fun, it doesn’t matter about ability, as I’m helping a kid improve, not just with their football but socially too, as they are making friends.”
