The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in  the eighth football World Cup and one of the most controversial finals ever. The game was between England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 96,924. The British television audience peaked at 32.30 million viewers, making the final the most watched television event ever in the United Kingdom!

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England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet Trophy. The England team became known as the "wingless wonders", on account of their then unconventional narrow attacking formation, described at the time as a 4–3–3.

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The match is remembered for England's only World Cup trophy, Geoff Hurst's hat-trick – the first one ever scored in a World Cup Final – and the controversial third goal awarded to England by referee Gottfried Dienst and linesman Tofiq Bahramov.

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Both teams were strong throughout the tournament. Each won all but one of their three matches in the group stages, which they both drew. West Germany tied against Argentina, while England drew against Uruguay, at that time tied for the number of World Cups won with Italy and Brazil. The German team conceded but two goals before the final, and England did not concede at all until their semi-final against Portugal.

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England, managed by Alf Ramsey and captained by Bobby Moore, won the toss and elected to kick off. After 12 minutes, Siegfried Held sent a cross into the English penalty area which Ray Wilson misheaded to Helmut Haller, who got his shot on target. Jackie Charlton and goalkeeper Gordon Banks failed to deal with the shot which went in making it 1–0 to West Germany.

"They think it's all over....it is now!"

 

In the 19th minute, Wolfgang Overath conceded a free kick, which Moore took immediately, floating a cross into the West German area, where Geoff Hurst rose unchallenged and levelled the scores with a downward glancing header. The teams were level at half-time, and after 77 minutes England won a corner. Alan Ball delivered the ball to Geoff Hurst whose deflected shot from the edge of the area found Martin Peters. He produced the final shot, beating the West German keeper from eight yards to make the score 2–1 to England.

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Germany pressed for an equaliser in the closing moments, and in the 89th minute Jack Charlton conceded a free kick for climbing on Uwe Seeler as they both went up for a header. The kick was taken by Lothar Emmerich, who struck it into George Cohen in the wall; the rebound fell to Held, who shot across the face of goal and into the body of Karl-Heinz Schnellinger. The ball deflected across the England six-yard box, wrong-footing the England defence and allowing Wolfgang Weber to level the score at 2–2 and force the match into extra time.

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Extra time

England pressed forward and created several chances. In particular, with five minutes gone, Bobby Charlton struck the post and sent another shot just wide. With 11 minutes of extra time gone, Alan Ball put in a cross and Geoff Hurst swivelled and shot from close range. The ball hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down – on the line – and was cleared. The referee Gottfried Dienst was uncertain if it had been a goal and consulted his linesman, Tofiq Bahramov from Azerbaijan in the USSR, who in a moment of drama indicated that it was. After non-verbal communication, as they had no common language, the Swiss referee awarded the goal to the home team.

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The crowd and the audience of 400 million television viewers were left arguing

whether the goal should have been given or not.

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England's third goal has remained controversial ever since the match. According to the Laws of the Game the definition of a goal is when "the whole of the ball passes over the goal line".

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In England, supporters cite the good position of the linesman and the statement of Roger Hunt, the nearest England player to the ball, who claimed it was a goal and that was why he wheeled away in celebration rather than attempting to tap the rebounding ball in.

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Modern studies using film analysis and computer simulation have conclusively proved the ball never crossed the line. Colour footage of Hurst's goal, taken from another angle by an amateur cameraman in the stands and having a view almost parallel to the English goal line. This film material shows that the ball did not cross the goal line in full.

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One minute before the end of play, the West Germans sent their defenders forward in a desperate attempt to score a last-minute equaliser. Winning the ball, Bobby Moore picked out the unmarked Geoff Hurst with a long pass, which Hurst carried forward while some spectators began streaming onto the field and Hurst scored moments later. Hurst later admitted that his blistering shot was as much intended to send the ball as far into the Wembley stands as possible should it miss, in order to kill time on the clock.

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The final goal gave rise to one of the most famous sayings in English football, when the BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme described the situation as follows:

 

"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!"

 

Amid the post match celebrations, German goalscorer Haller nicked the match ball, but kindly returned it to hat-trick hero Hurst a full 30 years later – after The Mirror newspaper coughed up £80,000. But let it be noted that not all Germans were ungracious in defeat. The Bild am Sontag reported, ‘England are 1966 world champions. Bravo. The players from the Motherland have done it for the first time.’

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Many years after the event a group of boffins at Oxford University used computers to prove that Hurst’s second goal had not, in fact, crossed the line. No one in England cared one jot.

 

GOALS

12'  0-1    Helmut Haller

18'  1-1    Geoff Hurst (assist - Bobby Moore)

90'  2-2    Wolfgang Weber

101'  3-2  Geoff Hurst (assist - Alan Ball)

120'  4-2  Geoff Hurst (assist - Bobby Moore)

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REFEREE           Gottfried Dienst (Switzerland)

LINESMEN          Tofik Bakhramov (Soviet Union), Karol Galba (Czechoslovakia)

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ENGLAND

1 GK • Gordon Banks • Leicester City

2 DF • George Cohen • Fulham

3 DF • Ray Wilson • Everton

5 DF • Jack  • Leeds United

6 DF • Bobby Moore (c) • West Ham United

4 MD • Nobby Stiles • Manchester United

7 MD • Alan Ball • Blackpool

9 MD • Bobby Charlton • Manchester United

10 FW • Geoff Hurst • West Ham United

16 FW • Martin Peters • West Ham United

21 FW • Roger Hunt • Liverpool

 

Coach: Alf Ramsey

WEST GERMANY

1 GK • Hans Tilkowski • Borussia Dortmund

2 DF • Horst-Dieter Höttges • Werder Bremen

3 DF • Karl-Heinz Schnellinger • AC Milan (ITA)

5 DF • Willi Schulz • Hamburger SV

6 DF • Wolfgang Weber • 1.FC Cologne

4 MD • Franz Beckenbauer •  Bayern Munich

8 MD • Helmut Haller • Bologna (ITA)

12 MD • Wolfgang Overath • 1.FC Cologne

9 FW • Uwe Seeler (c) • Hamburger SV

10 FW • Siegfried Held • Borussia Dortmund

11 • FW Lothar Emmerich • Borussia Dortmund

 

Coach: Helmut Schön