Sixty Years On: An Afternoon with Sir Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoff Hurst is the last surviving member of the England squad that won the 1966 World Cup. Sixty years on, he still has the stories - and some of the objects.
As part of our partnership ahead of this summer's World Cup auction series, BUDDS CEO Tim Murphy and Head of Sport Memorabilia and Collectables David Convery made the trip to meet him - not to view a catalogue, but to spend an afternoon with the man himself.
Hurst was exactly what they'd hoped for: someone who remembers everything, speaks about it with clarity and warmth, and has held onto the pieces that meant the most.
It turns out there's a reason his collection is selective.
"I spoke to my kids around that time - three daughters," Hurst recalls. "I said, what sort of things would you like if I'm no longer around? I was referring to the World Cup medal, the shirt, all the World Cup stuff. And my eldest daughter said, 'Dad, I quite like that settee in the living room.' So within two or three weeks, it had all gone."
What remains, then, is what he chose to keep.
His hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup Final remains the only one ever scored on that stage. It secured England's only world title and defined a generation's relationship with the sport.
But beyond that afternoon at Wembley, Hurst was a forward of remarkable intelligence - trusted in the important moments, and someone who scored goals that mattered, when they mattered most.
Sixty years on, the weight of being the last man standing is not lost on him.
"It fills me with a great deal of sadness," he says. "We had great camaraderie, great team spirit. We were together not just for the final but for many years later - golf days every year for 15 odd years."
The pieces he has chosen to keep are few and deliberate. Among them is a striking large-format painting commissioned in his honour - created live at Wembley, capturing the moment he scored.
Several other items from his personal collection will be entering the auction this summer. A limited edition print (No.10) of the iconic 1966 World Cup-winning England side, signed by the victorious squad - a rare collective autograph from football's most celebrated team. And a more unconventional piece: a Moët & Chandon champagne bottle printed with the image of the three West Ham players from the Final - Bobby Moore, Hurst, and Martin Peters - uniting one club's legacy with England's greatest footballing moment.
"Sixty years on, the appetite for that era of football has never been stronger," said Tim Murphy. "Having Sir Geoff involved gives this series a connection to the real thing - someone who was there, who lived it, and whose story runs through everything we are putting to auction this summer."
PODCAST
In the first episode of Unmissable in Sport - BUDDS' new podcast - Tim and David sit down with England's last man standing to talk through his career, the summer of 1966, and what sixty years of distance does and doesn't do to a memory like that. Season one, episode one is available now.
WORLD CUP AUCTIONS
Three auctions. Three weeks. All June.
The 1966 and Beyond: The World Cup Legacy Collection opens on 2 June. Moments That Made History follows on 10 June. And The Fabric of Nations - 48 match-worn international shirts - runs from 1 to 21 June.
If you have World Cup memorabilia - match-worn, signed or historic - consignments are open now. Get in touch with the team to discuss.