England's opponents in the final were West Germany. They had beaten a Uruguay side reduced to nine men in the quarter-finals, and in the semis Russia had also had a man sent off. Helmut Haller opened the scoring in the final, capitahsing on a weak clearance from Ray Wilson after 13 minutes. Within minutes the teams were level as Bobby Moore flighted a free-kick onto the head of his West Ham team-mate Hurst, who powered the ball past Tilkowski. The third of the Hammers' contingent, Martin Peters, put England ahead with less than 15 minutes to go. The man whom Ramsey had described as "10 years ahead of his time" scored from close range after a Hurst shot was blocked. A West Germany free-kick in the last minute somehow found its way through a crowded box and Wolfgang Weber squeezed the ball in at the far post. It meant that extra time would be played for the first time since 1934, which was also the last occasion that the host nation had won the tournament.
Hurst's controversial goal
20-year-old Alan Ball was still full of running, and it was his right-wing cross 10 minutes into extra time that led to the most controversial moment in World Cup history. Hurst controlled the ball, turned and let fly, only to see his shot hit the underside of the bar. It bounced down and was cleared, but had the ball crossed the line? The referee consulted his Russian linesman who was in no doubt that it had. Hurst sealed victory by hammering in a fourth for England in die last minute. It also made him the only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Technology later suggested that he was fortunate not have his second goal ruled out, but that didn't detract from the jubilant scenes at Wembley on 30 July 1966. England were world champions. For Bobby Moore it was the completion of a memorable hat-trick of his own. He had captaiaed the West Ham side which won the FA Cup in 1964 and the Cup Winners’ Cup the following year. It was thus the third time in as many years that Moore had raised a trophy aloft at Wembley.
World History
