ENGLAND football legend Sir Geoff Hurst has blasted goal line technology and says ex-players should be involved in VAR decisions.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, the Three Lions ace, who scored the famous 1966 goal against West Germany that forever divided opinion, said: “Football is still a great game but there are a couple things I don’t like about the game today.
“One is the feigning of injury. I played in a very rough era -, a tough era. You look at the famous Chelsea vs Leeds final, it was brutal, it should have been 15 red cards.
“The other thing I don’t like is the goal line technology to see whether it’s in or out when the referee looks at his watch. Also, now, with offside the guy goes off to a screen and waits ten minutes so the player can’t celebrate, which is one of the big things, and fans can’t jump up and celebrate.
“They’re waiting and they can watch that screen for ten minutes and still get it wrong. And I think there’s got to be ex-players to be the judges of VAR who actually played the game – not just people behind the screen who may have never played the game.
“Someone suggested that to me today over lunch and I thought that was a very, very sensible idea.”
Meanwhile Geoff says he believes Harry Kane and co – now in Qatar – have a chance of following in the footsteps of the 1966 team.
He told Nigel Farage during a World Cup special on GB News: “Can we win it? My honest opinion, I think we have a good chance. Put it this way, it would not be a surprise or astonishment if we win it. We have got a good bunch of young players.
The last two tournaments have been terrific, semi-final of the World Cup, final of the Euros. I’d be disappointed if we don’t get through at least a semi-final. Looking at the draw we’ve got…I think it’s a good draw. The other thing I would make a point on, although it may seem an awkward time to play in the middle of the season, I think the mere fact that players are playing halfway through the season means we may be at our peak. And although it’s disruptive to an extent, I think that could be a bonus for us.”
On how he always remained positive as a player he said: “I can’t be anything other than an optimist as a person, as a fan, as a player, anything, I think that’s part of my success. I was never negative when I came into the side in the World Cup, I didn’t start the tournament. I was still very positive. I was just happy to be there. And when my chance came, I was ready to take it. When Jimmy Greaves sadly damaged a shin and I scored the winner against Argentina, I made the winner in the semi-finals, and I got three in the final, so I took my chance.”
Reflecting on his memories of the ’66 win he said: “Well, it’s astonishing, really. There’s so much I remember clearly about the game itself, naturally. But the celebrations afterwards are a bit of a blur. Yes, really. But the beauty of doing that in your own country winning it with a team, the memories simply just last forever. I walked through London today and there was a bus driver parked and he tooted as I walked past in the middle of a crowded London, it’s quite astonishing. So, everybody talks about where they were on the day, what they were doing, and those memories are just absolutely fantastic.
Geoff also spoke about the anguish of losing many of his teammates to dementia. “It is a shocking disease,” he said
