Man behind the infamous World Cup goal supports goalline technology

Dubai: Sir Geoff Hurst, the hero of England's 1966 World Cup win, is surprised that next Saturday's trial of goalline technology in England's game against Belgium has taken so long to implement. Goalline technology will be on trial for the first time in an international match in England's friendly at Wembley against Belgium on June 2 with a view to introducing it into mainstream football.

The only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final, Hurst's much contested second goal in a 4-2 win over West Germany at Wembley in 1966 infamously deflected in off the crossbar before bouncing out of the goal. Despite the linesman's call for goal, the phantom strike has divided opinion for 46 years as to whether it should have counted. It remains a benchmark example in the argument for technological intervention.

Eliminating errors

Speaking exclusively to Gulf News, Hurst welcomed the move, commenting: "It's about time too. It will cut out all those ridiculously bad errors that have cost clubs and national teams over the years.

"I'm surprised it's taken this long actually because other sports like cricket, tennis and rugby already have the technology and have implemented it successfully.

"The trial is an indication that we're not far off the technology being used in big games. It just depends how far down the leagues it's used and that depends on costs. But I'd be surprised and disappointed if it wasn't introduced to the Premier League by the start of next season [2013/14]."

Hurst added: "If it interfered with the pace of our game, I wouldn't be a fan but actually a decision can be made in seconds.

"I also don't believe it will lead to a two-tier system of those with and without the technology, because football is already multi-tiered in terms of league systems. It would just mean the bigger clubs, where naturally there's more money involved, [riding on decisions], would have the money to do it.

Lampard's goal

"Playing without goalline technology has led to too many bad decisions, not least Frank Lampard's goal against Germany in the quarters of World Cup 2010. It could possibly have changed the outcome of that particular game."

Hurst said of his own contested effort: "I wish goalline technology was about then because it would have proven quite clearly that it was over the line.

"When the ball comes down off the crossbar you'll want to believe more than anything else in your whole life that the ball was over and I believe that, wanted to believe that, and I still believe that it was over the line.

"Anyway, we derived a great deal of satisfaction knowing that we were the best team on the day and the best around at the time — winning by two clear goals. The Germans admitted that, Franz Beckenbauer included."