West Germany have always claimed West Ham and England Legend Geoff Hurst’s second goal in England’s 4-2 win in the 1966 world cup final did not cross the line after it bounced down off the crossbar. Colour TV replays do seem to back up that theory, yet a definitive answer may never be established.This world cup, referees should be certain of making the right call thanks to goal line technology being used for the first time in the world cup.
Last year Geoff Hurst said
“If we had this system 50 years ago, it would have shown quite clearly the ball was at least a foot over the line, but I certainly welcome the move. We tiptoed round it until that Frank Lampard ‘goal’ in South Africa. I have always believed in it but that was the tipping point. Lampard thought he had scored what would have been an equaliser in the 2010 World Cup last-16 clash with Germany in Bloemfontein.However, none of the officials spotted that the ball had bounced a couple of feet over the line and allowed play to go on, with England subsequently losing 4-1.These mistakes are very costly now,” said Hurst. “With the money in the game today, in the Premier League and Champions League, it had to happen.They have it in other sports and it doesn’t affect the enjoyment of the game. They can get the decisions very quickly but that does not always matter.In the Lampard incident, England were still arguing about it five minutes later. But I don’t want to see it brought in for anything else. Let the referee and linesmen deal with the rest.”
However in a twist of irony, FIFA have awarded a German company called Goal Control the contract for Goal Line Technology snubbing the English company Hawkeye which are more established and provide the Premier League with its goal line technology.
Was it a goal? You decide!