Sir Geoff’s Bronzed Boot Among Adidas Loans Calendar

23 May 2016


Dr Martin Gebhardt of Adidas hands over Geoff Hurst's boot to Wiebke Cullen of the National Football Museum.

Dr Martin Gebhardt of Adidas hands over Geoff Hurst’s boot to Wiebke Cullen of the National Football Museum.

A boot worn by Geoff Hurst at the 1966 World Cup and dipped in Bronze is among a haul of fascinating footwear on loan to the National Football Museum.

German sportswear giants Adidas have loaned boots worn by four football superstars for the museum’s 1966 World Cup exhibition. For England fans perhaps the most coveted will be the left boot belonging to hero of the final Geoff Hurst. The boot was coated in bronze after the tournament in honour of his World Cup final hat-trick; a feat that remains unmatched in 50 years since.

England captain Bobby Moore’s size 7 boot, worn when he lifted the Jules Rimet trophy, feature Moore’s own choice of mismatched studs and were modelled closely on the centre-half’s own foot.

Boot worn by Uwe Seeler, 1966.

Boot worn by Uwe Seeler, 1966.

Franz Beckenbauer was to lift the World Cup in 1974, but in 1966 the prodigiously talented 20 year old had to settle for a runners’-up medal. He was known to stick with the same pair of boots during tournaments; the classic three-stripe design featured in all these boots had been introduced by Adi Dassler, along with the game-changing innovation of screw-in studs, since 1954.

Also on display will be the boot of West Germany striker Uwe Seeler. Seeler played, and scored, in four consecutive World Cup tournaments from 1958-1970, although 1966 was the closest he came to lifting the trophy. It could have been much different for the popular striker though, whose career was threatened by an achilles injury in 1965. It is said that Adi Dassler himself designed a special boot for Seeler, with special lacing and cushioning in the heel: Seeler scored the goal that secured West Germany’s qualification for the tournament 8 months after suffering his injury.

Boot worn by Bobby Moore at 1966 World Cup.

Boot worn by Bobby Moore at 1966 World Cup.

Boot worn by  Geoff Hurst at the 1966 World Cup.

Boot worn by Geoff Hurst at the 1966 World Cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boot worn by Franz Beckenbauer at 1966 World Cup.

Boot worn by Franz Beckenbauer at 1966 World Cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Football Museum’s 1966 World Cup Exhibition is being created in partnership with The Football Association (FA).  The exhibition will be jointly staged at the museum’s Manchester home (opening June 25 until April 23 2017) and Wembley Stadium (opening July 11) and will celebrate the glory of 1966 and the legacy of England’s win fifty years after the event.

It has been made possible thanks to a £302,500 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant. A major part of the project will be dedicated to collecting and sharing memories of the tournament, thanks to the Sporting Memories Network. See http://memoriesof66.sportingmemories.org/. #Memoriesof66

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