Saturday 30 July 2016 22:42, UK
Hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst was reunited with the 1966 World Cup final ball as England celebrated the 50th anniversary of its finest glory on Saturday.
Sky Sports and SSNHQ joined in the celebrations on July 30 by producing a 'live' blog of the match which saw the English overcome West Germany 4-2 after extra-time at Wembley Stadium.
Hurst scored three goals to help England secure its only World Cup trophy and former West Ham striker Hurst remains the only man to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Hurst revealed over the weekend that German midfielder Helmut Haller had 'stolen' the ball after the final and remained in Germany for 30 years. It was eventually brought back from the player's loft during the European Championships in 1996 and is now in England's national football museum in Manchester.
"It is such a priceless piece of memorabilia that anyone who touches it has to wear white gloves," Hurst said.
"Apparently, anyone who won the World Cup can hold the ball without the gloves - Jimmy Greaves once said when he was told that, that 'if it gets nicked, there's only our fingerprints on it'."
Hurst - not wearing gloves - was at the 1966 World Cup exhibition at the SSE Arena at Wembley and held the ball to big cheers from the crowd.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, also present, joked about Hurst's controversial goal.
With the match in extra-time after ending 2-2 after 90 minutes, Hurst's shot hit the underside of the crossbar and while England celebrated, convinced the ball had crossed the line, the West Germans protested.
Whether Hurst's second goal did cross the line has been the subject of decades of debate, but a similar controversy is unlikely to arise in future after FIFA introduced goal-line technology in time for the 2014 World Cup.
"I have the honour to be here together with you to celebrate this 50-year anniversary," said Infantino.
"Fifty years not of the inception of goal-line technology, but 50 years of a great World Cup which was celebrated here in England.
"England welcomed the world and today, 50 years ago, 11 heroes made legend as England were crowned world champions."
