WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Collectables through the Decade
A Pictorial History
Geoff Hurst Testimonial
by Roger Hillier
West Ham’s 1971/72 season is mainly remembered for the League Cup semi final marathon, but another highlight was Geoff Hurst’s testimonial match. To honour Geoff’s twelve years as a senior Hammer, West Ham played a European XI under the Upton Park floodlights on Tuesday, 23rd November.
Hurst's testimonial is worth noting for several reasons. This was a time when club loyalty was more highly prized and testimonials not the rarity of today. It was a chance for the Upton Park faithful to watch some of Europe’s finest players, and finally, did West Ham miss out on signing Mordechai Spiegler for a second time?
The West Ham strikers popularity was reflected in the 29,250 attendance and gate receipts quoted in the Daily Mail as between £10,000 and £12,000 - an excellent sum and double that received by Ron Harris from his testimonial played at Chelsea the same night.
Though not as high as the receipts Bobby Moore received from his testimonial the previous season, when the attendance was lower but ticket prices inflated. But still £12,000 was a significant sum when the average wage was about £1,500. Receipts of about eight times the national average wage is a very good reward. But money isn’t everything. Perhaps three goals in a World Cup final is!
World Cup Stars Grace Upton Park
Going back to the European XI, Geoff successfully attracted Uwe Seeler and Willi Schultz from West Germany’s 1966 and 1970 World Cup matches against England, Eusebio, Celtic’s Jimmy Johnstone and from the home front, Rodney Marsh and Hammer to be Ted MacDougall, fresh from his nine-goal spree for Bournemouth in the FA Cup.
The match also saw the return of two ex-Hammers – Jimmy Greaves and Mordechai Spiegler. Greaves scored an obligatory goal in the 4-4 draw but it was the story behind Spiegler that lays the intrigue.
An earlier 'theyflysohigh' feature explained how Spiegler had a post-1970 Mexico World Cup trial with West Ham and played in three pre-season friendlies, after which he decided to return to Israel – probably deterred by a potential two year international football ban if he joined a foreign club.
However, according to a report in the Daily Mail, West Ham may have missed a second chance to sign up midfielder Spiegler.
To join the European XI Spiegler interrupted his Australian tour with the Israel national team to fly into London. Geoff’s testimonial fund footed the £1,000 bill. Unfortunately, the European XI team manager, Tommy Docherty, only gave him a bit-part role as a second-half substitute. Disappointing that a starting place could not be found for a player who caught the football world’s attention in Mexico in 1970 and a trifle embarrassing when Israel’s TV network flew in specially to cover the match.
However, it seems the potential love affair between Spiegler and West Ham had not been totally extinguished in August 1970. Before flying back to Australia to rejoin his Israel team, Spiegler was reported as saying “he was still undecided as to whether or not to take up Ron Greenwood’s offer to join the club”. Spiegler finally turned the Hammers down to join Paris FC for season 1972-73 (39 league app & 11 goals) and for the following season transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (13 league apps & 10 goals).
Team Group Photo
The team pictures taken pre-kick are another memory of when teams regularly lined up before a match for a team photo call. Rare pictures as players from both sides pose in Geoff’s branded track suit tops, some personalised with the player’s initials. Did the team ever wear the tracksuits for another match? Probably not.
The history behind the tracksuits is that Geoff also worked as a design and promotion consultant for “Unique Sports Wear”, helping in the design of tracksuits and boots. Which is why, for promtionl purposes, both teams posed in Geoff’s tracksuit tops. For the match the European XI’s yellow coloured shirts were lent by Arsenal and bore the Gunners’ cannon badge.
As an aside, a couple of notable absentees were Trevor Brooking and Frank Lampard, who had both been selected to make their England Under-23 debuts the following evening in the international between England and Switzerland at Portman Road. Trevor capped his performance by scoring England’s goal in the 1-1 draw. As one Hammer hero reached the twilight of his career, another’s was taking off.
West Ham United 4 - 4 European XI (HT 1-1)
Tuesday November 23, 1971
Attendance: 29,250
Teams:
West Ham United: 4 (Hurst 25', Robson 77' & 79'), Best 81')
Bobby Ferguson
John McDowell (Clive Charles 46')
Bobby Howe
Billy Bonds (Joe Durrell 60')
Tommy Taylor
Bobby Moore
Harry Redknapp (John Ayris 46')
Clyde Best
Geoff Hurst (capt)
Peter Eustace
Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson
European XI: 4 (MacDougall 29', Marsh 50' & 76', Greaves 61')
John Jackson (Crystal Palace)
Mick Docherty (Burnley)
Tommy Gemmell (Celtic)
Eusebio (Benfica) (Jimmy Greaves 55')
Willi Schultz (Hamburg)
Dave MacKay (Swindon Town)
Jimmy Johnstone (Celtic)
Ted MacDougall (Bournemouth) (Mordechai Spiegler (Maccabi 46')
Uwe Seeler (Hamburg) (capt)
Rodney Marsh (Queens Park Rangers)
Antonio Simoes (Benfica)
Stars, Style and a Scoreline to Match
The night itself unfolded with the kind of joyful looseness that testimonials often inspire. The match finished 4–4, a scoreline that reflected both the attacking talent on display and the relaxed, expressive nature of the occasion. Greaves, almost by obligation, found the net, reminding the crowd of his effortless finishing touch. Hurst, the man of the moment, played with the freedom of someone enjoying a rare evening without pressure, linking play, drifting into pockets of space and receiving the applause that followed his every touch.
The European XI, despite their star‑studded lineup, played with a lightness that suited the mood. Eusebio glided across the turf with familiar elegance, Seeler showed flashes of the power that had defined his career, and Marsh entertained with his usual blend of swagger and mischief. Spiegler’s second‑half appearance was brief but warmly received.
By the final whistle, the score hardly mattered. What lingered was the atmosphere: the floodlights glowing against the November sky, the sense of shared appreciation, and the knowledge that Upton Park had come together to honour one of its greatest heroes. As Geoff Hurst left the field that night, he did so to the sound of a crowd that understood exactly what he had given them - and what he still meant to the club’s story.