A PICTURE of England’s 1966 hero Martin Peters hangs proudly in the corridors of West Ham’s academy.
His giant image is flanked by fellow World Cup-winning Hammers stars Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff Hurst — and offers a constant inspiration for the club’s latest crop of kids.
Martin Peters scored in the 1966 World Cup final but West Germany equalised lateCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Peters made the journey from humble beginnings to become a national legend.
It’s that journey that West Ham believe will provide a greater legacy than his role in the greatest day in England’s footballing history.
A statement released by West Ham joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold after the midfielder’s death at the age of 76 yesterday said: “Martin represented everything that we hold dear to our heart at West Ham United.
“A local boy who progressed through the academy ranks, played football with class, skill and determination, and provided out fans with magical memories over the years.
“The fact that he went on to achieve the pinnacle of the game by winning the World Cup, along with his West Ham team-mates Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst, is a constant source of pride for our club and will never, be forgotten.
“In many ways Martin’s greatest legacy is not the World Cup medal itself, but the example that he provides to every young player who walks through the door of our academy. His image already stands proudly at Chadwell Heath, alongside Bobby and Geoff, in the players’ corridor.
“It’s a reminder that, whatever your background, if you show dedication, commitment and a willingness to harness your talent in the right way, you can reach the very top.”
Martin Peters scores for England against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final
Peters may have earned lifelong fame as one of the Boys of ’66 — but his reaction to the greatest day in England’s footballing history was to turn in early with a cup of tea.
Sir Alf Ramsey’s side followed the defeat of West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final with a silver-service banquet in the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington.
And once the formalities were over, a number of Ramsey’s World Cup winners headed off into the West End to continue the celebrations. Not Peters. Instead, the scorer of England’s second goal in the 4-2 win had a quiet cup of tea with his wife, Kathleen, whom he had first met in Dagenham as teenagers.
The midfielder’s contribution to that unforgettable day in July 53 years ago secured his status as a Three Lions legend.
But he was seconds away from being forever known as the man who won the World Cup for England.
West Ham honour their World Cup heroes at their training groundCredit: Getty – Contributor
Bobby Moore kisses the World Cup as Martin Peters, left, and Geoff Hurst look onCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
Instead that honour went to West Ham team-mate Hurst who scored twice to complete his hat-trick after a last-minute equaliser from Wolfgang Weber forced the final into extra-time.
Speaking ten years after the win, Peters said: “It would have made a hell of a difference. People get labels, don’t they. And they stick. Hursty and his hat-trick… it made him for life.
“If Weber had missed, my life would have been quite different. It does rankle a bit that football fans remember Hursty’s hat-trick and can’t remember who scored that other goal!”
Fellow Hammer Moore received the Jules Rimet Trophy from the Queen.
Peters — honoured with an MBE in 1978 — had helped take England to the final in only his eighth international.
He would go on to win 67 caps, scoring 20 international goals, and be described by Ramsey as a player “ten years ahead of his time in the game.”
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Peters believes the World Cup-winning manager conjured the description to give the midfielder more recognition.
He said: “It was as though I was never seen as a bloke, but always part of a group.
“Moore, Hurst and Peters, always in that order… ‘and Peters’. Sir Alf never spoke to me about it but I felt he was conscious of it.
“I think that’s why, in 1968, he came out with that famous phrase about me being ten years ahead of my time, trying to make me stand out.”
Peters was good in the air, able to cross with either foot and was blessed with great movement, and his ability to drift into scoring positions unnoticed saw him dubbed ‘The Ghost’.
His qualities led to him becoming the country’s first £200,000 player when he switched from West Ham to Spurs in 1970 in a deal that saw Jimmy Greaves move in the opposite direction.
The son of a lighterman on the River Thames, Peters was born within walking distance of the Boleyn Ground in 1943.
He joined the Hammers as an apprentice in 1959 and came through the academy before being part of the club’s 1964 FA Cup-winning squad. A year later they lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup.
After moving to White Hart Lane, Peters helped Bill Nicholson’s team win the League Cup at Wembley in 1971 and again, as captain, in 1973, a season after playing his part in Spurs’ Uefa Cup victory over Wolves.
Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters, left to right, are West Ham and England legendsCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
He finished his playing career at Sheffield United in 1981 — after making 882 appearances and scoring 220 goals — and had a short stint as manager at Bramall Lane.
Blades boss Chris Wilder, a United supporter, said: “I was 14 at the time. It wasn’t a fabulous period for the club. He was iconic, as was anybody who played in that ’66 team.”
In 2016, it was revealed Peters had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, one of several of the 1966 World Cup heroes to be battling dementia.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
