Geoff Hurst sparks health fears as England hero forced off stage during event

26 January 2024 , 17:31

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The former England footballer is currently on his "An Evening with Sir Geoff Hurst" tour (Image: Getty Images)

World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst was forced off stage with nosebleeds at his Farewell Tour, sparking health fears.

The Three Lions hat-trick legend – the last surviving member of the 1966 winning squad – was at a £75-a-head Q&A session. But Sir Geoff, 82, left the stage twice with nosebleeds, with organisers eventually pulling the plug on the event after just being on stage for less than 15 minutes.

Hundreds of fans applauded the icon at the Cheese and Grain venue in Frome, Somerset, on Thursday evening, despite the show being cancelled. Sir Geoff’s representatives insist there “wasn’t a problem and [there’s] nothing to worry about”.

But an audience member said: “Sir Geoff came on at 7.30pm but within about seven minutes his nose began to bleed quite heavily. He said he had had it looked at several days before and they were worried about him having to cancel the show.

“He went off and they did an auction and a raffle and he came back on to a massive applause at 8.30pm. He started doing his anecdotes but it soon started again. He tried to carry on but someone in the crowd shouted, ‘Don’t worry, go get it sorted mate’ and so he went off stage.

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“After half an hour the show’s organiser said he couldn’t carry on. People started applauding really loudly because they knew he was backstage and could hear. All anyone cares about is that Sir Geoff is OK and can recover.”

On social media, one punter wrote: “That was a bloody good night.” Another replied: “It certainly was. Especially over the stage, table and his shirt. Best wishes to @TheGeoffHurst. Hope you’re back to match fitness soon.”

In an email sent to punters today, the Cheese and Grain apologised and thanked people for their patience.

The email said: "We met with Sir Geoff in person today, and are happy to report he is healthy, just disappointed that he was unable to perform yesterday. He is very eager and looking forward to returning to Frome for the show.

"Talks are ongoing between Sir Geoff’s representatives and the promoters of the event to reschedule the show, and will be back in touch with the new date as soon as this is confirmed.

"However, as the event was unable to go ahead we are offering refunds on tickets for people who do not wish to attend the new date. Please reply to this email if you wish to claim a refund.

"Thank you so much once again, and we hope you are able to join us for this special farewell show."

Sir Geoff did not attend his former England teammate Sir Bobby Charlton’s funeral in November.

In 2021 he was fitted with a pacemaker after a heart scare during a stroll in the park, when his pulse hit 200 beats per minute. At the time, he said: “Life is a lottery. Look at my colleagues from the World Cup team. Sadly, some have had one issue or another and passed away.”

Sir Geoff has at least seven more dates planned for his “An Evening With..’” tour, which charges £75 for a meet-and-greet, a signed photo and front row seats.