VAR ruins football and should be abandoned, says 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst – so would he have ruled out THAT goal?

VAR is ruining football and should be eliminated, according to Sir Geoff Hurst, scorer of the most controversial goal in history.

But the English hero who scored three goals at the 1966 World Cup says the goal-line technology, which may have ruled out his second goal, should remain.

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The 82-year-old insisted he is a fan of modern technology but called VAR a “joke” that delays the game and prevents fans from properly celebrating a goal.

He said: “They are making more bad decisions now and you don’t want to see people take too long to make a decision.

“It’s ruining the show and the fans can’t cheer.

“In fact, it’s ruining the game.”

There is still debate over whether Sir Geoff’s second goal against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley actually crossed the line.

And 44 years later, he was in South Africa to witness Frank Lampard’s 2010 World Cup goal against the Germans being famously disallowed despite it going well over the line.

Sir Geoff recalled: “I was on the opposite side of the linesman and could see the ball bounce halfway between the goal line and the back of the net.

“That was the most shameful decision we’ve seen in football and then they introduced goal-line technology.”

He predicts big things for Gareth Southgate’s boys at the Euros next month – especially Jude Bellingham.

He said: “The group of young players is the best we have had since 1966.

“We have quality players in all positions and his biggest problem is that he can only choose 11 of them.

“If you had to pick one player, I would say Jude Bellingham.

“He’s doing surprisingly well for a 20-year-old.

“He’s in the same category as people like George Best and Bobby Charlton.”

Sir Geoff has revealed he uses his iPad to watch Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer – but skips the post-match analysis.

He said: “I think they spend too much time on experts, which is just one person’s opinion.

“There are some horrible commentators who don’t know what to say and so they just blab.”

The football legend – the last survivor of the 1966 triumph – is now encouraging other older people to learn digital skills to improve their quality of life.

Sir Geoff, who has partnered with BT and AbilityNet, said: “I do internet banking and use the Trainline app to buy tickets.

“I use technology to keep up with the family, to send photos and we have a WhatsApp group called Family Bantz.

“But if I have a problem with something, I look for my children or grandchildren – it’s that simple.

“And if I get something that might be a fake, I throw it away.”