England hero Sir Geoff to join Brackley Town's clubhouse celebrations

World Cup legend Sir Geoff Hurst is heading to Brackley Town as part of their big celebrations as they prepare to open their new clubhouse.

Fans and the general public will get the opportunity to have a look around The Venue at Brackley Town between 10am and 5pm next Tuesday (June 22) with the town’s mayor Don Thompson cutting the ribbon at 11am.

And then, next Saturday (June 26), Sir Geoff, who remains the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final in England’s famous 4-2 win over West Germany in 1966, will be on hand to mark the opening of the Anne Leighton Suite, which is part of the new clubhouse.

That Saturday will also see a game of walking football at 11.30am before a special match to celebrate Glenn Walker becoming the club’s record appearance holder between a Glenn Walker XI and a Brackley Town XI kicks off later on. The teams will be managed by Mike Ford and current Brackley boss Kevin Wilkin.

It promises to be an excellent week for the Saints, almost two years on from when their clubhouse was destroyed by a fire.

Chairman Francis Oliver said: “It’s unbelievable that we have managed to get Sir Geoff to come along on the day.

“We are trying to make the most of this important time for the club. We are still limited on what we can do in terms of the numbers.

“But we are doing all we can to enjoy the moment and the clubhouse is worthy of the person we will have there with us next Saturday.

“We want it to be a big day for the club, we want to celebrate Glenn’s achievement and we want everyone to come along and enjoy it.”

As far as the next National League North season is concerned, there has been mixed news for Brackley over the past week.

They received a big boost when it was confirmed striker Lee Ndlovu had agreed a new deal for the 2021-22 campaign.

However, influential midfielder Shane Byrne has left the club to sign for league rivals Boston United.

“It was extremely tough (to leave),” Byrne said following his move.

“I’ve had some great years there and achieved some great things.

“I was part of the furniture there, so it was a tough decision. But for myself, I wanted a fresh challenge, something to excite and challenge me.”

And Oliver added: “We have lost a couple of good players in Ethan Coleman and Shane but I am sure Kevin will be looking around to bring in others.

“I am sure we will be competitive again next season. We are always talking with Kevin and I am sure he will bolster the squad with three or four more players.”