World Cup hero's name 'used and abused' in Spanish property deal

England's 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst told the High Court yesterday that he felt some remorse at allowing his name to "to be used and abused" in a Spanish property scheme.

Sir Geoff, who alleges that his personal loss is 600,000, has joined forces with six other investors to sue businessman Mark Cordner for a total of 2m.

They claim that, because of Mr Cordner's alleged deceit, negligent mis-statement, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful conspiracy, they handed over the full purchase price – up front and without security – for seven off-plan apartments in a development called Aloha Royal, near Marbella.

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They say their rights over the properties have now either been destroyed or rendered worthless.

Sir Geoff, 68, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, told Mr Justice Keith in London: "I feel some remorse at becoming involved and allowing my name to be used and abused in the way it has been.

"Most of the people I have been associated with have been very forgiving of my role."

Mr Cordner, of Park Lane, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, admits that he made some of the representations alleged by the seven: Sir Geoff; David Barkley; Darren Innocent; Terence Hopley; Paul Kenyon; Martin Roberts and Verna Roberts.

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But, he denies they were made deceitfully or negligently and says that he too was the victim of a Michael Hone – whose whereabouts are unknown – in that he had invested and lost his own money, time and reputation in Aloha Royal and another development, Aldea Beach.

Counsel Peter Knox QC has said that Mr Cordner's claim that he was a mere salesman was "patently untrue" and claims that he was "in partnership" with Mr Hone.

Sir Geoff said he first met Mr Hone and Mr Cordner in June 2003, and was offered an apartment as part of a three-year image rights contract to promote the properties through 15 personal appearances and media endorsements.

He was also approached about buying further apartments in Aloha at a heavily discounted price as long as he paid up front.

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"I believed that Mark Cordner owned the apartments and had the legal right to sell them to me."

At the start, he trusted Mr Hone, but now thought it was a cynical scheme right from the beginning.

He denied that he became friends with Mr Hone, although he had a few meals with him, he and his wife Judith stayed in a cottage at Mr Hone's Spanish home.

"What I try to do when involved in promotional contracts is go beyond the contract and form some kind of social bond."

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When he met Mark Cordner, he seemed to know a lot about the business and said he was the chairman of the company.

Sir Geoff said that he did virtually no research and took no legal advice, as Mr Cordner said that his in-house lawyer would deal with the legal work.

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