Peters bemoans modern football fan hate

The 1966 World Cup winner played for both clubs with distinction in the 1960s and 70s and he feels the rivalry between fans has gone too far.

He said: "It really annoys me. It's changed so much, it never used to be like this between the clubs. I don't know why it's got so bitter, possibly because players like Michael Carrick have left West Ham for Spurs, but in the past it was never a problem. When I moved in 1970 it was something the fans just got on with.

"Harry Redknapp got a lot of stick when he went back to Upton Park with Spurs last season. It's sad because the fans seem to have forgotten how much he did for West Ham when he was manager.

"Hopefully it will be eradicated sooner rather than later because it's bad for the game. I know the fans love their clubs dearly but sometimes it goes way beyond that, like what happened between West Ham and Millwall. It's just not acceptable."

To avoid problems Peters, 65, claims to support Norwich, for whom he played between 1975 and 1980, although he still follows the fortunes of West Ham and Spurs.

Born in Plaistow, the son of a Thames lighterman, he was training to follow his father's career when West Ham signed him in 1959. He became part of the club's World Cup winning contingent, alongside Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst, and he feels his Hammers team, managed by Ron Greenwood, should have won more than the 1964 FA Cup and the 1965 European Cup Winners Cup.

He said: "We did underachieve a bit, but a lot of that was because the pitches we played on were awful. At the start of a season they were okay but by November they were cutting up and covered in mud. We'd have been great on modern pitches.

"The way we played was an international style, lots of passing on the floor, so a poor pitch didn't help. We could beat Leeds 7-0 one week but lose to Mansfield in the FA Cup the next. But we always tried to play entertaining football."

Peters had the disappointment of missing the 1964 FA Cup final triumph, being made a scapegoat for an 8-2 drubbing by Blackburn Rovers the previous December.

"That was very disappointing," he said. "The whole team played badly but I was the only one who was dropped and I couldn't force my way back into the team.

"I'd play if there was an injury but I wasn't a regular and in those days there were no substitutes.

"It was terrible to miss the Cup Final. I thought I'd missed my only chance to play at Wembley.

"But Ron Greenwood was quite supportive and he told me I would play more times at Wembley than he'd eaten in the restaurant there."

Greenwood's words proved prophetic as Peters returned to the stadium a year later to produce an outstanding performance to help the Irons win the Cup Winners Cup.

And in 1966, having made his debut in early May, he played there for England when they won the World Cup, scoring the second goal in a dramatic final against West Germany.

Peters played 67 times for England and in recent years has been active in organising reunion dinners for the remaining players from the team. He admitted the death of Alan Ball in 2007 hit them hard.

He said: "I couldn't believe he had died. Geoff Hurst phoned me early in the morning and I was stunned. Bally was the youngest man in the team and nobody expected it.

"He was a great character and always had 100 per cent belief in what he did."

England have been waiting a long time for a side to emulate the boys of 66, and Peters feels they do have a good chance of winning the trophy in South Africa next summer.

He said: "We've got some great players. I'm a big fan of Steven Gerrard. He always gives 120 per cent when he plays.

"In fact, I couldn't believe it when he scored that last minute equaliser against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final. I just hope he can do it again in the World Cup final next year."

Peters is supporting the Sue Ryder Care International Cup charity five-a-side tournament at the David Beckham Academy on December 2.

To enter contact Louise Newton on 020 7492 0746 or email louise.newton@suerydercare.org.