Robert Frederick Chelsea MooreOBE (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English professionalfootballer. HecaptainedWest Ham United for more than ten years, and was the captain of theEngland national team that won the1966 FIFA World Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the greatestdefenders in the history of football, and was cited byPelé as the greatest defender he had ever played against.[5] Moore is considered one of the greatest players of all time.[6]
Widely regarded as West Ham's greatest ever player, Moore played more than 600 games for the club during a 16-year tenure, winning theFA Cup in1963–64 and theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in1964–65. During his time at the club, he won theFWA Footballer of the Year in 1964 and theWest Ham Player of the Year in 1961, 1963, 1968 and 1970. In August 2008, West Ham United officially retired his number 6 shirt, 15 years after his death.[7]
Moore was made captain of England in 1963, at the age of 22; he went on to lift theWorld Cup trophy in 1966. He won a total of 108caps for his country, which at the time of his international retirement in 1973 was a national record. This record was later broken byPeter Shilton. Moore's total of 108 caps continued as a record for an outfield player until 28 March 2009, whenDavid Beckham gained his 109th cap.[8] Moore is a member of theWorld Team of the 20th Century, and is regarded as a national team icon. A bronze statue of him stands at the entrance toWembley Stadium.
A composedcentral defender, Moore was best known for his reading of the game and ability to anticipate opposition movements, thereby distancing himself from the image of the hard-tackling, high-jumping defender. Receiving theBBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1966, he was the first footballer to win the award and he remained the only one for a further 24 years. Moore was given anOBE in the 1967New Year Honours List. He was made an inaugural inductee of theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a player, and in the same year he was named in the BBC's list of the100 Greatest Britons.
Moore's childhood home, 43 Waverley Gardens, Barking, London
Moore was born in Upney Hospital inBarking,Essex, on Saturday, 12 April 1941. He was the son of Robert E. Moore and Doris (née Buckle). He attended Westbury Primary School in Barking and thenTom Hood School,Leytonstone, playing football for both.[9]
In 1956, Moore joinedWest Ham United as a player and, after advancing through the club's youth set-up, he played his first game on 8 September 1958 againstManchester United.[10] In putting on the number six shirt, he replaced his mentorMalcolm Allison, who was suffering fromtuberculosis.[11]
Both he andGeoff Hurst played in the 1959FA Youth Cup final team that lost toBlackburn Rovers (1–2 on aggregate); both also were in the team that won the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup (1–0 vChelsea) later that year.[13] Moore also playedcricket for theEssex youth team alongside Hurst.[14]
Malcolm Allison never played another first team game for West Ham as Moore became a regular. A composedcentral defender, Moore was admired for his reading of the game and ability to anticipate opposition movements, thereby distancing himself from the image of the hard-tackling, high-jumping defender. Moore's ability to head the ball or keep up with the pace was average at best, but the way he read the game, marshalled his team and timed his tackles marked him out as world class. Moore was sent off once over the course of his West Ham career, for a foul onDave Wagstaffe in the final moment of a match againstManchester City in November 1961. The referee had simultaneously blown his whistle for the offence and for full-time. Asred cards were not issued at that time, the dismissal did not become apparent until after the match.[15]
In 1960, Moore earned a call up to theEngland Under-23 squad. His form and impact on West Ham as a whole earned him a late call-up to thefull England squad byWalter Winterbottom andThe Football Association selection committee in 1962, when final preparations were being made for the summer'sWorld Cup finals inChile. Moore was uncapped as he flew toSouth America with the rest of the squad, but made his debut on 20 May 1962 in England's final pre-tournament friendly – a 4–0 win overPeru inLima. Also making his debut that day wasTottenham Hotspur defenderMaurice Norman. Both proved so impressive that they stayed in the team for the whole of England's participation in the World Cup, which ended in defeat by eventual winnersBrazil in the quarter finals atViña del Mar.
On 29 May 1963, 22-year-old Moore captained his country for the first time in just his 12th appearance after the retirement ofJohnny Haynes and an injury to his successor,Jimmy Armfield. He was the youngest man ever to captain England at the highest level. England defeatedCzechoslovakia 4–2 in the game and Armfield returned to the role of captain afterwards, but new coachAlf Ramsey gave Moore the job permanently during a series of summer friendlies in 1964, organised because England had failed to reach the latter stages of theEuropean Championships.
The FA Cup success would become the first of three successful Wembley finals in as many years for Moore. In 1965, he lifted theEuropean Cup Winners Cup after West Ham defeated1860 Munich 2–0 in the final with both goals coming fromAlan Sealey. By now he was the first choice captain for England with 30 caps, and around whom Ramsey was building a team to prove correct his prediction that they would win the1966 World Cup.
1966 had a mixed start for Moore. In January, he scored his first England goal in a 1–1 draw withPoland atGoodison Park,[17] but two months later captained West Ham to the final of theLeague Cup – in its last season before its transfer to Wembley as a one-off final – which they lost 5–3 onaggregate toWest Bromwich Albion. For Moore, who had scored in the first leg, and his West Ham teammatesGeoff Hurst andMartin Peters, considerable consolation lay ahead. Moore scored his second and ultimately final England goal in a friendly againstNorway, two weeks before the World Cup would begin.[18]
Bobby Moore (far right) leading the England team out on to the pitch to play the1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany at Wembley Stadium
On the verge of his greatest triumph, details were released to the press in early 1966 that Moore wanted to leave West Ham. Moore had let his contract slip to termination, and only after the intervention of SirAlf Ramsey and realisation he was technically ineligible to play, did he re-sign with West Ham to allow him to captain the England team of 1966. Ramsey had summoned West Ham managerRon Greenwood to England's hotel and told the two of them to resolve their differences and get a contract signed up. Moore was the leader of theWorld Cup winning side and established himself as a world-class player and sporting icon. With all their games at Wembley, England had got through their group with little trouble, they then beatArgentina in their quarter final and aEusébio-ledPortugal team in the semi-finals.West Germany awaited in the final.[19]
According to Geoff Hurst'sautobiography, England full backGeorge Cohen overheard Ramsey talking to his coaching staff about the possibility of dropping Moore for the final and deploying the more battle-hardenedNorman Hunter in his place. However, eventually they settled on keeping the captain in the team. Moore had not been playing badly, nor had he given the impression that he had been distracted by his contract dispute prior to the competition. The only possible explanations were that the Germans had some rather fast attacking players, which could expose Moore's own lack of pace, and that Hunter – who was of a similar age to Moore but only had four caps – was the club partner of Moore's co-defender with England,Jack Charlton.
In the final, England went 1–0 down throughHelmut Haller, but Moore's awareness and quick-thinking helped England to a swift equaliser. He was fouled byWolfgang Overath midway inside the German half and, rather than remonstrate or head back into defence, he picked himself up quickly while looking ahead and delivered an instant free kick on to Hurst's head, in a movement practised at West Ham. Hurst scored.[19]
The West Ham connection to England's biggest day became stronger when Peters scored to take England 2–1 up, but the Germans equalised in the final minute of normal time throughWolfgang Weber – as Moore appealed unsuccessfully for ahandball decision – to take the match into extra time.
Ramsey was convinced the Germans were exhausted, and after Hurstscored a controversial and heavily debated goal, the game looked over. With seconds remaining, and England under the pressure of another German attack, the ball broke to Moore on the edge of his own penalty area. Teammates shouted at Moore to just get rid of the ball, but he calmly picked out the feet of Hurst40 yards (36 m) upfield, who scored to bring the score to 4–2.[19]
Of many memorable images from that day, one is of Moore wiping his hands clean of mud and sweat on the velvet tablecloth before shaking the hand ofQueen Elizabeth II as she presented him with theJules Rimet trophy (the World Cup).The Guardian wrote "Moore is the calmest person in the stadium as he leads the England players up to the Royal Box".[19]
Bust of Moore in the entrance foyer of the stand bearing his name at West Ham'sBoleyn Ground
Moore became a national icon as a consequence of England's success, with he and the other two West Ham players taking the World Cup around the grounds which West Ham visited during the following domestic season. He was awarded the covetedBBC Sports Personality of the Year title at the end of 1966, the first footballer to do so, and remaining the only one for a further 24 years.[20] He was also given an OBE in the New Year Honours List.[19]
Moore's image and popularity allowed him to start a number of business ventures, including a sports shop next to West Ham's ground,Upton Park, and he also appeared with his wife Tina, along with Peters and his wife Kathy, in a television advertisement for the pub industry, urging people to "look in at the local".[21]
He continued to play for West Ham and England, earning his 50th cap in a 5–1 win overWales at the end of 1966 in a Home International match which also doubled up as a qualifier for the1968 European Championships. England ultimately reached the semi-finals (the tournament was just a four-team event) where they playedYugoslavia inFlorence and lost 1–0. England, as champions, did not have to qualify for the next World Cup, and Moore remained the first name on Ramsey's team sheet, winning his 78th cap prior to the squad's flight toSouth America for a short period of altitude-acclimatisation, before going on to the finals inMexico.[19]
The year 1970 was a bittersweet, mixed and eventful one for Moore. Retained as captain for the1970 World Cup, there was however heavy disruption to preparations when an attempt was made to implicate Moore in the theft of abracelet from a jeweller inBogotá, Colombia, where England were involved in a warm-up game. A young assistant had claimed that Moore had removed the bracelet from the hotel shop without paying for it. While Moore had been in the shop (having entered withBobby Charlton to look for a gift for Charlton's wife, Norma), no proof was offered to support the accusations. Moore was arrested and then released. He then travelled with the England team to play another match againstEcuador inQuito. He played, winning his 80th cap, and England were 2–0 victors, but when the team plane stopped back in Colombia on the return to Mexico, Moore was detained and placed under four days ofhouse arrest. Diplomatic pressure, plus the obvious weakness of the evidence, eventually saw the case dropped entirely, and an exonerated Moore returned to Mexico to rejoin the squad and prepare for the World Cup. He received a guard of honour from his squad when he arrived at the team hotel.[19]
By common consent, Bobby Moore's greatest game was the fabled1970 World Cup group match against Brazil in Guadalajara. To crown it all of course is "that tackle by Moore" celebrated in song ["Three Lions"] and replayed a million times since. One hundred years from now when anyone asks what made Moore special, it will be the first piece of evidence.
—The Times, "Most famous tackle looked like Superman stopping a train".[22]
Moore went on to play a leading role in England's progress through their group. On 2 June he captained England to a 1–0 victory against Romania. In the second game against favouritesBrazil, there was a defining moment for Moore when he tackledJairzinho with such precision and cleanness that it has been described as the perfect tackle.[23] It continues to be shown on television around the world.[23][24] Brazil still won the game 1–0, but England progressed through the group. Moore swapped shirts withPelé after the game.[23] The shirt was displayed at theNational Football Museum in Manchester, courtesy of the Priory Collection.[25] A 1–0 win over Czechoslovakia allowed England to finish second in the group and advance to the knockout stage.
At the Quarter Final stage, a rematch of the 1966 World Cup against West Germany, England took a 2–0 lead but lost 3–2 in extra time. At the end of the year, Moore was voted runner-up (behindGerd Müller of West Germany) for the 1970European Footballer of the Year award.[26]
Moore as England's captain before a match against Switzerland
On 10 August 1970, Moore received an anonymous threat to kidnap his wife and hold her to a £10,000 ransom. This caused him to pull out of pre-season friendlies againstBristol City andAFC Bournemouth. However, his services to West Ham were rewarded with a testimonial match againstCeltic at the end of 1970.[27]
Although Moore was seen as an icon and a perfect influence on the game, he was not without his faults or controversies. On 7 January 1971, he and three West Ham teammates,Jimmy Greaves,Brian Dear andClyde Best, were all fined a week's wages by West Ham manager Greenwood after going out drinking in a nightclub until the early hours of the morning prior to an FA Cup third round tie againstBlackpool. West Ham lost the tie 4–0. The nightclub in Blackpool was owned by boxerBrian London, a friend of Moore. Blackpool were the bottom side inDivision One at the time, and were relegated at the end of the season. Coincidentally, on the previous night, Moore was featured on TV as the subject onThis Is Your Life.Brian Glanville stated that it was not uncommon for Moore to drink heavily, but he was often seen training with West Ham the next day, working off thealcohol he had consumed the previous night.[28] On 12 June 1972, he also played for theGreek sideOlympiacos, as their captain, in a friendly match against theBrazilian clubCorinthians.[29]
Moore surpassed West Ham's appearances record in 1973 when he played for the club for the 509th time. Three days earlier, on 14 February 1973, he won his 100th cap for England in a comprehensive 5–0 win overScotland atHampden Park[30] By this stage, only Peters andAlan Ball from the 1966 squad were also still involved with the England team. Later the same year, Moore was exposed defensively byPoland in a qualifier for the1974 FIFA World Cup inChorzów, deflecting a free kick past goalkeeperPeter Shilton to put the home side ahead, and then losing possession toWlodzimierz Lubanski, who scored the second.[31]
Moore's form had dipped enough for Ramsey to choose not to select him for the return game at Wembley which England had to win to qualify. Any other result would send Poland through. Being replaced byNorman Hunter in defence and Peters as the skipper for that match, Moore is understood to have asked Ramsey if this meant he was no longer required, to which Ramsey replied: "Of course not. I need you as my captain at the World Cup next year." It never happened, as England could only draw 1–1. During the Wembley match, Hunter attempted to make a tackle but instead trod on the ball and lost it, a similar error to Moore's lost possession in Chorzów, which allowed Poland to quickly counterattack and score thanks to Shilton's mistake. Allan Clarke equalised with a penalty, but England could not score again as goalkeeperJan Tomaszewski blocked numerous English chances. Moore later told how he sat alongside Ramsey on the bench and kept urging him to make a substitution, but Ramsey was hesitant to do so. WhenKevin Hector finally did come on forMartin Chivers after 85 minutes Moore could be seen on TV yanking down Hector's tracksuit bottoms while Ramsey sat immobile. Moore, later, said toDavid Miller "you could 'feel' the minutes escaping. I said to Alf, we need someone to go through the middle. He just nodded. We couldn't get Kevin out there quick enough. We almost threw him onto the pitch." Hunter was in an inconsolable state as he was led off the pitch by Harold Shepherdson, and by Moore, whose place in the side he had taken. England's failure to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup signalled the end of Ramsey's reign as national team manager when he was sacked six months later.[32]
Moore won his 108th and final cap in the next game, a 1–0 friendly defeat toItaly on 14 November 1973. He became England's most capped player, beating Bobby Charlton's record by two appearances, and equalledBilly Wright's record of 90 appearances as captain.Peter Shilton,David Beckham andSteven Gerrard have since overtaken the caps record, but the joint captaincy record remains.[33]
He could hardly run, couldn't turn, couldn't head a ball, and had no left foot. But he was the world's greatest defender. He had a better head on his shoulders than any of the others, and even though he was coming towards the end of his career when he joined Fulham, he was still a great player and a tremendous asset. I remember his first ever pass to me. It was very hard and to my right, so I had to turn sharply to reach it. I thought: 'He only passed the ball 15 yards, so why didn't he pass it to my feet?' But as I turned the player marking me was on my left side – so in fact Bobby had beaten him for me. That was the difference.
Moore played his last game for West Ham in an FA Cup tie againstHereford United in January 1974. He was injured in the match. On 14 March the same year, he left West Ham after more than 15 years, taking with him the club record for appearances (since overtaken byBilly Bonds) and the most international caps for an outfield player.
He joined London rivalsFulham, who were in theSecond Division, for £25,000. During Moore's first season there they defeated West Ham in a League Cup tie and then reached theFA Cup Final where they faced West Ham again. This time Fulham lost the game, 2–0, and Moore made his final appearance at Wembley as a professional player.[34]
In April 1978, he signed as a professional player withDanish sideHerning Fremad to promote Danish football's new transition to professional football, playing 9 games for the club before he retired.[35] In May 1978, he signed with Canadian side Edmonton Black Gold for a summer exhibition schedule, although he only joined the team six weeks later ahead of the 23 June match against Benfica.[36] After Moore's second game with Edmonton against theSeattle Sounders on 28 June, he was signed by the Sounders on 7 July.[37]
The following year, Moore played forHighgate-based clubCracovia for a tour ofMalaysia.[38] In 1983, Moore appeared in 8 games for the now-defunctCarolina Lightnin', after injuries left the club without cover.[39]
Following his retirement from playing professionally in 1978, Moore took up a coaching role atCrystal Palace. In 1980, he took up the managerial role atIsthmian League sideOxford City, being assisted by former West Ham teammateHarry Redknapp. During Moore's time at Oxford City he boosted the club's profile, bringing newfound media attention to the club, as well as signing the likes ofPhil Beal andJohn Fraser. In 1981, Moore and Redknapp left Oxford City, being replaced byJohn Delaney.[40]
Following Moore's time at Oxford City, the former England captain moved to Hong Kong, to manageEastern, being appointed in August 1982, replacingPeter Wong. Moore had previously spent time at Eastern, playing the final 12 minutes in Eastern's 4–0Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield victory againstHong Kong Rangers in December 1981. In January 1983, Moore recruitedTerry Cochrane andAlan Ball to play for Eastern. Despite's Moore's new signings for the club, he left the club in March 1983.[41]
He became manager of Southend United in 1984. In his first full season, 1984–85, Southend narrowly avoided having to apply for re-election to the Football League amid severe financial difficulties. However, the side was gradually rebuilt and in the 1985–86 season Southend started well and were in the promotion race until the new year before eventually finishing ninth. His successor,David Webb built upon those foundations to win promotion the following year. Moore agreed to serve on the board of the club and held this role until his death.[42]
Tributes to Bobby Moore outside the Boleyn Ground on 6 March 1993
Moore's first cancer was in 1964, two years before England's first World Cup win — a diagnosis oftesticular cancer, treated byorchidectomy of one; it had not spread.[43] In April 1991, Moore underwent an operation for suspectedcolorectal cancer. At the time it was reported as an "emergency stomach operation".[44]
On 14 February 1993, he announced he was suffering from colorectal cancer andliver cancer; by this time it had spread. Three days later he commentated on an England match againstSan Marino at Wembley, alongside his friendJonathan Pearce. Moore attended a dinner after the match and made a presentation.[45] That was to be his final public act; he died seven days later on 24 February, at 6:36 am.[44]
Moore's grave in the Memorial Gardens, City of London Cemetery
Moore was the first member of the England World Cup–winning side to die. His funeral was held on 2 March 1993 atPutney Vale crematorium and his ashes kept in the plot of his father, Robert Edward (died 1978) and his mother, Doris Joyce (died 1992) atCity of London Cemetery and Crematorium.
The first West Ham home game after his death was on 6 March 1993, againstWolverhampton Wanderers. The Boleyn Ground was awash with floral tributes, scarves and other football memorabilia from West Ham fans and those of other clubs. Fellow1966 World Cup winnersGeoff Hurst andMartin Peters placed a floral replica of a West Ham shirt, showing Moore's number, 6, on the back, on the centre spot before the game. West Ham rested the No. 6 for the game, with the regular No. 6,Ian Bishop, wearing No. 12. The game was won by West Ham 3–1:Trevor Morley,Julian Dicks andMatty Holmes scored for West Ham,Steve Bull in reply.[46]
West Ham and Wolves players line up for a minute's silence for Bobby Moore before their game at the Boleyn Ground on 6 March 1993
His former England teammate,Jack Charlton, on aBBC documentary of Moore's life in and outside of football,[47] said of Moore's death:
Well, I only ever cried over two people,Billy Bremner and Bob... [long pause] He was a lovely man.
On 28 June 1993, a public service was held inWestminster Abbey, attended by all the other members of the 1966 World Cup team. He was only the second sportsman to be so honoured, the first being West Indies cricketer SirFrank Worrell.
For many years he delighted supporters of West Ham and was a formidable opponent in the eyes of those against whom he played. But it is for his appearances for England — ninety of them as captain — that he will be chiefly remembered, and supremely for his captaincy of the World Cup team of 1966.[48]
The Bobby Moore Fund is a charity in the United Kingdom, formed in 1993 by Stephanie Moore andCancer Research UK (CRUK) in memory of her late husband to raise money for research intobowel cancer and also public awareness of the disease.[49][50] A campaign,Make Bobby Proud was initiated in 2013 to fundraise. As of February 2013 the Bobby Moore Fund had raised £18.8m towards bowel cancer research.[51]
In 1996,comediansFrank Skinner andDavid Baddiel used the line "But I still see that tackle by Moore" in thelyrics to their song "Three Lions", which was the England team's official song at the1996 European Championships, which was adopted by fans rather than the tournament's official song "We're In This Together" by Simply Red.[22] It referred to the famous incident withJairzinho in 1970, and was re-created by Baddiel, Skinner and Englandleft backStuart Pearce for the video. It was written in the context of a list of great England moments of the past as proof that England could win a tournament again.[22]
Moore was made an inaugural inductee of theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a player. The same year he was named in the BBC's list of the100 Greatest Britons.[52] In November 2003, to celebrateUEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as theGolden Player of England byThe Football Association as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.[53]
On 28 April 2003,Prince Andrew as president ofThe Football Association unveiled theWorld Cup Sculpture (also calledThe Champions) in a prominent place near the Boleyn Ground, at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street. It depicts Moore holding theJules Rimet Trophy aloft, on the shoulders ofGeoff Hurst andRay Wilson, together withMartin Peters. The one and a half-size bronze was sculpted byPhilip Jackson after a famous photograph taken just after the 1966 final at the old Wembley. The south bank at West Ham's ground up until 2016, theBoleyn Ground inUpton Park, was named the Bobby Moore Stand shortly after Moore's death. When West Ham moved to theLondon Stadium in 2016, a stand at the north end of the stadium was redesignated as the Bobby Moore Stand, and was officially opened as such before a pre-season friendly match against Italian sideJuventus. The Moore family was represented at the official opening ceremony by Moore's grandson, Frederick Moore-Hobbis.
West Ham fans display a mosaic of Moore and 6 as a tribute to Moore twenty years after his death
On Friday 11 May 2007, astatue of Bobby Moore was unveiled by SirBobby Charlton outside the entrance of the newly reconstructedWembley Stadium as the "finishing touch" to the project, with the stadium officially opening on Saturday 19 May with the staging of the2007 FA Cup Final. The twice life-size bronze statue, also sculpted by Jackson, depicts Moore looking downWembley Way.[54][55][56]
In August 2008, West Ham United officially retired the number 6 shirt as a mark of respect, 15 years after his death.[7]
On 26 July 2016, Moore became the first footballer to be honoured with anEnglish HeritageBlue Plaque outside his home. The plaque was unveiled on a brick wall at Moore's childhood home in Waverley Gardens, Barking in a ceremony attended by his daughter, Roberta.[57]In April 2017 airlineNorwegian announced Moore's image would appear on the tail fin one of theirBoeing 737-800 aircraft.[58] Moore is one of the company's six "British tail fin heroes", joining Queen frontmanFreddie Mercury, children's authorRoald Dahl, pioneering pilotAmy Johnson, novelistJane Austen and aviation entrepreneurFreddie Laker.[59][60][61] In 2018, Moore was added as an icon to the Ultimate Team inEA Sports'FIFA video gameFIFA 19.[62]
The Bobby Moore Academy primary and secondary schools are located in theQueen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Newham near to the London Stadium and were founded in 2017.[63] The Academy has access to facilities at the Park in addition to links to West Ham United, and will have 1,500 student places at full capacity.[63]
Moore was a talented juniorcricketer, captaining South of England schoolboys and representingEssex youth team, alongside long term footballing teammate,Geoff Hurst.
Moore met his first wife, Tina Dean, in 1957. They married on 30 June 1962.[64] They lived in a house inChigwell, Essex, that they called "Morlands".[65] They had a daughter, Roberta, and a son, Dean.[66]
They separated in 1984,[67] and divorced in 1986.[68] A relationship developed with Stephanie Parlane (eight years his junior)—they married on 4 December 1991 but Moore died on 24 February 1993,14+1⁄2 months later.[69]
Moore was fined £150 and banned from driving for 12 months for drink-driving on 12 April 1977, following his 36th birthday celebrations inStratford.[70] On 15 December 1983, he was arrested in Biggleswade,Bedfordshire and banned from driving for three years and subsequently fined £175 for drink-driving on 11 January 1984.[71]
In 1972, he captainedOlympiacos in a friendly match againstCorinthians.[72][73] The match ended in a 2-0 victory for Corinthians.
Moore was Sports Editor of theSunday Sport from 1986 to 1990[75] and then joined London radio stationCapital Gold as a football analyst and commentator in 1990, a position he held until shortly before his death.[76]
His life after football was eventful and difficult, with poor business dealings and his marriage ending. Moore's supporters said thatThe Football Association could have given a role to him, as the onlyEnglishman to captain aFIFA World Cup winning team or given him an ambassadorial role.[77]
His son, Dean, died, aged 43, in his flat on 28 July 2011, attributed to a medical condition and natural causes.[78]
This sectionis a candidate forcopying over toWikiquote using the Transwiki process.
"My captain, my leader, my right-hand man. He was the spirit and the heartbeat of the team. A cool, calculating footballer I could trust with my life. He was the supreme professional, the best I ever worked with. Without him England would never have won the World Cup."Alf Ramsey*[79]
"He was my friend as well as the greatest defender I ever played against. The world has lost one of its greatest football players and an honourable gentleman."Pelé[79]
"Bobby Moore was the best defender in the history of the game" Franz Beckenbauer[81]
"There should be a law against him. He knows what's happening 20 minutes before everyone else."Jock Stein[82]
"Ask me to talk about Bobby Moore the footballer and I will talk for days. Ask me about the man and I will dry up in a minute."Ron Greenwood[83]
"Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. First Englishman to raise the World Cup aloft. Favourite son of London's East End. Finest legend of West Ham United. National Treasure. Master of Wembley. Lord of the game. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time." Inscription on the pedestal of thestatue at Wembley Stadium.[55]
"Bobby could thread an attacker through the eye of a needle. A gentleman and a scholar. Lovely stuff."Garth Crooks[84]
Tina and Bobby, a television drama series about Tina and Bobby Moore's relationship, was broadcast onITV in January 2017, and repeated in August 2020 and June 2021. The part of Bobby Moore is played by Lorne MacFadyen.[107]
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