Bobby Moore remembered

[medwayhammer]

Thanks Bobby. I never saw you play, but I've watched many videos of you. You were the greatest.

[Adam 'The Smudge']

Great pics Medway :niceone:
We must not forget the fact that at one time we were a good side.
Possibly the best period in our history came when Bobby was still a young man.
What a shambles we are today.
I know we were never the best league side, but have we ever been as inept as we are today. :roll:

[Gnome]

Just a thought - dunno if anyone else agrees but I reckon the photo of Bobby & Pele after the 1970 World Cup match is one of the best photos ever - you can actually see the mutual admiration between the two best players in the world at that time.

[Adam 'The Smudge']

Agreed Gnome.
Even if Pele couldn't speak 'The moore's English' you could tell they knew each other's feelings.
That tackle by moore as he is retreating versus brazil in '70, and to then get up with the ball has to be the finest ever-in a massive game.
I'm getting all nostalgic now.
How I crave for someone like him to rescue us now.

[Super Paolo]

I am only 19, I never saw 'Sir' Bobby Moore play, I wish I had. Thank-you for all that you did for our club and for English football. Rest In Peace.

[micky]

RIP BOBBY GOD BLESS NEVER FORGOTTEN Micky

[Rio]

Being the young whippersnapper that I am, I never saw the great man play. However countless hourd of video footage studied, books read & time spent listening to the opinions of those who witnessed the genius leave me in no doubt that the man was quite frankly a legend.

The esteem in which he is held by everyone in the footballing world is a measure of the mans character. It is only a shame that the powers that be only began to show him any form of respect following his untimely death.

When the likes of Beckanbauer & Pele say he was a genius then you have to take note.

The events surrounding his passing, the flowers, the late night vigil at the gates, the minutes silence etc. are for me overshadowed by very moving image. When before the Wolves game one of their fans leapt onto the pitch made his way to the centre circle laying a wreath. The poor guy broke down as he made his way back to the away fans. Completely inconsoloable. I know it seems strange but as I sit typing this I've got tears welling in my eyes at the memory.

All this debate about who the statue at the new Wembley should be is irrelavant. It should be Bobby no question. But the stadium should be named after the man who captained England to their greatest triumph at the old stadium & is held in such high esteem world wide.

RIP Bobby

[OsloHammer]

This is from the Telegraph and sums it up quite nicely:

England still missing Moore's class
By David Miller (Filed: 24/02/2003)


How England could use Bobby Moore's calming leadership today, that Bank of England aura of security, that rare capacity for being formidably tough without being rough. How rightly did Pele label him a gentleman.


Legend: West Ham and England's Bobby Moore
Today is the 10th anniversary of his death. Coincidentally, Duncan Edwards, that other English oak, died 45 years ago last Friday: two footballers unique in their respective ways and for whom those who saw them play retain affection and pride. There was a special quality about Moore that was not fully appreciated by the nation - and especially by the shallow Football Association - until he had prematurely gone, aged 51.

Had Edwards not perished from his injuries at the Munich air crash, it might well have been that Moore never became England captain, for in 1966 Edwards would still have been, at 29, near the peak of his powers. What can be said without question is that together they would have made England near invincible.

What many of our contemporary Premiership players do not realise - especially that minority who happen to be English - is that from his teenage years Moore pursued not the luxuries of Ferraris and the like, but perfection. He was an average schoolboy, the least naturally talented of 13 groundstaff boys at Upton Park, who - through diligent attention to the altruistic coaching of his senior colleague, Malcolm Allison, and his subsequent maturity from absorbing the wisdom of Ron Greenwood - became a truly world-class defender.

You could not meet Moore without being conscious of his acute level of awareness. In conversation, he looked straight at you, missing nothing, with those deep-set eyes never far from a warm smile. From the outset, he was intent on growing up as a person, as well as a footballer, of maximising every experience.

Jock Stein, legendary manager of Celtic, used to say that there should be a law against Moore: "He sees things half-an-hour before everybody else." That degree of perception had not come about by accident.

A maxim drummed into him by Allison, often on a bus on the way home from training, had been that he should know, at every instant of a match, what he would do if the ball suddenly came to him. This was in turn related to awareness of other players' positions moment by moment.

Ken Brown, a central defender and another West Ham colleague who nowadays analyses opposition for Sven-Goran Eriksson, recalls: "An exercise with Greenwood was suddenly to halt a practice match with the whistle, and ask each player who was the nearest to them, behind them. Me, I could never remember, but Bobby, he knew without a glance where everyone on the pitch was."

This all-seeing, freeze-frame ability was epitomised by the pass that sealed World Cup triumph. With Jack Charlton yelling at him to hoof the ball over the roof of the stand as the end of extra-time approached, Moore coolly struck an arcing pass into the path of Geoff Hurst, for his third and England's fourth goal against West Germany.

Such equanimity would be equally apparent when, four years later, he was held under house arrest in Bogota, during a pre-World Cup tour, for alleged theft of a bracelet - even though the Colombian police knew that none of the fingerprints on the jeweller's display case were his. Unruffled, Moore belatedly rejoined his colleagues to play the game of his life against Pele.

Though he had his faults - because of his unrelenting focus he could seem at times aloof, and could transparently disregard lesser matches - here was a man who, like Dave Mackay of Tottenham, would be last out of the bar after a few lagers and reminiscences and unfailingly first in for training next morning.

In every way he strove to be stylish as well as accomplished. His inspiration as a player was the elegant Ray Barlow of West Bromwich, a left-half with a potter's touch. Memorably, he wiped his muddy hands on the velvet sill of the Royal Box before receiving the World Cup from the Queen. Yet he calculatedly blocked out the adulation that gave him admitted satisfaction. "I always wanted to have challenge, the feel of a 50,000 crowd at Old Trafford or Anfield," he would say.

Mine are no hagiographic recollections, for if there can be sporting genius, here it was. As somebody observed at his death: "God can tell Heaven's XI to start getting changed - the captain's arrived."

[micky]

I recall as a nipper ,waiting for his autograph at chadwell heath many times along with loads of other kids , then made to line up "and one each" was the rule ,unless he liked the photo then maybe you get two ,aaaaaahhhh happy days .when fans were REAl FANS ,AND Alf Garnett was just a part of the times ,not like todays PC lot god bless bobby RIP

[Northern Paulo]

When UtJ first asked for articles/memories of Mooro I thought 'Great, I'll write a piece tonight'. However, on sitting down that same evening I found I didn't know where to start. He was one of the players who played such a big part in my childhood and part of so many memories.

A true GREAT, a true IDOL, a ONE OFF. Thank goodness I was fortunate enough to see him play.

[micky]

Had the sheeer joy of seeing him lift 3 cups (64,65,66) and also be on a loseing FA cup team (75) what more can i say except RIP THE KING

[Northern Paulo]

Had the sheeer joy of seeing him lift 3 cups (64,65,66) and also be on a loseing FA cup team (75) what more can i say except RIP THE KING

Well I wasn't quite that lucky (first game in '69). Those days must've seem unreal now don't they micky?

[micky]

1964 my 1st senoir game the final itself i got to go as my old man struck a deal with my mum ,that if he went to the semi against the mancs and we won he have to take me my 1st game on my own was 1967 the 6-1 flogging by the mancs the battle of the north bank great days though

[Amsterhammer]

Like NP, I had intended to pour my heart into a well-written piece of my "early days" recollections of the great man - only to run into the now sadly familiar "failing memory" syndrome

What I DO remember is this:

As a young American student in London in the fall of 1967 I was asked if I fancied going to a football game. Having never before seen a live game in Engalnd I eagerly accepted the offer, with no idea of where I was going. I wound up standing in the Chicken Run as my companion pointed out to me the three World Cup winners on the pitch - whom I DID recognise, as I had seen the 1966 final (by coincidence, in Amsterdam!)

At that time I didn't yet have any appreciation of Bobby's stature, but I was immediately hooked by the amazing atmosphere in UP. It must have been cold that day because I seem to have a memory of something I have always particularly associated with Bobby, the way he would curl his fingers inwards and appear to be holding onto the cuff of his sleeves.

My next visit to UP was not until a year later as I hippied off to India in the meantime! From the fall of 1968, however, I became a regular at UP and count my blessings to this day that I had the pleasure and priviledge of seeing the great man (and Hurst, Peters, Brooking, etc) play on many occasions.

Bobby Moore: Legend and Hero :doff:

[brillo]

When UtJ first asked for articles/memories of Mooro I thought 'Great, I'll write a piece tonight'. However, on sitting down that same evening I found I didn't know where to start. He was one of the players who played such a big part in my childhood and part of so many memories.

A true GREAT, a true IDOL, a ONE OFF. Thank goodness I was fortunate enough to see him play.

Thought the same and as everyone would write about the trophies and England I thought I'd just do a little bit on his early years,which UTJ has graciously put on the site.
Micky the great flour bomb battle,but I must say a terrific game,not like the surrender the other week.
A/h a fine tribute you and Adam made on the site,
he was just the greatest defender ever to play football and the nicest person possible.

[Hants Hammer]

I was not lucky enough to see Sir Bobby play in the flesh as he had just moved to Fulham before i went to my first live match.

He was my older brothers hero and the reason he supported West Ham and from an early age all i can remember is stories of what a great player and a gentleman he was and this is the reason i now support West Ham and i relate the same stories to my Son and Daughter who have taken up the claret and blue mantle.

The memories of his death and going to the Wolves game after and seeing grown men in tears(me being one of them) will live with me forever.

So tonight when i go home i will get my son and daughter charge our glasses and drink a toast to the greatest player England ever produced.

Sir Bobby Moore rest in peace.

[Up the Junction]

Just got back from Upton Park, here's a couple of pictures. There's not really an awful lot to see yet (I guess most people will pop up there later on) but there's a handful of people milling about. Nothing from the club to commemorate the occasion as yet either ...

[jeff burst]

Sir Bobby Moore was simply the greatest England player ever - end of story.
When the names of the truly great players of all time are set in stone his name will be there.
Everything about him was exemplary.

My favourite memory of him? Easy. 1967 and we were basking in the glory of our World Cup win. I was 10 years old and it was a school holiday. One of my mates suggested we go to the Boleyn Ground and get some autographs because it was a Friday and the players would be there as it was pay day. Armed with my 1967 Boys Book of Soccer I went to the ground. The players began to emerge from the old main stand in dribs and drabs. Each time a scrum of schoolkids with the same idea surrounded the players: Ronnie Boyce, Alan Sealey to name but two.

Then Martin Peters and my other all time hero Sir Geoff. The scrum around these World Cup winners was immense - but I got their signatures.

Finally out comes the great man himself - Bobby Moore. Once again a huge scrum surrounded him. He refused to sign any autographs. "Right you lot" he said in his authorititve voice "if you don't form an orderly queue no one gets an autograph".

Without any hesitation fifty or so excited, awestruck schoolkids formed into an orderly queue and the great man signed for every single one of them - one at a time, one to one. I don't know to this day how I stood up when he signed for me - my legs were jelly!!!!

So I have in my Boys Book of Soccer Martin Peters autograph on a picture of him scoring his goal, Sir Geoff's autograph on a picture of him scoring his second goal and the great man's autograph on a picture of him with the World Cup.

Fantastic. Unbelievable. Irreplacable. He was simply the best.

Shame he didn't stand for Prime Minister - he would have walked it!!

How we miss him.

:shirt: :doff: :doff: :doff: :shirt:

[Hoxton]

He is the one and only!
Bobby Moore!
Never Fogoton!!

[Vienna Hammer]

"God can tell Heaven's XI to start getting changed - the captain's arrived."

I never saw him play, because I am too young. but he is a hero for me, one of the greatest english player ever and also known here in austria.