Biography of Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore was an association football player and manager chiefly remembered for captaining the English team which won the World Cup in 1966.
When and Where was Bobby Moore Born?
12th April 1941 at Upney Hospital, Barking and returned to the family home the next day at 43 Waverly Gardens, Barking, Essex.
Family Background:
Robert “Bobby” Moore was an only child of Bob and Doris Moore
Education:
Westbury Primary School. Bobby passed his “Eleven Plus” Exam and went on to Tom Hood Technical High School, Leyton.
Timeline of Bobby Moore:
Moore began his football playing for a local Saturday morning team – South Park Boys, who were part of the Ilford League. His first honour was as captain of Barking Primary Schools, winning the “Crisp Shield” he then progressed to be part of both the Leyton School’s team, and Essex Boy’s team playing in the Leyton District Under-13s. A local scout called Jack Turner heard about Moore’s talent by his sports master Tom Russell, and sent in a report. “Looked fairly useful, but wouldn’t set the world on fire.” Moore was invited to attend West Ham for training with West Ham Colts under their new youth policy.
1950: Bobby Moore signs amateur forms for West Ham United in August whilst still at school. Malcolm Allison, a defender at West Ham, used to train schoolboys and saw a lot of potential in Bobby.
1956: He takes up training full time as a member of ground staff at West Ham full time after leaving school in July. On October 6th he makes his debut for West Ham Colts.
1957: He makes his England Youth Team debut on 2nd October and is made captain under Manager Ron Greenwood.
1958: Moore signs professional forms for West Ham United in May. He makes his debut for West Ham United first team versus Manchester United on September 8th. West Ham win 3-2. Moore goes on to play four more times that season.
1960: He plays 38 games in the 1960-61 season and makes his debut for England Under 23’s on November 2nd.
1961: He makes his debut in the F.A. Cup against Stoke City on January 7th. Ted Fenton is removed as manager of West Ham and replaced with Ron Greenwood.
1962: He makes his debut for the England first team on May 20th versus Peru and becomes captain of West Ham in the 1962-3 season. He marries Tina Dean on June 30th. Alf Ramsey becomes England manager taking over from Walter Winterbottom.
1963: Bobby Moore captains England for the first time on May 29th versus Czechoslovakia.
1964: He captains West Ham United in their F.A. Cup Final victory over Preston on May 2nd. He also becomes Footballer of the Year in May. He played his first European game versus Gantoise of Belgium.
1965: West Ham win the European Cup Winners’ Cup at Wembley Stadium on 19th March with Moore playing.
1966: Don Revie manager of Leeds United puts in a bid for Bobby at the end of the season but West Ham refuse to sell him and Alf Ramsey makes sure his contract is renewed otherwise he would not have been able to play for England. Moore has tonsillitis just after the semi final against Portugal but with the help of the squad doctor, Alan Bass, he manages to get fit for the match and he captains England to World Cup Final victory on July 30th against West Germany (4-2 after Extra Time). Alf Ramsey said “We would not have won the World Cup if Bobby Moore had not been our captain.” Moore wins the BBC’s Sport’s Personality of the Year for 1966.
1967: He is awarded an O.B.E.
1970: Jimmy Greaves arrives at West Ham as Martin Peters is transferred to Tottenham Hotspur. Greaves makes the drinking culture, which had already been prevalent at the club, worse. Moore too was always keen on his drink. Before the 1970 World Cup in Mexico Alf Ramsey takes the players on a training trip to South America. Whilst they are in Colombia Moore is arrested for stealing a bracelet from a jeweller’s shop in Bogota. Clara Padilla, claimed she saw Moore near the cabinet with the gold bracelet. Padilla found the bracelet missing later but it severely damaged his reputation and Prime Minister Harold Wilson had to intervene with the Colombian authorities to get him released. It later transpired that this was an attempt to blackmail him by the Colombian state. England go out to West Germany 3-2 in the Semi Finals after being two nil up.
1971: West Ham are knocked out of the FA Cup in the Third Round by Blackpool. When it was discovered that Moore, Greaves and Dear has been out drinking until late on the previous evening they were reprimanded. Moore receives a two weeks suspension and a fine of £200.
1972: Moore wins his 120th Cap for England versus Scotland on February 14th.
1973: He exceeds the record number of appearances for West Ham on February 17th, set by Jimmy Ruffell of 509. In September the West Ham directors agreed a £400,000 bid for Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking from Brian Clough’s Derby County but again Greenwood blocks the deal.Moore plays his final game for England versus Italy on November 14th.
1974: Moore is injured on January 5th in what became his last ever game for West Ham United (versus Hereford United in the F.A Cup). He transfers to Fulham for £25,000 on March 14th. On March 19th he makes his Fulham debut versus Middlesbrough but they lose 4-0. On October 8th Fulham beat West Ham United in the League Cup.
1975: West Ham United beat Fulham in the F.A. Cup Final on May 3rd.
1976: Moore joins San Antonio Thunder football team in Texas, USA for the summer.
1977: He plays his final game for Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers on May 14th. He then goes to the USA where he plays for He then moves to the United States where he plays for San Antonio Thunder and Seattle Sounders.
1978: In April he joins the Danish club Herning Fremad. His contract is cancelled after only ten games however as the expected large crowds failed to be attracted to the games. Moore again plays in the North American Soccer League for the Seattle Sounders during the summer. Moore writes to the Football Association when Don Revie steps down as England Manager offering his services but he doesn’t receive reply.
1979-1981: He becomes manager of Oxford City.
1983: Moore coaches Team Eastern Athletic in Hong Kong.
1984: He is appointed manager of Third Division Southend United.
1986: He is divorced from Tina on January 6th. in May he resigns from Southend.
1984-1986: He becomes manager of Southend.
1990: He joins Capital Gold Radio as a Football Analyst.
1991: He undergoes a stomach operation on April 22nd for suspected cancer of the colon. He marries air steward Stephanie Moore on December 4th. (Her surname was already Moore). He works during the 1990’s as a columnist for the newspaper, the Sunday Sport and as a football pundit and commentator for Capital Radio.
1993: Moore makes a public announcement about his bowel and liver illness on February 15th.
When and Where did he Die?
Wednesday 24th February 1993 from cancer of the colon.
Age at Death:
52.
Marriage:
1. Tina Dean June 30th 1962. (Divorced January 6th 1986).
2. Stephanie Moore December 4th 1991 (Her surname was already Moore).
Site of Grave:
Funeral held on March 2nd 1993 at Putney Vale Crematorium and his ashes interred at the City of London Crematorium in a plot with his father Robert Moore and his mother Doris.
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
West Ham United Football Club.
Wembley Stadium.