Bobby Moore
The only English captain to have lifted the World Cup
| Full name: | Robert Frederick Chelsea Moore |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | April 12, 1941 |
| Date of death: | February 24, 1993 |
| Clubs played for: | West Ham, Fulham, San Antonio Thunder, Seattle Sounders |
| Clubs managed: | Oxford City, Eastern AA, Southend |
Club Career
One of the most revered figures in sporting history, Bobby Moore spent the majority of his playing career at West Ham after joining the club as a schoolboy. A classy defender, Moore made his debut for the Hammers in 1958 against Manchester United and quickly established himself as a first-team regular.
He was appointed captain in 1962 and led West Ham to major success, lifting the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup-Winners' Cup a year later. Moore moved across London to join Fulham in 1974, where he spent three years, before ending his career in America.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-74 | West Ham | 544 | 24 |
| 1974-77 | Fulham | 124 | 1 |
| 1976 | San Antonio Thunder | 24 | 1 |
| 1978 | Seattle Sounders | 7 | 0 |
International Career
Having impressed for the England Under-23 team, Moore was handed full international recognition in 1962 in a pre-World Cup friendly win over Peru. An impressive performance saw him keep his place for the whole of England's participation in the World Cup, which ended in a quarter-final defeat by eventual winners Brazil. Moore captained his country for the first time in 1963, at the age of just 22, in place of the injured Jimmy Armfield, before he was handed the armband permanently in 1964. He scored his first England goal against Poland in 1966 and would go on to lead his country to its finest footballing victory.
Moore was an ever-present in the 1966 World Cup finals as England eased through their group, before beating Argentina in a controversial quarter-final and narrowly overcoming Portugal in the semis to set up a showdown with West Germany. Geoff Hurst's famous hat-trick would win the trophy for England but many of the most iconic images of the historic day feature Moore, who was outstanding throughout the tournament.
After the World Cup, Moore appeared at the European Championship finals in 1968, where England suffered a semi-final defeat. He again led his country at the World Cup in 1970, with West Germany gaining revenge by dumping England out at the quarter-final stage.
Moore would go on to become England's most-capped player with 108 caps (a record later broken by Peter Shilton). His final England appearance was in 1973, in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Italy.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-73 | England | 108 | 2 |
Managerial Career
Moore's record as a manager never came close to matching his illustrious playing career, with brief spells at Oxford City (1979-81), Eastern AA, Hong Kong (1981-82), Carolina Lightnin' (1983), and Southend United (1983-86).
Key Games
West Ham 2-0 TSV 1860 Munchen (European Cup-Winners' Cup Final, May 19, 1965)
Moore enjoyed his first success over German opposition at Wembley, captaining West Ham to European glory. The skipper helped his team to a clean sheet and even set up the second goal, his cross finished off by Alan Sealey for his second of the game to seal an historic victory for West Ham.
England 4-2 West Germany (aet, (World Cup final, July 30, 1966)
Moore was the leader of the side which gave English football its crowning glory and established him as a sporting icon. In the final, he was his usual towering presence at the back, giving England the confidence to attack Germany. England went a goal behind, but Moore's quick-thinking helped Alf Ramsey's men to a swift equaliser. He was fouled midway inside the German half and quickly delivered a pinpoint free-kick to Hurst, who headed home to level the scores. Martin Peters made it 2-1 before a late equaliser took the match into extra-time. Hurst grabbed two more goals to complete the famous victory.
Brazil 1-0 England (World Cup finals group stage, June 7, 1970)
Despite finishing on the losing side, this game was arguably Moore's greatest-ever performance for England. Time and again he thwarted the Brazil attack with perfectly-timed challenges, none more so than his precise tackle that stopped wing wizard Jairzinho in full flow. Fittingly, at the end of the match, two legends of the game, Pele and Moore, stripped off their shirts and embraced for what is now one of football's most iconic images.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| West Ham | FA Cup | 1964 |
| European Cup-Winners' Cup | 1965 | |
| England | World Cup | 1966 |
Did You Know...?
Moore was the first footballer to win the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year title in 1966.
Ten years after leading England to World Cup glory, Moore lined up in 1976 against England for Team USA, in a tournament to mark the 200th anniversary of the United States' Declaration of Independence.
Bobby Moore's last international match, a defeat to Italy in November 1973, saw current England boss Fabio Capello score the winning goal.
Moore was arrested in Colombia just before the 1970 World Cup finals for alleged shoplifting. He was accused of stealing an emerald bracelet from a hotel gift shop. He was eventually cleared of all charges - just six days before he was meant to be leading England onto the field in Mexico.
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