Bobby Moore – The Man in Full

Bobby Moore – The Man in Full

“Immaculate footballer – Imperial defender – Immortal hero of 1966… National treasure – Master of Wembley – Lord of the game – Captain extraordinary – Gentleman for all time” So reads the inscription beneath Bobby Moore’s statue at Wembley stadium. Since his death at 51 from pancreatic cancer, this has been the accepted view of a British national hero. But how much do we really know of England’s only World Cup-winning skipper? We know that Bobby Moore was an extraordinary captain and defender, but alongside his legendary feats on the field he knew scandal, death threats, bankruptcy business, and the sack.

He divorced after a long affair, was rumored to have friends in the underworld, and he loved a drink. The tragedy of his life was to be ignored by the sports world in his latter years and to drift into obscurity. After he applied to be England manager, the FA didn’t even bother to send a rejection letter. There was no job in the game and, famously, no knighthood. As well as the undeniable moments of glory, this long overdue, definitive biography doesn’t shy away from the grit.

Tracing his journey from the East End to a pedestal outside Wembley Stadium, it looks, for the first time, at Moore’s life from all sides, through the testimony of teammates, rivals, family, and friends. What was Moore like to play with, to drink with? What was he like as a husband, father, opponent, and captain? A struggling manager and a failed businessman? This is the story of an Essex boy who became the patron saint of English soccer, revealing a lifetime of intrigue, triumph, and tragedy in between.