West Ham United Foundation participants of all ages came together to honour the memory of West Ham United legend Bobby Moore.
To pay tribute to England’s World Cup winning captain 30 years on from his passing, the Foundation delivered events in the community with Hammers heroes from past and present.
Any Old Irons come together to honour Bobby Moore
The members of Any Old Irons – which brings Hammers fans aged over 60 together – gathered at the London Stadium Store café, where Bobby’s daughter, Roberta, and European Cup Winners’ Cup-winning teammate and good friend, Brian Dear, joined the group for tea and coffee, before being treated to renditions of Que Sera, Sera and Bring Me Sunshine by the group’s choir.
A visit to the statue of Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters at Champions Place followed, where flowers for Moore were laid ahead of a poignant chorus of Bubbles.
The day concluded at the Boleyn Tavern in Upton Park, where members shared more stories and memorabilia of Moore with Dear, who started alongside the incomparable No6 in our 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph against TSV 1860 Munich at Wembley.
Speaking to the group at her father’s statue, Roberta said: “I’m so touched that we’re all here together and couldn’t be any more grateful that you all still take the time to gather and remember him with such fondness and warmth.
“I know my dear dad would be humbled and moved. He was proud to be a local boy, he loved this Club and he truly loved the fans.
“I never tire of hearing how Bobby touched people’s lives. It’s been a huge comfort to me over the years to hear so many heartwarming anecdotes and stories.”
Any Old Irons committee member Sue Adams said: “It was absolutely brilliant to share the day with Roberta and Brian. The response is the best we’ve had of any event we’ve put on, which shows the appreciation of Bobby, of course, and the fact that Roberta and Brian also gave up their time made it very, very special."
Tribute at Jo Richardson Community School
Prior to playing the full 90 minutes in West Ham United’s Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, Ben Johnson visited Jo Richardson Community School in Dagenham for a Foundation-led workshop. The session was an opportunity for students to reflect on the values that made Bobby Moore such a revered figure and a role model for generations.
Dedicated to enhancing the engagement and educational experience of young people in secondary school, the Foundation’s Community Hub School model positively impacts hundreds of young people in its nine partner schools across east London and Essex.
Having been at West Ham from the age of nine, Johnson joined the activities to discuss the importance of hard work, discipline, humility and generosity - just some of the values which characterised Moore’s enduring legacy and continue to permeate the Club.
“I loved meeting Ben and felt very proud to be a part of the workshop hearing about Bobby Moore and the inspiring things he’s done,” said Year 11 student Karl. “I’m a huge West Ham fan so it was amazing to hear Ben’s story of how he’s progressed through the ranks and how proud he is to be a West Ham player.”
