Evening Standard correspondent Ken Dyer and former West Ham United striker Brian Dear share stories of the late, great Bobby Moore, who died 30 years ago today...
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Bobby Moore’s death.
Those of us of a certain age all have our cherished memories of the great man. I have many – as does one of Bobby’s West Ham team-mates and great friend, Brian Dear.
Brian called me recently to let me know that two gentlemen from Cyprus, Alex Parneros and his son George, will be at Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest at London Stadium.
Alex is the brother of Dallas and Jimmy, who owned two restaurants, one well known to Hammers’ fans, a steak house opposite Upton Park station years ago – and another in Ilford.
Brian takes up the story.
“They had come to this country from Paralimni, in Cyprus,” he recalled. “They became great West Ham fans and we players used to use their restaurants regularly.
“Then, when a new football stadium was built in Paralimni, the brothers offered: “If you adopt West Ham’s colours of Claret and Blue, we will pay to have the pitch laid – that was the deal.
“Bobby Moore had a sports shop over the road from the ground back then and he donated two sets of kit to them.”
The Clarets, as the club are known, have since finished runners-up in the Cypriot Cup on four occasions and in 2002, competed in the UEFA InterToto Cup.
“When the brothers converted what was originally a café opposite Upton Park station to a steak house, they got Bobby Moore to cut the first steak,” said Brian, who will today mark the 30th anniversary of Bobby’s death at London Stadium.
“I’m also due to link up with a few of the ex-players such as John Cartwright, Mike Beesley, Johnny Ayris and a few more who played with Bobby on Friday evening in a social club in Collier Row.
“It may be 30 years since he left us but hardly a day goes by without him being in my thoughts.
“After Bobby died, [his wife] Stephanie called me one day and said she had something for me. It was Bobby’s golf gear.
“Most of it has since gone to charities, including the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK (the charity set up by Stephanie following his passing at the age of 51 in February 1993) and the only thing I have left is his golf bag – and his putter.
“I used it the other day. I’ve just had it re-gripped. Some days it’s good, other times not so much!”
Brian, who still holds the record for scoring the quickest five goals in an English game – 20 minutes either side of half-time against West Brom in April 1966, agrees with a piece he read recently that maintained the nearest player in the modern game to Bobby Moore is the Chelsea defender Thiago Silva.
“I do see some similarities, the way he reads the game, in the right place at the right time – and that’s some compliment to Thiago.”
Brian is never short of a story or two, particularly about his great pal. “I regale people every day with reminiscences about Bobby so here’s a couple for your column,” he said.
“After the World Cup in 1966, the players got cars, I think they were Ford 1600E’s with the World Cup Willy logo on the sides.
“Bobby was going away for a couple of weeks’ holiday and gave me the keys while he was away. There I was, bold as brass, driving around in his World Cup car for a fortnight.
“There was also the time, back in 1965 when we were in the dressing room at Wembley just before we went out to play TSV Munich 1860 in the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
“Bobby typically, came up to me just before we went out and said: “You ok ‘Stag’”?
“Yeah, thanks Bob, I’m fine,” I replied.
“When we walk out, make sure you’re next in line behind me,” he said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because, if you do, it’s a certainty you’ll be in the photographs!
“That was typical of him – still thinking about other people despite the importance and pressure of the occasion.
“He was a special man.
“I remember Bobby had a photo of Frank Sinatra in concert on his wall at home. Frank had signed it, ‘To Bobby Moore – Win, Win, Win – Francis Albert Sinatra.’”
And winning is what Bobby Moore did.
