Sir Bobby Moore wore #9 for the 1978 Sounders. At far left he watches as Gordon Wallace takes the ball away from an LA Aztec. Paul Crossley looks on, in the background, for Seattle.
The Late, Great (1978)
Bobby Moore
by Heather Johnson, WATN Editor
Bobby Moore was perhaps the most illustrious player ever to suit up for the Sounders, although his 7 games with them in
1978 was essentially only a post-script to an extraordinary career.
An inaugural member of the International Soccer Hall of Fame, Moore’s career began with the West Ham Colts in 1958, when he was 17 years old, after having played a year with their reserve team and with the England Youth Team (which he soon captained). He would remain with West Ham (which he also captained) until mid-way through the 1973/4 season, playing a record-setting 544 games with them. Technically a defender, Moore played with an offensive flair, keeping the opposing goal in mind as much as his own. In his time with West Ham, the team won the 1964 FA Cup, the 1965 European Cup Winners Cup, and were the runners-up to the League Cup in 1966. He won the 1964 Footballer of the Year, the Hammer of the Year repeatedly (1961, 1963, 1968, 1970), and was also the cover boy for the first issue of Shoot! magazine. West Ham eventually gave Bobby one of the biggest honors an English club can bestow---they named a stand at their stadium after him.
As if those achievements weren’t notable enough, his greatest exploits were on the international stage. As Captain of the English National Team, he led England to a dramatic overtime victory in the 1966 World Cup, and had an assist on
Geoff Hurst’s first goal of his hat-trick in the final (Hurst would also join the Sounders in later years). After the Cup he was awarded the World Cup Player of Players award, was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his play.
Although his achievements in the 1970 World Cup were overshadowed by an off-field controversy concerning the mysterious disappearance of an emerald bracelet, he nonetheless led England to the quarterfinals, where they lost to eventual winners Brazil. Pele swapped shirts with Moore after the game, and later called him “the best defender I ever played against."
Injured in January 1973, West Ham transferred Moore to Fulham FC in March of that year, for a mere 25,000 pounds sterling (interestingly, Moore was never one of the highest paid players in England, despite his accomplishments). Perhaps they thought his career was over, but Moore got the last laugh, as Fulham proceeded to beat West Ham in the League Cup that year. He continued to play for Fulham through 1977, and also played for San Antonio (NASL) in the summer of 1976 before ending his playing career with the Sounders in 1978. Although Seattle fans were eagerly looking forward to his Sounder debut (as evidenced by the number of handmade signs with bad puns on Moore/more fans brought to the game), he was not a particularly notable player in a not particularly notable season.
Not surprisingly, he moved directly into coaching, and managed Oxford City from 1979-1981, Team Eastern Athletic in 1983, and Southend from 1984-1986. He also had part as an allied soccer player/prisoner of war in the Sylvester Stallone/Pele (together at last) 1981 cinematic tour-de-force, Victory.
Moore died of cancer in 1993, at 51. He may not have made much of an impact here, but he made a lasting impact on the soccer world (he was #7 in the Shoot! Top 100 players of all-time readers poll in 2000) and in popular culture (also in 2000 he was digitally included in a television for after-dinner mints, along with Marilyn Monroe).
Bobby's grave site at Manor Park in London still receives many visitors who bring flowers, England scarves, fond memories and often also tears. Sounders supporter's likely feel privileged that this icon, who has been immortalized in statue and song, once donned the green and blue and called Seattle home.
More Bobby on the internet:
http://www.bobbymooreonline.co.uk
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/bmoore.htm
http://www.footballgalaxy.co.uk/Players/moore.shtml
http://www.sixtiescity.com/Wembley/wembley.htm
