Bobby Moore - Illness and Death

Illness and Death

In April 1991, Moore underwent an emergency operation for suspected colon cancer, though at the time it was just reported that he had undergone an "emergency stomach operation".

On 14 February 1993, he publicly announced he was suffering from bowel and liver cancer; by this stage the cancer had spread. Three days later, he commentated on an England match against San Marino at Wembley, alongside his friend Jonathan Pearce. That was to be his final public appearance; seven days later on 24 February, at 6.36 am, he died at the age of 51.

He was the first member of the England World Cup winning side to die, the second being Alan Ball 14 years later. Moore was also outlived by the trainer of the side, Harold Shepherdson, who died in September 1995, and the manager of the side, Alf Ramsey, who died in April 1999.

Bobby Moore's funeral was held on 2 March 1993 at Putney Vale Crematorium, and his ashes were buried in a plot with his father Robert Edward Moore (who died in 1978) and his mother Doris Joyce Moore, who had only died the previous year.

The first West Ham home game after his death was on 6 March 1993, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Boleyn Ground was awash with floral tributes, scarfs and other football memorabilia from both West Ham fans and those of other clubs. Fellow 1966 World Cup winners, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters placed a floral replica of a West Ham shirt, showing Moore's number, '6', on the back, on the centre spot before the game. West Ham 'rested' the number six shirt with the regular number six, Ian Bishop, wearing number twelve. The game was won by West Ham 3–1 with goals by Steve Bull for Wolves and Trevor Morley, Julian Dicks and Matty Holmes for West Ham.

His former England team-mate, Jack Charlton, on a BBC documentary of Moore's life in and outside of football, said of Moore's death:

"Well, I only ever cried over two people, Billy Bremner and Bob... He was a lovely man."

On 28 June 1993 his memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey, attended by all the other members of the 1966 World Cup Team. He was only the second sportsman to be so honoured, the first being the West Indian cricketer Sir Frank Worrell.