Remembering the immaculate Mooro
Today is a day for remembering the great Mooro!
The greatest footballer I have ever seen – the immaculate Mooro – passed away on this day in 1993.
People often ask where you were we when certain people died. I was at work when I received a ‘phone message from a pal of his to relay the news – among the worst of my life!
Remembering the immaculate Mooro
I am quite happy to boast that Bob was my hero who became a colleague and for whom I ghost wrote columns from matches and general pieces when he became Sports Editor of the Sport Group of Newspapers.
It would be wrong to call us big friends but we got along pretty well and one memory always springs to mind from White Hart Lane when for no reason he asked if I was short of cash before getting a “Yes” and immediately squeezing a tenner into my hand.
Bob with a man who had several compartments to his life and many remained closed other than on the football pitch where I can honestly say I never saw him play a bad game.
Remembering the immaculate Mooro
Never booked at the club, he didn’t need to be, he guided us to the 1964/65 Cup final and Cup Winners Cup win a season later before becoming a national treasure when doing the same for our only World Cup win.
I asked him about how he felt to lead us when writing a column and his response was typically self depreciating saying: “Everyone of them was good enough to be captain. It only means wearing an armband.”
Remembering the immaculate Mooro
That was Bob – humble to a fault but let’s not be fooled, we may have done none of that without him.
For the record he made 646 league and cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring 27 goals and preventing hundreds more, across 16 seasons.
Lovely post Hughie heartfelt stuff. Many of us who also remember the 60’s have the same feelings about Bob – immaculate. In my case I felt the two best all round footballers and gentlemen were Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton . Just top drawer.
Thanks mate,. Grateful for that
Beautiful sentiments. I always use the word immaculate about BM6. My first match in 1966 proved to be a life long love affair with a beautiful footballer. They are a dying breed the two bobbys they don’t make Bobbies like that any more.