Bobby Moore’s family are ‘overwhelmed and touched’ by the support for their campaign to get his missing 1966 World Cup shirt back.
Messages have been pouring in since the Mail revealed the mystery surrounding the captain’s iconic red top.
His wife of 24 years Tina Moore last saw it in her home – but it has turned up in the hands of an anonymous collector.
She and their daughter Roberta Moore are now arguing for the return, and yesterday were joined by a string of backers.
World Cup winning skipper West Ham’s former club – where he also captained for more than 10 years – led calls to restore the number six shirt ‘for the nation to cherish’.
Messages have been pouring in since the Mail revealed the mystery surrounding the captain’s iconic red top (pictured)
His wife of 24 years Tina Moore (left) last saw it in her home – but it has turned up in the hands of an anonymous collector
“As captain of West Ham United and England, Bobby Moore established himself as one of the best defenders the game has ever seen,” the club said in a statement.
The iconic red number six shirt he wore to lead his country to World Cup glory in 1966 is one of the most important items in English sporting history and it would be fantastic to see it back where it belongs so that it country can cherish it.’
Former West Ham manager and player Harry Redknapp told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Bobby was so special to everyone.
“I know Tina, his first wife and his family are trying to find his shirt. So let’s hope we can do something to find it.
“It’s a very iconic football shirt worn by the greatest captain ever, on the best day England has ever had as a footballing nation.”
Moore’s shirt was kept by the family at their homes in Essex but went missing in the 1980s.
Now the Mail has revealed the conundrum of how a private buyer might have purchased the legendary garment at a low-key auction of the belongings of an ‘unknown deceased man’.
The mysterious clues were given to the Moore family by the Football Association after the authors of a book on England shirts unearthed new details of the shirt – possibly the most sought-after piece of sports memorabilia in British history.
The authors claimed to have discovered its whereabouts, but did not say who actually has the shirt, as they “asked to remain anonymous.”
There is no suggestion that the shirt’s current holder knew there was a problem with its provenance when they bought it at auction. It may have changed hands many times since it went missing from Tina Moore’s house.
Moore’s shirt was kept by the family at their homes in Essex but went missing in the 1980s
She firmly believes that Bobby gave her the shirt along with all his memorabilia when they divorced in 1986, and says it belongs to her. But she has no idea how or when it disappeared from her attic.
The family kept all of Moore’s shirts folded in a blue leather bag in the attic, as it was not customary to hang framed shirts on the wall in the 1970s and 1980s. They proudly displayed his trophies and medals in cupboards in the dining room.
Since the Mail broke the story on Saturday, the family has been inundated with messages.
Roberta Moore said: ‘We are overwhelmed and so touched by the messages of support we have received from concerned fans far and wide since hearing about our family’s shirt. We are immensely grateful for their warmth, love and respect for my father and his incredible legacy.
“People are shocked to hear what happened and how we haven’t been able to get answers.”
Her mother added, “It was a great response. The phone doesn’t stop. I just hope we can find the shirt.’
Stan Collymore, the former England striker turned pundit, called for his return, writing on Twitter: “Whoever has Bobby Moore’s iconic red England shirt from the World Cup final, you have one of the most important symbols of the sporting pride of a country. ‘
Kevin Lock, 69, one of Moore’s former West Ham teammates, said: ‘Bobby was very proud of his shirts and all of his clothes. He wants his family to know where his World Cup shirt is and to take care of it. It’s part of history. 100 percent, whoever has it should leave it with their family. It’s so iconic.’
The family kept all of Moore’s shirts folded in a blue leather bag in the attic, as it was not customary to hang framed shirts on the wall in the 1970s and 1980s. Pictured: Bobby Moore kisses his wife Tina at the 1966 Football Association World Cup banquet
Tony Gale, who was Moore’s so-called ‘boot boy’ as a teenager when the England star played for Fulham, said: ‘If Diego Maradona’s shirt is worth £7 million I would personally prefer Bobby’s World Cup jersey.
“Hopefully it can go back to the family and then they can choose whether to keep it at home or use it to help the charities Bobby supported.”
The authors of Three Lions On A Shirt, a coffee table book for the Football Association, said they had discovered that the current holder had bought it several years ago at a “general auction” – not a sale of sports memorabilia – from someone who had recently died.
The identity of the deceased man was said to be unknown.
Roberta, 58, said: ‘It was hard to understand – how does the shirt go from being in a bag in my mother’s attic to being auctioned by a deceased person?’
As for who now has the shirt, the Moores say they were told they wished to remain anonymous, and in a further twist, the shirt’s current holder was apparently “shocked” by all the attention.
The Football Association, which informed the Moores of the discovery 18 months ago, supports the family’s search for answers.
The FA does not know who owns the shirt or how it came into the possession of the Moore family. But a spokesperson has said: ‘Bobby Moore is an English hero. It would be great if there was a way to find and display his historic World Cup winning shirt for the country.”
