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Bobby Moore by Matt Dickinson

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Bobby Moore

Narrator
Colin Mace
Publisher
Random House
Publish Date
18 September 2014
Run Time
9 hours 58 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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What to expect

‘Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. Master of Wembley. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time.’

These are some of the words inscribed beneath the statue of England’s World Cup-winning captain, Bobby Moore, at Wembley stadium. Since Moore’s death, of bowel cancer at just 51, these accolades represent the accepted view of this national treasure. But what do we actually know about Bobby Moore as a person? What about the grit alongside the glory?

Moore was undeniably an extraordinary captain and player. Pelé called him the greatest – and fairest – defender he ever played against. His feats for West Ham United and England are legendary and his technical mastery of the game ahead of its time. Few footballers since have come close to his winning combination of intelligence, skill, temperament and class.

Yet off the pitch, Moore knew scandal, divorce and drink. What about the string of failed businesses, whispers of bad behaviour, links to the East End underworld and turbulent private life? Ignored by the football world post-retirement, this great of the game drifted into obscurity and, famously, there was no knighthood.

Acclaimed football writer Matt Dickinson traces the journey of this Essex boy who became the patron saint of English football, peeling away the layers of legend and looking at Moore’s life from all sides – in triumph, in failure, in full.

Critics Review

  • Brilliant

    Daily Mirror

  • Devastating. No ghosted autobiography can match the nuanced insight of the latest book on Bobby Moore, a hero flawed by alcohol

    Independent

  • Well-researched and written, this book brings us the real Bobby Moore

    The Times

  • A tragic tale, admirably researched and poignantly told

    Sunday Times

See more reviews
  • It’s an immaculately researched voyage of discovery into a footballing enigma. We’ll never know the man in full, but this comes close

    Metro

  • We know this story, but it's still a page-turner

    Daily Mail

  • The strength of the book lies in the way Dickinson has been able to go beyond football and find Moore’s real character… Dickinson’s achievement has been to honour the memory of Moore while also allowing us to understand that he was far from perfect

    When Saturday Comes

  • Absorbing

    Spectator

  • This should be essential, sobering reading for anyone who cares about West Ham, England or English football

    Metro

  • Bobby Moore will rightly be forever remembered as the champion of his era, the most serenely masterful footballer ever to have hailed from these shores; “The Man in Full”, not shying away from human fallacies, serves as a reminder that he was the same as every one of us

    Mail Online

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Details

Author
Matt Dickinson
Narrator
Colin Mace
Duration
9 hours 58 minutes
Release Date
18 September 2014
ISBN
9781473513280
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Random House
Genre
Biography: sport, Association football (Soccer)

Synopsis

‘Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. Master of Wembley. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time.’ These are some of the words inscribed beneath the statue of England’s World Cup-winning captain, Bobby Moore, at Wembley stadium. Since Moore’s death, of bowel cancer at just 51, these accolades represent the accepted view of this national treasure. But what do we actually know about Bobby Moore as a person? What about the grit alongside the glory?Moore was undeniably an extraordinary captain and player. Pelé called him the greatest – and fairest – defender he ever played against. His feats for West Ham United and England are legendary and his technical mastery of the game ahead of its time. Few footballers since have come close to his winning combination of intelligence, skill, temperament and class.Yet off the pitch, Moore knew scandal, divorce and drink. What about the string of failed businesses, whispers of bad behaviour, links to the East End underworld and turbulent private life? Ignored by the football world post-retirement, this great of the game drifted into obscurity and, famously, there was no knighthood. Acclaimed football writer Matt Dickinson traces the journey of this Essex boy who became the patron saint of English football, peeling away the layers of legend and looking at Moore’s life from all sides – in triumph, in failure, in full.

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