Bobby Moore Sculpture
Encyclopedia
The Bobby Moore statue is a bronze sculpture of the former West Ham
and England
footballer Bobby Moore
, situated outside England's national stadium, Wembley Stadium
, in London. It commemorates the life of Moore, who captained the only England side ever to win the World Cup
, defeating Germany 4-2 in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
held in England at the old Wembley Stadium, demolished in 2003. Commissioned by the Football Association, it was unveiled outside the new stadium when it opened in 2007, fourteen years after Moore's death from cancer, aged 51. Standing 20 feet (6.1 m) tall on a stone plinth, it looks over spectators as they walk down Wembley Way
into the stadium. Sculpted by the Royal Sculptor Philip Jackson
, it is Jackson's second piece featuring Moore, after the World Cup Sculpture
unveiled in 2003.
and weighs around two tons
. It was placed in a prominent position high on a plinth on the north side of the stadium, with Moore looking north along the Way, which forms the main pedestrian approach to the stadium, where it can look over arriving fans.
In addition to the statue, the work features on the front of its stone plinth a plaque, depicting the rest of the team, while similarly on the side is mounted a sculpture of an England cap, with "World Championship, Jules Rimet Cup, 1970" written on the peak.
The work also features an inscription composed by Jeff Powell, a football journalist and one of Moore's closest friends. It reads:
OBE (1941–1993). Moore, who died of cancer aged 51, was the captain of West Ham United
and England team
, and had led England to victory at the 1966 World Cup
at old Wembley. The statue is a tribute to Moore's unique achievement of being a World Cup winning England captain, and was commissioned in response to a Football Association fan poll to find the greatest England player of the last 50 years, won "hands down" by Moore.
Jackson sought to create a sculpture that "captures the qualities associated with Bobby Moore, namely integrity, loyalty, leadership, popularity and humility but above all as the greatest-ever English footballer." Jackson consulted with a specially formed panel to agree the design, formed from Moore's widow Stephanie, Moore's fellow footballers and friends Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA and WNSL chiefs Brian Barwick
and Michael Cunnah, the Royal British Society of Sculptors
President Brian Falconbridge, and architect Lord Foster, as well as fan representative Gavin Morton-Holmes. On unveiling, Jackson said "What emerged [from the design consultation] was he was this extraordinary presence in the team, which gave this enormous confidence and allowed the team to sort of win through in '66 and so I created the sculpture in this sort of old fashioned heroic style."
, the statue was the Football Association's first official tribute to Moore.
Jackson was selected from a short-list to produce the statue. It was the second time Jackson had produced a sculpture of Moore, having completed The Champions sculpture situated near West Ham's stadium, the Boleyn Ground
, unveiled in 2003 by Prince Andrew, Duke of York
, and features Moore held aloft on the shoulders of other players, himself holding the World Cup trophy aloft.
Jackson created eight casts of Moore's right foot for the sculpture, one of which was auctioned on 31 May 2006 at Christie's
in aid of Moore's cancer charity.
and Sir Geoff Hurst. The statue was the "finishing touch" to the completion of the new Wembley, which officially opened after several delays, on 19 May, with the staging of the 2007 FA Cup Final
. WNSL originally intended to unveil it in 2006, on the 40th anniversary of the World Cup win, with the new stadium having originally been due to open in time for the May 2006 FA Cup Final.
as the "inspiring architectural flourishes" of the stadium. Henry Winter
of The Daily Telegraph
, writing in 2009, described how the statue "captures Moore's dignity", and is the place where everyone on their way into Wembley pauses for a moment to admire "this magnificent likeness of the most important figure in the history of English sport and [give] thanks for 1966".
Moore's widow said of the completed statue, "Philip has done an incredible job of capturing Bobby – both in terms of his qualities as a player and his physical appearance."
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
footballer Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, situated outside England's national stadium, Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, in London. It commemorates the life of Moore, who captained the only England side ever to win the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, defeating Germany 4-2 in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
held in England at the old Wembley Stadium, demolished in 2003. Commissioned by the Football Association, it was unveiled outside the new stadium when it opened in 2007, fourteen years after Moore's death from cancer, aged 51. Standing 20 feet (6.1 m) tall on a stone plinth, it looks over spectators as they walk down Wembley Way
Olympic Way
Olympic Highway is a New South Wales trunk road that links Cowra and Albury at a distance of 318 kilometres. It is designated National Route 41 and was formerly known simply as the Olympic Way...
into the stadium. Sculpted by the Royal Sculptor Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson (sculptor)
Philip Henry Christopher Jackson CVO is an award-winning Scottish sculptor, noted for his modern style and emphasis on form. Acting as Royal Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II, his sculptures appear in numerous UK cities, as well as Argentina and Switzerland.His twice life-size bronze statue of...
, it is Jackson's second piece featuring Moore, after the World Cup Sculpture
World Cup Sculpture
The World Cup Sculpture, or simply The Champions, is a bronze statue of the 1966 World Cup Final located near West Ham United Football Club's Boleyn Ground stadium in the London Borough of Newham, England...
unveiled in 2003.
Statue
The work, titled The Bobby Moore Sculpture by Jackson, is a twice life size, tall bronze piece and stands at 20 feet (6.1 m) including the plinth. It is located at the end of Wembley WayOlympic Way
Olympic Highway is a New South Wales trunk road that links Cowra and Albury at a distance of 318 kilometres. It is designated National Route 41 and was formerly known simply as the Olympic Way...
and weighs around two tons
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
. It was placed in a prominent position high on a plinth on the north side of the stadium, with Moore looking north along the Way, which forms the main pedestrian approach to the stadium, where it can look over arriving fans.
In addition to the statue, the work features on the front of its stone plinth a plaque, depicting the rest of the team, while similarly on the side is mounted a sculpture of an England cap, with "World Championship, Jules Rimet Cup, 1970" written on the peak.
The work also features an inscription composed by Jeff Powell, a football journalist and one of Moore's closest friends. It reads:
Immaculate footballer. Imperial defenderDefender (association football)Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. Immortal hero of 19661966 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
. First Englishman to raise the World CupFIFA World Cup TrophyThe World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. Since the advent of the World Cup in 1930, two trophies have represented victory: the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1930 to 1970, and the FIFA World Cup Trophy from 1974 to the present day.The trophy, originally named...
aloft. Favourite son of London's East EndEast End of LondonThe East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. Finest legend of West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. National Treasure. Master of Wembley. Lord of the game. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time.
Inspiration
The subject of the statue is the English footballer Bobby MooreBobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
OBE (1941–1993). Moore, who died of cancer aged 51, was the captain of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and England team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and had led England to victory at the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
at old Wembley. The statue is a tribute to Moore's unique achievement of being a World Cup winning England captain, and was commissioned in response to a Football Association fan poll to find the greatest England player of the last 50 years, won "hands down" by Moore.
Jackson sought to create a sculpture that "captures the qualities associated with Bobby Moore, namely integrity, loyalty, leadership, popularity and humility but above all as the greatest-ever English footballer." Jackson consulted with a specially formed panel to agree the design, formed from Moore's widow Stephanie, Moore's fellow footballers and friends Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA and WNSL chiefs Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick is an English football administrator and the former chief executive of The Football Association having held the post from January 2005 to December 2008. He previously worked with the BBC and ITV. He is a known supporter of Liverpool F.C...
and Michael Cunnah, the Royal British Society of Sculptors
Royal British Society of Sculptors
The Royal British Society of Sculptors is a registered charity whose aims are to promote and support sculpture. It has a worldwide membership....
President Brian Falconbridge, and architect Lord Foster, as well as fan representative Gavin Morton-Holmes. On unveiling, Jackson said "What emerged [from the design consultation] was he was this extraordinary presence in the team, which gave this enormous confidence and allowed the team to sort of win through in '66 and so I created the sculpture in this sort of old fashioned heroic style."
Commissioning
Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) announced it was commissioning the statue in September 2005, while the new Wembley was being built, replacing the Old Wembley. According to Paul Kelso of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, the statue was the Football Association's first official tribute to Moore.
Jackson was selected from a short-list to produce the statue. It was the second time Jackson had produced a sculpture of Moore, having completed The Champions sculpture situated near West Ham's stadium, the Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
, unveiled in 2003 by Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and features Moore held aloft on the shoulders of other players, himself holding the World Cup trophy aloft.
Production
Preview images of the clay mould for the sculpture were released in January 2006, while Stephanie Moore visited the studio to see the work in progress. Modelled in clay, the sculpture was then moulded in hard plaster and then sand, to facilitate casting in bronze, with the cast statue finished by patination for the final colour.Jackson created eight casts of Moore's right foot for the sculpture, one of which was auctioned on 31 May 2006 at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in aid of Moore's cancer charity.
Unveiling
The statue was unveiled on 11 May 2007 by Sir Bobby Charlton, with guests including Moore's widow Stephanie, Prime Minister Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Sir Geoff Hurst. The statue was the "finishing touch" to the completion of the new Wembley, which officially opened after several delays, on 19 May, with the staging of the 2007 FA Cup Final
2007 FA Cup Final
The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
. WNSL originally intended to unveil it in 2006, on the 40th anniversary of the World Cup win, with the new stadium having originally been due to open in time for the May 2006 FA Cup Final.
Reception
The statue, along with the signature steel arch, are described by Paul Hayward of The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
as the "inspiring architectural flourishes" of the stadium. Henry Winter
Henry Winter
Henry Winter is an English sports journalist, currently football correspondent of The Daily Telegraph.The younger brother of Muslim scholar and academic Timothy Winter, Henry attended Westminster School and Edinburgh University.After graduation, he spent a year producing a magazine on sport in...
of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, writing in 2009, described how the statue "captures Moore's dignity", and is the place where everyone on their way into Wembley pauses for a moment to admire "this magnificent likeness of the most important figure in the history of English sport and [give] thanks for 1966".
Moore's widow said of the completed statue, "Philip has done an incredible job of capturing Bobby – both in terms of his qualities as a player and his physical appearance."
Gallery
- For a full gallery see Bobby Moore statue, Wembley page on the Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons is an online repository of free-use images, sound and other media files. It is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation....