Ian Moores
Encyclopedia
Ian Richard Moores was an English
footballer, at 6 foot 2 inches, the beard
ed blond
e striker was an imposing figure on the pitch
.
, Staffordshire
and learned to play his football for the Staffordshire County Boys' Team. Moores then joined Stoke City
's youth team and as a schoolboy at the age of fifteen continued his development at the old Victoria Ground
.
Moores started as a left winger but became a centre-forward after a switch in Stoke's A team with a hat-trick
to his name in the second half of a match. He graduated to the senior team in April 1974, having appeared for the England under-23 team twice.
He moved to Tottenham Hotspur
in August 1976 for a £75,000 fee. At Spurs his room mate was Glenn Hoddle
.
Moores started off well, scoring on his debut during a League Cup
tie at Middlesbrough
on 31 August 1976 which Spurs won 2-1. On 4 September 1976 Moores made his Tottenham league
debut at Old Trafford
. Spurs trailed 0-2 at half-time, but second half strikes from Moores, Ralph Coates
and John Pratt
gave them a 3-2 win. However, he only scored twice more during the rest of that season
, against Wrexham in the League Cup in September 1976 and against Sunderland
in a 1-2 home defeat in November 1976. Spurs were relegated
at the end of the season to Division Two
.
During the following season
Moores didn't play until the 11th game of the season. He scored a hat-trick against Bristol Rovers
on 22 October 1977, during which Colin Lee
scored four in a record 9-0 win for Spurs at White Hart Lane
. He played 12 more times that season and scored once more, against Crystal Palace
three weeks later.
In July 1978 the arrival of Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa
spelt the end for Moores at White Hart Lane. He provided a cross for Villa to score against Nottingham Forest
but played only once again, in a 1-4 home defeat against Aston Villa
, which was to be his final ever appearance for Spurs. In September 1978 he left the club to join Leyton Orient
for a fee of £55,000 where he scored 26 goals in 117 league appearances. Moores scored twice on his debut for Orient, as he had done for Spurs, away against Charlton Athletic
on 6 October 1978.
Moores was a first team regular over the next four years, but when Orient were relegated to Division 3
in 1982 he signed for Bolton Wanderers
. Moores scored five goals in 29 appearances that season. Bolton were relegated, like Spurs and Orient had been before and in July 1983 he moved to APOEL in Cyprus
, where he remained for five years and where he is still regarded as a legend
. He played alongside Terry McDermott
and won the Cypriot League Championship
and Cup and played in all three European competitions.
Returning to England in 1988, Moores had an unsuccessful trial with Port Vale
before heading into the non-leagues. He helped Tamworth
win the 1989 FA Vase
, when he scored in the replay of the final, but that was to be his swansong
. He retired as a player a year later, in 1990.
in his native Potteries, and when he fell ill in September 1997 with lung cancer
, he was coaching the youth team of a local non-league side.
Ian Moores died in January 1998 at the age of 43.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer, at 6 foot 2 inches, the beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
ed blond
Blond
Blond or blonde or fair-hair is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some sort of yellowish color...
e striker was an imposing figure on the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
.
Playing career
Moores was born in ChestertonChesterton, Staffordshire
Chesterton is a small, former mining village, located in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. It sits near the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and learned to play his football for the Staffordshire County Boys' Team. Moores then joined Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
's youth team and as a schoolboy at the age of fifteen continued his development at the old Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground may refer to:*Victoria Ground, the former name of Hartlepool United’s ground Victoria Park.*Victoria Ground, Stoke City’s ground from 1878 to 1997.*Victoria Ground, current home of Bromsgrove Rovers...
.
Moores started as a left winger but became a centre-forward after a switch in Stoke's A team with a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
to his name in the second half of a match. He graduated to the senior team in April 1974, having appeared for the England under-23 team twice.
He moved to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in August 1976 for a £75,000 fee. At Spurs his room mate was Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
.
Moores started off well, scoring on his debut during a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
tie at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 31 August 1976 which Spurs won 2-1. On 4 September 1976 Moores made his Tottenham league
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. Spurs trailed 0-2 at half-time, but second half strikes from Moores, Ralph Coates
Ralph Coates
Ralph Coates was an English footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a winger. Coates played for Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient, making 480 appearances in the Football League. Coates also earned four caps for England between 1970 and 1971.-Club...
and John Pratt
John Pratt (footballer)
John Pratt is an English living, former, professional footballer. He spent much of his career at Tottenham Hotspur F.C and played as a midfielder.- Tottenham Hotspur career :...
gave them a 3-2 win. However, he only scored twice more during the rest of that season
1976-77 in English football
The 1976–77 season was the 97th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League revamped the tie-breaking criteria for teams level of points, replacing the traditional goal average tie-breaker with one based on goal difference to try to encourage more scoring...
, against Wrexham in the League Cup in September 1976 and against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in a 1-2 home defeat in November 1976. Spurs were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
at the end of the season to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
.
During the following season
1977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
Moores didn't play until the 11th game of the season. He scored a hat-trick against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
on 22 October 1977, during which Colin Lee
Colin Lee
Colin Lee is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently Chief Executive of League Two side Torquay United and President of Buckfastleigh Rangers Football & Social Club.-Playing career:...
scored four in a record 9-0 win for Spurs at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
. He played 12 more times that season and scored once more, against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
three weeks later.
In July 1978 the arrival of Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa
Ricardo Villa
Ricardo Julio "Ricky" Villa is an Argentine football coach and former professional midfielder.-Career:He played successively for Quilmes, Club Atlético Tucumán and Racing Club...
spelt the end for Moores at White Hart Lane. He provided a cross for Villa to score against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
but played only once again, in a 1-4 home defeat against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, which was to be his final ever appearance for Spurs. In September 1978 he left the club to join Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
for a fee of £55,000 where he scored 26 goals in 117 league appearances. Moores scored twice on his debut for Orient, as he had done for Spurs, away against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 6 October 1978.
Moores was a first team regular over the next four years, but when Orient were relegated to Division 3
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
in 1982 he signed for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. Moores scored five goals in 29 appearances that season. Bolton were relegated, like Spurs and Orient had been before and in July 1983 he moved to APOEL in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, where he remained for five years and where he is still regarded as a legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
. He played alongside Terry McDermott
Terry McDermott
Terence "Terry" McDermott is a former football midfielder and current coach. He is currently the assistant manager at League One side Huddersfield Town.He is the father of Newcastle United player Greg McDermott and Marsaxlokk player Neale McDermott-Early career:McDermott joined Bury as a youngster...
and won the Cypriot League Championship
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
and Cup and played in all three European competitions.
Returning to England in 1988, Moores had an unsuccessful trial with Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
before heading into the non-leagues. He helped Tamworth
Tamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
win the 1989 FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
, when he scored in the replay of the final, but that was to be his swansong
Swansong
Swansong is the final studio album by the British extreme metal band Carcass. It was released on June 10, 1996 in the UK by Earache Records. It is the only album to feature guitarist Carlo Regadas...
. He retired as a player a year later, in 1990.
Post-retirement
After this, Moores worked in personal financePersonal finance
Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future...
in his native Potteries, and when he fell ill in September 1997 with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, he was coaching the youth team of a local non-league side.
Ian Moores died in January 1998 at the age of 43.