Friday 13 April 2012

Remember, Moore than just a football club Sam!

It is a wee bit galling to see the club exploiting the Bobby Moore name to market tickets for the game against Brighton. It is true that, as the play offs approach, there is a parallel with that moment, for the home semifinal leg against Ipswich, when Pardew wore that now famous message on his top, but when Pardew did it, there was a sense of him being united with the fans and of his genuinely understanding the values of the club - and let's face it, Bobby would have had no problems with Pard's alleged pants down antics.

However, just imagine Allardyce in that shirt! Surely even his backers would see that as a repugnant affront to the memory of everything that Moore, as a footballer, stood for. It would be like Satan posing on the cross, Josef Frizl opening an orphanage or Sullivan and Gold branding themselves as men to be trusted! Allardyce in a West Ham number six shirt would surely be the ultimate footballing oxymoron!

Of course, the exploitation is built around Bobby's birthday and I certainly have no problem with the club paying respect to the greatest English player ever to grace the game, but respect should involve a minute's applause in appreciation of the great man, not using his name on a marketing poster designed to sell tickets for a "win at all cost and to hell with values" game.

One thing is for sure, if Moore had been in the squad in his prime when Allardyce took over, he would have been sold to Tottenham. Not Sam's type of player at all was he? Too weak in the air at set pieces. Dwelt on the ball too long. Too much fancy bollocks stepping out of defence with the ball. And too opinionated. No, Allardyce would have marked Bobby's card good and proper.

Whereas Moore and Pardew? They would have had a ball together!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Speaking ill of the dead again, a cowardly act when they can't defend themselves? If Bobby had been alive I suspect you would be up before the beak in a case of liable.

Anonymous said...

You do go on don't you. Yawn.

Ilfordhammer said...

What doesnt sit well with me is the way the club use this great mans name when it suits them but what happened to the 'Bobby Moore Fund' sponsorship that has adorned the kids jerseys for the last few years? Unceremoniously dumped for a self promoting picture of the olympic stadium! (I raised this topic with 'your mate' Iain Dale recently but he chose not to post my comment & I also tweeted David Gold yesterday and he simply deleted my tweet!)

Anonymous said...

Moore was a great player but please don't let us be like Liverpool and have a tribute to someone every five minutes. It would have been a birthday, thats all. That is not disrespecting Moore (before some twat adds his comments). What next? a minutes applause on the 50th anniversary of Bobby lifting the World Cup?

Hammersfan said...

A case of "liable" eh 0900? I suspect you are not a lawyer! I am also struggling to see where I speak ill of the dead. If you are referring to Moore not disapproving of Pards, you clearly know nothing about the man. As his ex wife is more than happy to explain, Bobby was a lovely man but far from a perfect husband. Handsome, famous and wealthy in the swinging sixties, what chance did he stand? He wasn't a saint!

Anonymous said...

So you know Tina, Dean (RIP) and Roberta?

Anonymous said...

Love that photo, and loved that game.

Pity the club didn't look after the great footballer a little better, but that's how it is round here.

After all, one family owned the club for decades when I was growing up and didn't put much back in.

The West Ham way - get used to it.

gateman

Hammersfan said...

Nope 2054. I met Bobby and he was a great guy but I never met the family. I have heard and read Tina's accounts of the relationship, however. What amazed me was her warmth for a man who didn't always treat her with the respect she obviously merited.

Hi there gateman. Where have you been?

Deane said...

well said gateman I've spoken to a few West Ham greats Devonshire and Paolo for example and I've yet to find one that says the club heirachy ever treated them with any sort of appreciation