Number 6 Shirt Retired
West Ham United have officially retired the number 6 shirt that was Bobby Moore Cup Imageworn with such distinction by Bobby Moore for both West Ham United and England. This season marks the 50th anniversary of Bobby Moore's debut in a 3 - 2 victory over Manchester United on September 8th 1958.
The retirement took place on the 9th of August 2008 at the inaugural Bobby Moore Cup game which was the start of a new collaboration between West Ham United and the Bobby Moore Fund, the cancer charity set up by Stephanie Moore who is Bobby Moore's widow. To learn more about the charity please click here, link will open in a new window. Mathew Upson wore the number 6 shirt for the first half before giving the shirt to Stephanie in a ceremony at the half time break. Mathew Upson will now wear the number 15 shirt for the rest of the season.
It is planned for the Bobby Moore Cup to be an annual event and will be the last pre season game each season. The first opponents were Villareal from Spain and it is expected that future opponents will be of a similar stature. Carlton Cole scored for West Ham after only 2 minutes with the game ending in a 1 - 1 draw.
A commemorative programme was produced for the game priced at £5 which can be purchased here, this will open a new window. Bobby Moore Online gets no remuneration for providing this link as this site is totally non profit making.
Many thanks to Robert Dodd, Liam Tyrell and Odd Ivar for the photos taken on the day of the Bobby Moore Cup game.