Bobby Moore's ex-wife Tina and their daughter Roberta have initiated legal action to recover the legendary footballer's iconic 1966 World Cup-winning shirt. The family claims the jersey, which they assert Moore would never have willingly parted with, is in the possession of Neville Evans, a prominent collector of football memorabilia.
Tina, 83, and Roberta, 61, have lodged papers at the High Court, naming Evans as either the current holder of the shirt or someone who can facilitate its return. This legal move follows years of attempts by the family to locate the No. 6 shirt, which went missing over 25 years ago.
The family discovered the shirt was missing when Tina assisted in arranging an auction of Bobby Moore's memorabilia in 2000. At that time, the yellow shirt that Brazilian legend Pelé wore, which Moore famously swapped for his own white shirt after the 1970 World Cup, was also found to be missing from its usual storage place in the attic.
Neville Evans, co-author of the book "Three Lions On A Shirt: The Official History Of The England Football Jersey," was contacted by the Football Association in 2021 when the book was set to feature Moore's red shirt. Tina, having searched for the shirt for over two decades, instructed her lawyer to investigate. The shirt was subsequently omitted from the book, and the FA informed Tina that the private buyer wished to remain anonymous and could not assist in locating it.
According to reports, a source close to Evans indicated that the shirt was seen in his £2 million mansion in west Wales. However, when solicitors acting for the Moore family approached him, Evans' lawyers did not confirm or deny possession of the shirt. While there is no accusation of illegal acquisition, the family's legal papers demand its return or disclosure of its whereabouts.
The No. 6 shirt is valued at over £1 million, though the family stresses their pursuit is not motivated by financial gain but by the shirt's immense sentimental value and historical significance. Roberta described their efforts to track down the shirt as being met with a "troubling wall of silence."
Roberta rejected the notion that her father would have casually given away the shirt from the World Cup final, stating, "The narrative has become that Dad was so generous he'd give shirts away, which he did, but never the shirt from that World Cup final." Tina echoed this sentiment, asserting that Moore never gave away his World Cup medal, football boots, or the iconic shirt.
Tina recalled that even after their divorce in 1986, Bobby Moore left her all his football memorabilia, stating, "I want you to have everything. You've been there for me. I want you to have the lot." She believes this was his way of reckoning with guilt over their separation.
The family also highlighted Moore's promise to his son Dean, who died in 2011, of Pelé's yellow No. 10 shirt. Tina stated, "Bobby would never have given that away. They belong to Bobby's children and grandchildren and should be displayed for the nation."
Tina expressed a sense of duty to rectify the situation, saying, "I feel I've let Bobby down. It's my duty now to do as much as I possibly can to right what has happened and bring that shirt home. For the nation and for my family."
