England's 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero, Sir Geoff Hurst, has publicly urged whoever possesses Bobby Moore's iconic red jersey from the final to return it to the late captain's family. Hurst's intervention comes as Tina Moore, Bobby Moore's widow, has initiated legal action to recover the shirt.
Tina Moore filed papers at the High Court alleging that Neville Evans, a businessman from Wales, either has the shirt or knows its whereabouts. Evans, a sporting memorabilia dealer, is named in the High Court claim as being "in possession of the red shirt." The jersey, which Moore wore when lifting the World Cup trophy, has not been seen by the family for decades. It was reportedly last kept in the attic of the home Tina shared with Bobby Moore before their divorce.
Sir Geoff Hurst, 84, the last surviving member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team, stated, "That shirt belongs with the family. I think that's what Mooro would want, and that's what should happen." He added, "Whoever has the shirt should help the family get it back."
Tina Moore claims her late husband, who died in 1993, gave her the shirt and all his memorabilia when they divorced in 1986. She believes the shirt went missing from her home in Loughton, Essex, in the 1980s or 1990s. The family used to store his match shirts in a blue leather bag in their attic.
In 2021, the Moore family was informed by the Football Association that the shirt had surfaced in the possession of a private individual who had acquired it at a mystery auction. The Daily Mail reports that a source, identified as a friend or relative of Evans, claimed to have seen the shirt at his mansion near Aberystwyth in 2024. Tina's solicitor subsequently contacted Evans, but his own legal representative responded without directly confirming or denying possession of the shirt.
Stephen Hackett, Tina's barrister, noted in the High Court claim that Evans's "declined to take the opportunity to explain whether he is in possession of the red shirt... which tends to heighten suspicion."
Neville Evans has issued a statement denying current possession of the shirt. "I do not have Bobby Moore's 1966 shirt, and I categorically deny that any of the shirts that I own have been obtained in anything other than an entirely lawful and reputable way," his statement read. He expressed feeling "hounded and victimised when I have done absolutely nothing wrong."