Stephanie Moved

Stephanie Moore, widow of Bobby, says the unveiling of the 'Champions' sculpture on Monday was a "very emotional" ceremony.

The four tonne bronze statue, on the corner of Barking Road and Green Street, depicts the famous photo of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, and Geoff Hurst - along with Ray Wilson - in the aftermath of England's 1966 World Cup win over West Germany.

The unveiling, on a windy morning in front of an enthusiastic crowd, was attended by Stephanie, who says: "It was a very emotional ceremony for everybody and it is an amazing piece of art in its own right. I think it is a wonderful tribute to Bobby, Sir Geoff, Martin, and Ray Wilson.

"It was lovely to see them again, and Ray came up on the train - he is just an amazing guy, as they all are.

"They enjoyed seeing each other, which is actually quite frequent nowadays, more so than in the past - they are all great friends who love getting together."

As for Ray Wilson being in the sculpture - Sir Geoff joked that had he known an Everton player was going to end up in a sculpture 37 years later the Hammers triumvirate would have rehearsed the scene better so he wouldn't have been an integral part - Stephanie says: "He was supporting almost the entire weight of Bobby because he is that much shorter than Geoff, and if he hadn't have been there Bobby wouldn't have been aloft on Geoff's shoulders."

The sculpture has been a major project for the club and the Borough of Newham, and Stephanie adds: "I have been involved since the outset when Philip Jackson was commissioned to do this, and I have been to just about every meeting.

"It has been a very emotional road actually, and Philip has just been commissioned to do the first statue of the Queen - he is a very respected sculptor in his own right.

"That is why I hope this piece of work will be there for decades and decades and decades to come - it is a wonderful tribute to West Ham and the Borough of Newham.

"It is a wonderful statue and I am sure people will come from afar to admire it."

Stephanie is continuing her work with the Bobby Moore Cancer Fund, which received its annual boost this month from income raised by participants in the London Marathon.

"The marathon is the most emotional thing we do because of the dedication, focus, and sacrifice people show - and when you hear some of the stories about why people are running, it is the most amazing fundraiser that people are involved in.

"We had 150 runners this year so it was a big occasion for us, and we are totally indebted to them - and in awe of anyone who would even consider running the marathon."

The injection of cash is much needed, and Stephanie adds: "The fund is going well in this, our 10th year, the 10th anniversary of Bobby's death, and we are having our 10th Fellow installed.

"This is a competitive post and scientists are applying for the position from all over the country, and an independent board will judge pieces of work and will decide which is the most promising and who should be allotted that tranche of money for this year.

"More people survive cancer than ever before, and that is the one thing you have to hang on to. It is a dreadful disease, and there is no family that is not affected by this nowadays.

"We are making headway slowly, and it is through the generosity of the public that we do manage to fund this much, much needed research in all areas of cancer, not just bowel cancer."

Stephanie is delighted that Glenn Roeder is making good progress in hospital, and adds: "I am actually thinking about Glenn and Faith all the time. He must be the nicest man in football, and I just wish Glenn well and a very, very speedy recovery - my thoughts are with Faith and all the family.

"I was absolutely devastated when I heard the news of his illness. I couldn't believe it, actually, and I still can't."