Production has begun on a feature-length documentary on the life of the late, great West Ham United and England captain Bobby Moore OBE.
Co-produced and co-written by lifelong Hammer and television presenter Matt Lorenzo and made by Timeless films, its launch will coincide with the 50th anniversary of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph
Moore, who tragically passed away following a brave battle with cancer in February 1993 at the age of 51, made 646 senior appearances for West Ham, scoring 27 goals. He was also capped 108 times by England, scoring twice and lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley on 30 July 1966.
Archive footage of Moore's life and times will blend with interviews, old and new, and the real stories behind his footballing glory; his battles with two bouts of cancer and the facts that led to false accusations about a stolen bracelet ahead of the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
The documentary is written and produced by acclaimed football journalist, TV presenter and devoted West Ham fan Lorenzo, a Hammers' fan ever since his father, Peter, started taking him to matches in the Sixties.
Directing the project is the award-winning commercials and documentary maker Finn McGough, (Summer With The Johnsons, Banged Up Abroad), who will also co-write with Lorenzo. The new, but as yet untitled, Bobby Moore feature documentary project will be produced by Ralph Kamp (Postman Pat: The Movie, Manchester United: Beyond the Promised Land, The Phantom of the Opera), of Timeless Films. Timeless is also handling worldwide sales, with Entertainment One (eOne) distributing the film in the United Kingdom.
The Bobby Moore film will be released in the summer of 2016, the 50th anniversary of the legendary World Cup win on that golden afternoon at Wembley. It will be launched with a World Charity Premiere in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.
Since its creation in 1993, the Bobby Moore Fund has raised £21m in its campaign against bowel cancer. The charity will also receive a percentage of the profits from the film. Bobby's widow and founder of the Fund, Stephanie Moore MBE, has given the film her blessing and offered her full support: "I really appreciate the filmmakers support for the Bobby Moore Fund."
Lorenzo said: "He was a kind, humble man who always had time for people. I can't think of any greater hero in our national game. To have known him personally only deepens my admiration. His was a life touched with glory, struggle, tremendous challenges and, towards the end, ill-deserved disappointment."
Director McGough noted: "Sadly I hadn't taken my first breath when England won the World Cup. For many of us born post 1966, Bobby Moore is a sporting hero but still somewhat of an enigma. With 2016 marking half a century since that historic win, now is the perfect opportunity to present the iconic image of the only English captain to have held the World Cup aloft. I'm thrilled to be on board, our film will bring his dramatic story vividly to life."
The project is also fully endorsed by the Football Association, who commented: "Outside Wembley Stadium there stands one statue: that of Bobby Moore. As we approach the 50th anniversary of England's finest sporting moment - winning the World Cup in 1966 - it is fitting we remember one of our greatest footballers by supporting the film that celebrates his life."