Question Bobby Moore's time at Southend.

[DTS]

Morning,

Bit before my time was wondering what Bobby Moore's time as manager was like? Was he a popular choice at the time? What went wrong?

I gather it wasnt a very good time for club?

Cheers
DtS

 

[prawntobewild]

I was only a young 'un myself & I started going to the hall at the same time. Dark days generally attandances were about 1500 & we were in the bottom 6 in danger of dropping into the Gola League. Bobby Moore was popular with both fans & players & bought in Frank Lampard Snr as player coach. His second season saw signings such as Cadette/O'Shea & we were in with a shout of promotion up til about Jan time (sounds familiar) when we went on a run where we just couldn't win a game & ended up about 8th. I think he just decided that he had done all he could & wanted someone else ro have a go I don't recall him being under particular pressure to go at the time.
I know a former player who was signed on by Bobby Moore and he like most people in the game describe him as "An absolute gent".
Although not a huge success it could be argued that he laid for the foundations for the team that I think went up the next season under Webby.

 

[veryoldman]

It wasn't very good at all. Much as he was respected by all I don't think he really lived up to expectations as a manager. I remember he got Malcolm Allison to help with the coaching for a while and the improvement with the same players was immediate.

 

[KAB]

BM always tried to play a passing game and had one or two players up to the task but he and many like him, seem to carry an inherent weakness when it comes to bringing the best out of lesser talented players and ultimately it was his downfall. However, I did enjoy the attempt he made at trying to get players to play football with the ethos he encapsulated and he generally appeared to recognise a talent. As for it being a poor time at the club, when is it ever a good time. Only when were winning. Although I attended matches both home and away in that period, I remember little of note, which probably sums up his tenure perfectly. Others may have a more detailed memory than I and would welcome others views as I may be completely wrong.

 

[Ricey]

I looked at Bobby Moore on Wikipedia, according to that it says after he left as manager he moved upstairs and took a place on the board and apparently was a board member until he died. I didn't know that, never heard anyone mention it so wonder if true? Can anyone elaborate on it?

 

[Csboy]

I looked at Bobby Moore on Wikipedia, according to that it says after he left as manager he moved upstairs and took a place on the board and apparently was a board member until he died. I didn't know that, never heard anyone mention it so wonder if true? Can anyone elaborate on it?

Think it was an honoury thing really don't think he had much say so in how the club was run. It was a tough time at the club when he was manager that crook Anton Johnson almost took the club out of business. After Jobson took over things did improve and in season 85-86 we were top for most ofthe 1st half of the season before fading away badly.The seeds were sown for the promotion next season. Who knows what would have happened if Bobby Moore had stayed on as manager at least he wouldn't have done a Webb and walked out on the club after a row. We will never know. When Bobby Moore was manager of Southend he did give the club a far higher profile.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I think this from the Observer 2005 sums it up quite well. Great players often don't make great managers especialy at clubs like ours. We've had arguably 2 of the best English players in David Jack and Bobby Moore managing us and both in terms of results were "failures".

"History will always consider Moore a managerial failure, and his record at Southend was unimpressive: relegated to the Fourth Division in his first season, barely staving off the humiliation of having to seek re-election to the Football League in his second, mid-table anonymity in his final year. But backroom disruption always left him facing an impossible job. When Moore joined, Southend had just been taken over by the Essex builder Anton Johnson, who had ambitions to turn it into a grand sporting club. Inviting a rugby league team, the Maidstone-based Kent Invicta, to share the Roots Hall stadium was one of his wheezes. But Johnson was short of both money and fans. Debts rose to £700,000 and even the fans' Christmas loan fund was purged of £70,000. At this point, the Serious Fraud Squad was called in. In December 1985, the Football League banned Johnson from any further involvement in football and he was later declared bankrupt with hundreds of thousands owed to creditors.Moore's role in all this remains sketchy. His position as chief executive was seemingly titular under Johnson, as he was never implicated in any of the police or FA investigations; he went on to serve Vic Jobson, Johnson's successor as chairman. Indeed Moore, as much as anyone, could be credited with saving Southend. Not only was he left to unravel the mess left by Johnson, but he also stepped in as manager following the sacking of Peter Morris in February 1984. As if by accident his break into management had finally come.
'It must have been very stressful for Bobby working there,' says Stephanie Moore. 'They didn't know how they were going to pay the players. They'd get to the end of the week and somebody would say, "Oh, we've got a game tomorrow". Bobby was involved in all this other stuff , the last thing he was allowed to do was really pay much attention to the team. He was too busy trying to keep the club afloat.'
By the summer of 1985, Jobson was in full control of the club and, for the first time since Moore's arrival, there was some stability. Frank Lampard, another former West Ham player and the father of the current Chelsea star, became player-coach and there was money to sign new players. Lampard describes Moore as 'an excellent, excellent manager for the players', who never really lost his temper. If he did throw a tantrum, 'it didn't really look like him, it didn't have that same effect'.
Moore's grace on the football field had once exuded a natural authority, says Lampard - an 'aura', something you couldn't quite put your finger on. Instructing lesser players wasn't so easy. 'He would often talk about great players not making good managers because they played through instinct,' says Pearce. 'I don't think Bobby was ever going to be a football manager. He wasn't a success when he dabbled in it because he was a player of such great ability. I'm not sure he was able to coach players of poor ability and make them great players - or even better players.'
Moore's time at Southend ended with further backroom arguments. Jobson had already objected to Moore moving back to live in central London so that Stephanie would be closer to her workplace. Then they fell out over team selection. 'There were one or two players,' recalls Lampard, 'and Vic wanted them to play, but they weren't in the starting line-up. Bob was very hesitant about what to do about it. Once that happened, that was the end of me being there. I can't even remember whether Bob changed the team, but it left such a bad taste. Two weeks later, Bob left too. And that was it.'
When Moore left Southend in April 1986, it was effectively the end of his managerial ambitions. A couple of months later, he had a new job: as sports editor of Britain's newest tabloid, the Sunday Sport, a product of the technology-led expansion of press titles. Its owner, David Sullivan, had made his fortune from pornographic magazines"

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

My abiding memory of Bobby Moores reign was he signed Tony Currie who on his first game came out to warm up, injured himself and was never seen again.

 

[B.B.The Legend Lives On.]

Bobby Moore was a great player there is little doubt about that, however as manager of Southend United my abiding memory is the poor treatment he showed to Ron Pountney giving him a free transfer at the end of the 1984-85 season in Ron's Testimonial Year, then his proposed match against West Ham was postponed (not BM fault) and it then took another fifteen years for Little Ron to get the benefit match he deserved after 10 years of loyal service.

 

[A Century United]

I was queuing outside the ground one day at the corner of the North and East stands and a Rover 3.5 SDi (pic for you young 'uns)

rolled into the Manager's parking space, hit the wall and bounced gently back. A loud cheer from us waiting fans, of course, and from the Rover emerged Mr Moore grinning sheepishly.

 

[Batman]

Southend scarf on his statue on the 7th of April will be fitting I think.

 

[A Century United]

Southend scarf on his statue on the 7th of April will be fitting I think.

Been mentioned in the Wembley forum..... A shirt with his name, as was done for the Angel of the North (Shearer), would be classy......

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I saw him about Vic Ave a few times, either running into work or carrying a sack of balls back from a Priory Park training session.
Incredible really that the most famous player just getting on with things in such a modest fashion. I talked with Jimmy Greaves (and Danny) at Garons golf course and they were just "pay & playing" as normal guys.
The current Blues players are NOT aloof (when I have spoken to them) from the fans and that is another good indication that they are realistic and proper pros in the tradition of Mr Moore.

 

[Firestorm]

It was a difficult time the Football was dire and money was tight , The main memory was Harry regulary shouting to Moore "Sell the bracelet"

 

[Napster]

Used to get ****ed with Brian Dear down the Halfway House (Dear's pub at the time) on a Saturday before games. :facepalm:

 

[Napster]

I think this from the Observer 2005 sums it up quite well. Great players often don't make great managers especialy at clubs like ours. We've had arguably 2 of the best English players in David Jack and Bobby Moore managing us and both in terms of results were "failures".

"History will always consider Moore a managerial failure, and his record at Southend was unimpressive: relegated to the Fourth Division in his first season, barely staving off the humiliation of having to seek re-election to the Football League in his second, mid-table anonymity in his final year. But backroom disruption always left him facing an impossible job. When Moore joined, Southend had just been taken over by the Essex builder Anton Johnson, who had ambitions to turn it into a grand sporting club. Inviting a rugby league team, the Maidstone-based Kent Invicta, to share the Roots Hall stadium was one of his wheezes. But Johnson was short of both money and fans. Debts rose to £700,000 and even the fans' Christmas loan fund was purged of £70,000. At this point, the Serious Fraud Squad was called in. In December 1985, the Football League banned Johnson from any further involvement in football and he was later declared bankrupt with hundreds of thousands owed to creditors.Moore's role in all this remains sketchy. His position as chief executive was seemingly titular under Johnson, as he was never implicated in any of the police or FA investigations; he went on to serve Vic Jobson, Johnson's successor as chairman. Indeed Moore, as much as anyone, could be credited with saving Southend. Not only was he left to unravel the mess left by Johnson, but he also stepped in as manager following the sacking of Peter Morris in February 1984. As if by accident his break into management had finally come.
'It must have been very stressful for Bobby working there,' says Stephanie Moore. 'They didn't know how they were going to pay the players. They'd get to the end of the week and somebody would say, "Oh, we've got a game tomorrow". Bobby was involved in all this other stuff , the last thing he was allowed to do was really pay much attention to the team. He was too busy trying to keep the club afloat.'
By the summer of 1985, Jobson was in full control of the club and, for the first time since Moore's arrival, there was some stability. Frank Lampard, another former West Ham player and the father of the current Chelsea star, became player-coach and there was money to sign new players. Lampard describes Moore as 'an excellent, excellent manager for the players', who never really lost his temper. If he did throw a tantrum, 'it didn't really look like him, it didn't have that same effect'.
Moore's grace on the football field had once exuded a natural authority, says Lampard - an 'aura', something you couldn't quite put your finger on. Instructing lesser players wasn't so easy. 'He would often talk about great players not making good managers because they played through instinct,' says Pearce. 'I don't think Bobby was ever going to be a football manager. He wasn't a success when he dabbled in it because he was a player of such great ability. I'm not sure he was able to coach players of poor ability and make them great players - or even better players.'
Moore's time at Southend ended with further backroom arguments. Jobson had already objected to Moore moving back to live in central London so that Stephanie would be closer to her workplace. Then they fell out over team selection. 'There were one or two players,' recalls Lampard, 'and Vic wanted them to play, but they weren't in the starting line-up. Bob was very hesitant about what to do about it. Once that happened, that was the end of me being there. I can't even remember whether Bob changed the team, but it left such a bad taste. Two weeks later, Bob left too. And that was it.'
When Moore left Southend in April 1986, it was effectively the end of his managerial ambitions. A couple of months later, he had a new job: as sports editor of Britain's newest tabloid, the Sunday Sport, a product of the technology-led expansion of press titles. Its owner, David Sullivan, had made his fortune from pornographic magazines"

Good journalism as always by the Observer.

He was a butcher. Not a builder.

 

[C C Csiders]

I, personally, think he was very under-rated as manager. Without his signings (Cadette, Stannard, Westley, O'Shea etc.) we wpouldn't have won promotion the following season.

 

[Napster]

I, personally, think he was very under-rated as manager. Without his signings (Cadette, Stannard, Westley, O'Shea etc.) we wpouldn't have won promotion the following season.

Which must make Colin Murphy our best manager ever.

 

[A Century United]

Used to get ****ed with Brian Dear down the Halfway House (Dear's pub at the time) on a Saturday before games. :facepalm:

....see my anecdote above....

:whistling:

 

[Napster]

....see my anecdote above....

:whistling:

There's another one I was told - about how Moore turned up at 5 to 3 at Roots Hall, to find his players in the dressing room ready to kick off and awaiting instructions. Moore tripped over the entrance into the dressing room, dusted himself down, told the players "you know what to do, go and bloody win". He then walked out and up to the bar. The players promptly won.