Bobby Moore Fund named as charity for 2009 SEAs

08 Jun 09

Bobby Moore was one of the greatest footballers ever to play for England, and one of the best central defenders of all time. OK, you might say I’m a tad biased there because I’ve been a West Ham United supporter since I was knee high to a grasshopper, but the giants of the game are only too happy to support the theory.

“Moore was the best defender I’ve ever seen,” said Sir Alex Ferguson in a recent interview. Meanwhile, Pele – Moore’s opponent in that famous World Cup match of 1970 played out under the sweltering heat of Mexico – has this to say on the man… “Bobby was a great sportsman and an honourable Gentlemen. The world misses him both as a player and as a human being, for he was a man of great honour and the highest values.”

Moore, of course, captained England to World Cup glory at Wembley in 1966, ably assisted by his Hammers team mates Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters who, between them, scored the goals that helped defeat West Germany by the impressive scoreline of 4-2. In his later years, however, Moore was diagnosed with bowel cancer and eventually died in February 1993 at the tragically young age of 51.

Bowel cancer accounts for one in every eight new cancer cases spotted each year in the UK. It’s the second most common cause of cancer death, claiming around 44 lives every day on home shores. If the disease is detected at an early stage, over 80% of cases can be successfully treated. Half of all bowel cancer patients are diagnosed after the disease has spread, however, which then makes treatment far more difficult.

Memories from the North Bank

I was at Upton Park on Saturday 6 March 1993 when West Ham hosted Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was the first home game after Bobby’s death and the fans, management and backroom staff all paid their respects.

Peters and Hurst helped lay a claret and blue floral arrangement in the shape of Bobby’s old shirt in the centre circle. White roses picked out the legendary No6 on the reverse. The Boleyn Ground was awash with floral tributes and lots of football memorabilia left by both West Ham fans and those of other clubs.

As I stood on the old North Bank in my usual spot, I looked around and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. That is how great a man Moore was, you see.

As a mark of respect for a footballing genius, West Ham ‘rested’ the number six shirt with the regular number six, Ian Bishop, wearing number 12 that day. The game was won by West Ham 3-1 with goals by Steve Bull for Wolves and Trevor Morley, Julian Dicks and Matty Holmes for the Hammers. That said, the result didn’t matter. It was what that day stood for that counted.

On June 28, 1993 Bobby’s memorial service was held in Westminster Abbey, and attended by all the other members of the 1966 World Cup Team. Moore was only the second sportsman to be so honoured, the first being the West Indian cricketer Sir Frank Worrell.

Establishing the Bobby Moore Fund

As I said, Moore was only 51 when he died but, thanks to his lovely wife Stephanie, his enormous and vital legacy lives on. Stephanie Moore MBE set up the Bobby Moore Fund – in conjunction with Cancer Research UK – during the year of Bobby’s death. Since then, this magnificent charity has raised well in excess of £12 million to fund research into the disease that, tragically, ended Moore’s life.

In addition to raising money for cutting-edge bowel cancer research – more of which anon – the other main objective of the Fund is to heighten awareness of the high risk symptoms associated with the disease.

Bleeding from the bottom without any obvious reason, a persistent change in bowel habits to looser or more frequent bowel motions, tummy pain (particularly if it’s severe) and a lump in the tummy are all warning signs. Although these symptoms are unlikely to be caused by cancer, it’s better to play safe. If they last for longer than four-to-six weeks then it’s time to tell the doctor.

Around two thirds of all bowel cancer cases are preventable if lifestyles are changed. At least half an hour of moderate physical activity every week helps. The more active we are, the more we cut down the risk of bowel cancer. Also, it helps to maintain a healthy body weight.

Boost the amount of fibre in your diet. Try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and choose wholegrain bread, cereals, rice and pasta. In addition, attempt to eat smaller and fewer portions of red and processed meat. Instead, eat more fish… and poach or bake it because that’s the best way to eat it!

Last – but by no means least – cut down on your alcohol intake. There is limited risk if you drink only a small amount. The more you cut down, the greater the reduction of the risk. Simple, isn’t it? Make all of these changes and perhaps we can cut back on the 100 or so people diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK every day.

Where the donated monies go

Monies raised by the Bobby Moore Fund are spent on high quality research conducted by leading scientists working across the UK. To ensure the best quality research, the Fund has established a series of Bobby Moore Research Fellowships. These are awarded on a highly competitive basis.

To date, the Fund has backed a total of 36 research projects, varying from between one and three years in duration. Last year alone, the Fund began to support three additional projects, including one in Leeds, one at the London Research Institute and another at Belfast’s renowned and revered Queen’s University.

There are several interesting research projects that have been funded since 2007. For example, Professor Chris Paraskeva began his project – entitled ‘Controlling Cell Death in Bowel Cancer’ – at the University of Bristol’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine in 2006. This project has another year and a half to run.

We usually think of cancer as a disease caused by malignant cells multiplying out of control, but sometimes it can be due to cells not ceasing to live when they should. Cancer cells often evade death, and carry on multiplying when they shouldn’t. Professor Paraskeva is therefore investigating how normal bowel cells die, and what goes wrong with this process during the development of cancer.

In particular, Professor Paraskeva is focusing his attentions on the molecules within our cells which are involved in death and survival, and how these might interact with drugs or components of our diet. Through this research, Cancer Research UK is hoping to understand more about potential ways to prevent bowel cancer, notably for those individuals at high risk of contracting the condition.

Five-year analysis at Oxford University

Meantime, Dr Rachel Midgley is leading a team of scientists at Oxford University who are looking at ‘Personalising Bowel Cancer Treatment’. The project began in November 2007, and is due to run for five years.

Many people with bowel cancer, of course, are treated thanks to a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. While surgery is effective, it’s difficult for doctors to tell which patients will benefit from chemotherapy, and which variant on that treatment is going to be most successful. Occasionally, this means that some individuals end up receiving chemotherapy treatment – and suffering from the side effects – when it may not actually help them.

Therefore, Dr Midgley and members of her team use cutting-edge technology to study the patterns of gene activity in samples taken from between 800 and 1,200 bowel tumours. By comparing the data with information on a given patient’s treatment, the researchers hope to uncover patterns that can be linked to how an individual’s cancer will progress, and then pinpoint the best treatment.

View from the Bobby Moore Fund

Speaking about United Business Media’s decision to nominate the Bobby Moore Fund as this year’s chosen charity at the Security Excellence Awards, Sallie May – an executive working on behalf of the Bobby Moore Fund Supporter Partnerships – told SMT Online: “Thank You so much for your generous support. We’re delighted that the best practitioners in the security sector will be given the opportunity to help with our work by way of donations or assistance of some kind.”

May continued: “It’s also great that you know the history of why we’re doing what we’re doing, Brian. As a life-long Hammers fan, you must realise better than most the pain that Bobby’s death caused, and how determined we are to honour his memory by saving others.”

Stephanie Moore MBE added: “My vision when I set up the Bobby Moore Fund was to use Bobby’s iconic name and image to raise much-needed funds for research into bowel cancer, and also to raise awareness. Scientific research is very expensive. All of our funding comes directly from the generosity of public donations, which is why the support of events like the Security Excellence Awards is so important.”

The founder of this fantastic charity concluded: “Every pound raised at the Security Excellence Awards will help to ensure better quality treatment for patients with bowel cancer both now and in the future.”

*The Security Excellence Awards 2009 take place at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London on Thursday 22 October

*Cancer Research (UK) is the world’s leading independent organisation dedicated to finding out how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. If you would like to find out more information, simply call 020 7121 6699 or, alternatively, visit the web site (see the dedicated link on the right hand panel of this page)

*For further details on the work of the Bobby Moore Fund, pleased click on the dedicated link provided on the right hand panel of this page or write to The Bobby Moore Fund, Cancer Research (UK), 61 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX

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