Bernard Moore (footballer)

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Bernard Moore
Personal information
Full name Bernard John Moore[1]
Date of birth (1923-12-18)18 December 1923[1]
Place of birth Brighton,[1] England
Date of death 20 July 2014(2014-07-20) (aged 90)[2]
Place of death Bedford,[3] England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1942–1948 Brighton & Hove Albion 10 (2)
1948–1951 Hastings United
1951–1954 Luton Town 74 (31)
1954–1955 Brighton & Hove Albion 29 (10)
1955–1956 Bedford Town 23 (12)
1956–1958 Cambridge United
1958–19?? Potton United (player-manager)
Dunstable Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bernard John Moore (18 December 1923 – 20 July 2014) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion (two spells) and Luton Town.[3] He also played non-league football for Hastings United, Bedford Town, Cambridge United, Potton United and Dunstable Town.

Life and career[edit]

Moore was born in 1923 in Brighton, where he attended Brighton Intermediate School and played football for Brighton Boys.[1] According to that team's secretary, "Moore was a lightweight and relied on brains rather than brawn. He was a very clever player and never averse to a shot at goal from the edge of the area."[4] When he left school, he began an apprenticeship as a toolmaker and joined Brighton & Hove Albion as a junior.[4]

He turned professional in 1945, and made his senior debut in the 1945–46 FA Cup,[1] but his progress was interrupted by service as a Physical Training Instructor with the Royal Air Force in India and the Far East,[4] and he finally made an appearance in the Third Division South in 1947–48. He scored twice from eight league matches before joining the newly formed Southern League club Hastings United in October 1948. The move was intended as a loan, but mistakes were made with the paperwork and Moore had signed a permanent contract.[4]

Moore scored prolifically for Hastings, with 138 goals from 121 matches.[2] According to the club's 40th anniversary souvenir volume, he arrived to "add sparkle to the attack", and "his skills helped to keep gates healthy", but not healthy enough: in his third season, with Hastings in severe financial difficulty, Luton Town of the Football League Second Division paid "a much-needed £4,000",[5] which was then a Southern League record, for his services.[6]

He scored on debut for Luton, and followed up with 6 goals from his next 12 appearances as the team avoided relegation from the second tier.[2] He was injured early in the new season,[7] and when he recovered he played more for the reserve team than the first team.[8][2] In 1952–53, Moore was moved to inside right to accommodate the arrival of former England international centre-forward Jesse Pye and by the end of November, he had 10 goals.[9] By March he was back in the reserves,[10] as Luton went on to finish third in the table, and the following season, he was allowed to leave.[2]

In March 1954, Brighton & Hove Albion paid £3,000 for Moore's services. While not as prolific as in his youth, he still scored a goal in every three games.[1] He fell out of favour with manager Billy Lane, and in November 1955, he returned to the Southern League with Bedford Town.[1]

Moore was a regular in the Bedford side that reached the third round of the 1955–56 FA Cup, in which they faced Arsenal at Highbury. Bedford came back from two goals down to draw the match: with six minutes to go,[11] "Adey's centre from the left was flicked by Yates over the groping hands of Sullivan and Moore drove the ball home."[12] He played in the replay which Bedford for most of the second half before the First Division side equalised and then secured the win in extra time.[11] The Daily Herald wrote that Arsenal's centre half, Jim Fotheringham, "looked crude and clumsy" against Moore.[13] By the end of the season he had lost his place.[11] He made two appearances in the early part of the next[14] before moving on to Cambridge United,[6] where he again played alongside a former England player, this time Wilf Mannion.[4][15] He spent time as player-manager of Potton United,[16] and also played for Dunstable Town.[6]

After leaving the professional game Moore updated his toolmaking skills and taught metalwork in Bedford schools until he retired in 1988.[4] He remained in the Bedford area, where he died at his Putnoe home in 2014 at the age of 90.[17] He and his wife, Daphne, had two daughters, Lesley and Bernadette.[17]

Career statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion[1] 1945–46 — 9 1 — 9 1
1946–47 Third Division South 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
1947–48 Third Division South 8 2 0 0 — 8 2
1947–48 Third Division South 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 8 2 9 1 — 17 3
Luton Town Total 74 31 — 74 31
Brighton & Hove Albion[1] 1953–54 Third Division South 7 2 0 0 — 7 2
1954–55 Third Division South 22 8 5 1 — 27 9
1955–56 Third Division South 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 29 10 5 1 — 34 11
Bedford Town 1955–56[18] Southern League 22 12 3 1 2[a] 4 27 17
1956–57[14] Southern League 1 0 0 0 1[b] 0 2 0
Total 23 12 3 1 3 4 29 17
Career total 134 55 17 3 3 4 154 62
  1. ^ Appearances in Bedfordshire Premier Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in East Anglian Cup

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hatters mourn Moore". Luton Town F.C. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Bernard Moore". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Albion mistake let Moore out of the door". The Argus. Brighton. 11 May 2001. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. ^ Elms, Philip (1988). Claret and Blue: the story of Hastings United F.C. St Leonards-on-Sea: 1066 Newspapers. p. 7.
  6. ^ a b c "Best Years Players J–R". Bedford Old Eagles. David Williams. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  7. ^ Chisholm, George (20 August 1951). "Stobbart returns". Daily Herald. Dublin. p. 6. Reserve centre-forward Bernard Moore was give his chance ...
  8. ^ "Miss–and hit". Daily Herald. London. 19 February 1952. p. 6. Reserve centre-forward Bernard Moore was give his chance ...
  9. ^ "Ranger's Notes on Sport". Liverpool Echo. 28 November 1952. p. 10.
  10. ^ "Albion waiting for home win: United's two 'kills'". Sussex Express & County Herald. 27 March 1953. p. 14.
  11. ^ a b c "1955/6 Summary". Bedford Old Eagles. David Williams. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Second half shocks for Arsenal. Gallant Bedford force replay". The Times. London. 9 January 1956. p. 3.
  13. ^ Webb, Clifford (13 January 1956). "Five minutes from disaster—it's 'Lucky Arsenal'". Daily Herald. London. p. 8.
  14. ^ a b "Results and teams 1956/7". Bedford Old Eagles. David Williams. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  15. ^ "United Reserves 2, Cambridge United 2". Peterborough Advertiser. 16 April 1957. p. 12.
  16. ^ "Player-manager". Peterborough Advertiser. 20 May 1958. p. 14. Bernard Moore, who was with Cambridge United for two seasons, has been appointed player-manager of Potton United of the Central Alliance.
  17. ^ a b Yousif, Layth (30 July 2014). "Arsenal FC pays official tribute to Bedford Town football hero Bernard Moore who scored in famous FA Cup match at Highbury against the Gunners in 1956". Bedford Today. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Results and teams 1955/6". Bedford Old Eagles. David Williams. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
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