Aug 05 2008
The Importance Of Legendary Kit Numbers
West Ham United are planning on retiring club legend and England captain Bobby Moore’s number 6 before the upcoming Premiership season. To which I would say they are making a mistake. As the gesture would be a great honor to any player, but the greatest service for the club is to keep a legend alive through number for the youths that bear the shirt after such a great player as Bobby Moore.
The greatest example of a good decision to not retire a legendary number? Manchester United. From the greatest player to touch a ball in George Best, the number 7 shirt has passed from such legendary footballers as Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and the modern messiah Cristiano Ronaldo. Showing that the great responsibility that comes from a historically significant shirt can be enough to propel a player to super stardom, and supreme service to their club.
Why should West Ham deprive a young player, coming through the ranks, the significance of wearing a legend like Bobby Moore’s number. Fueling the player to live up to the sort of status a player before him had attained. Why shut down such a motivation tool?
And what better way to honor Bobby Moore’s memory, than ensuring a number six shirt can always be seen, playing for West Ham on the pitch.
