Sad to read this, another of the great Cardiff conveyor belt, that are never allowed to stay and make the Bluebirds great, RIP Graham.
Hi Paul, I thought he was a centre forward. Watched him play many times for Cardiff and also his first game for Wales against England at Ninian Park. He was a very good player, good at heading the ball. The photograph of him with his Welsh colleagues brought back memories Dereck Sullivan and Ivor Allchurch ex Cardiff city players, I could name most of them, Jack Kelsey, Stuart Williams, Terry Medwin, Cliff Jones, Phil ? Woosnam.
Regards
Geoff
Richard Holt says:
Although I saw Moore play for City quite a few times during the 60/61 and 61/62 season I was just a bit too young then to give an accurate first hand account of his merits. What was interesting about Moore was that although he wore no 9 he was what was called in those days a ‘deep-lying centre-forward’ rather than the traditional no 9 that most teams used. I think Manchester City had used Don Revie in a similar role in the 50’s but it was quite advanced thinking by Bill Jones to use Moore in that way and it was a crucial element in the success of the 59/60 promotion winning team (as well as his famous goal of course). I know that when he was sold to Chelsea for £35,000 in December 1961 the reaction from City fans was not unlike the response to the sale of Toshack nine years later. By the time he was a fairly regular opponent for Northampton and Charlton in the late 60’s he had become a bit of a take-no prisoners midfield player having lost some of the subtlety that characterised his early career. ‘ Not the player he was’ I can remember my dad saying. Anyway it would be appropriate if his passing is marked in the match against Brighton next week – not least as it was against Brighton that Moore made his league debut in 1958, scoring in the last-minute to give City a 2-2 draw.
MIKE HOPEsays:
I was a great fan of G raham Moore and was saddened to hear of his death this week.
I saw most of his home games for us and some away.
Richard is correct in saying he played as a deep lying lying centre forward which was unusual in British football having first been seen in the great Hungarian side of the fifties.
He specialised in the nutmeg which used to infuriate defenders!
In those days we did not get so much information about injuries and their treatment was comparatively primitive but for whatever reason he did not fulfil his early promise.
To get some idea how highly rated he was-
1 He was signed from Chelsea by Matt Busby who spoke very highly of him and M.U were a major force at that time.They finished the 1963/64 season as runners up to Liverpool.
2.Before he started to get injury problems he was a regular starter in a five man forward line alongside some pretty good players called Bobby Charlton,Denis Law and a young George Best who was in his debut season.
When you consider the patience shown with someone like Sturridge at Liverpool it is a shame when a talent like G M’S was allowed to fade.
Information about his record at M U in the 1963/64 season is on Wikipedia where you will see his name alongside the other goalscorers
Richard
Colin Phillips says:
He was certainly a star at Cardiff City, probably overrated by some (including me) but he did score some very important goals both for club and country. When he went from Cardiff he basically went missing from my radar screen but I do remember seeing highlights of one of his Chelsea games and he did not look out of place in what was a young talented football-playing side. I can’t recall anything about his time at United or his later career.
Just very sad news to hear of the death of one of your heroes.
R.I.P Graham.
Dai Woosnam says:
Not well here in Malta.
Feeling worse now that a giant has gone.
Moore was quite magnificent.
Not more nothing did Chelsea sign him to replace the great Jimmy Greaves, and Busby to form a trinity with Law and Charlton…which with the arrival of boy wonder Best just months later would have been an immortal FOUR MARKSMEN OF THE OLD TRAFFORD PITCH (say it quickly) had not devaststing injuries not intervened….Hargreaves/Gammon style, so he was never the same again.
Dai Woosnam says:
As for anyone who thinks Moore was overrated…
Just look at the facts.
Jimmy Greaves was the greatest natural goal scorer I ever saw.
When he was sold to AC Milan, who did Chelsea immediately sign as their big name replacement?
Why…Graham of course…though Tommy Doc was at pains to say from the start, that they were players with totally different styles.
Now, memory plays tricks on one 55 years down the road, but I am almost certain that Graham’s debut came against an all-conquering Spurs side at White Hart Lane.
Chelsea lost something like 5-2…but both of their goals were stunners, and both scored by Moore. Thunderous shots from distance, Jamie Vardy against Liverpool style.
This was pre MotD remember, but both goals were so remarkable that they made the main BBC news that night !!
An extraordinary player blighted by injury (and I have a hunch, possibly succumbing also to La Dolce Vita…???)
Anyone who calls Graham Moore “overrated” should wash their mouth out with carbolic soap.
One of only four Cardiff players I have seen that could warrant the adjective “outstanding” (while wearing a City shirt that is…and having watched them for at least 2 seasons of home games).
Lots of very good ones…Willie Anderson, Gerry Hitchens, John Toshack, Don Murray, Trevor Ford, Alf Sherwood, John Buchanan, Peter Rodrigues, Steve Gammon, Mel Charles, Ian Gibson, Barrie Hole….etc… But only four outstanding ones…
Danny Malloy, John Charles, Ivor Allchurch and …
GRAHAM MOORE.
And if you do not want to take my word for it, that’s fine by me, folks.
What do I know about football, after all?
Instead I will refer you to three men who DID think him outstanding. And they knew a thing or two about this game.
Messrs …
Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Docherty and…
Sir Matt Busby.
I rest my case…and my pen.
Back now to the serious business of wrestling with the pains from hell, four weeks into my fight here in Malta.
DW.
Mike Herbert says:
Back to normal this week with six questions about our next opponents, I’ll put the answers on here tomorrow.
Sad to read this, another of the great Cardiff conveyor belt, that are never allowed to stay and make the Bluebirds great, RIP Graham.
Geoff Lewis says:
Hi Paul, I thought he was a centre forward. Watched him play many times for Cardiff and also his first game for Wales against England at Ninian Park. He was a very good player, good at heading the ball. The photograph of him with his Welsh colleagues brought back memories Dereck Sullivan and Ivor Allchurch ex Cardiff city players, I could name most of them, Jack Kelsey, Stuart Williams, Terry Medwin, Cliff Jones, Phil ? Woosnam.
Regards
Geoff
Richard Holt says:
Although I saw Moore play for City quite a few times during the 60/61 and 61/62 season I was just a bit too young then to give an accurate first hand account of his merits. What was interesting about Moore was that although he wore no 9 he was what was called in those days a ‘deep-lying centre-forward’ rather than the traditional no 9 that most teams used. I think Manchester City had used Don Revie in a similar role in the 50’s but it was quite advanced thinking by Bill Jones to use Moore in that way and it was a crucial element in the success of the 59/60 promotion winning team (as well as his famous goal of course). I know that when he was sold to Chelsea for £35,000 in December 1961 the reaction from City fans was not unlike the response to the sale of Toshack nine years later. By the time he was a fairly regular opponent for Northampton and Charlton in the late 60’s he had become a bit of a take-no prisoners midfield player having lost some of the subtlety that characterised his early career. ‘ Not the player he was’ I can remember my dad saying. Anyway it would be appropriate if his passing is marked in the match against Brighton next week – not least as it was against Brighton that Moore made his league debut in 1958, scoring in the last-minute to give City a 2-2 draw.
MIKE HOPEsays:
I was a great fan of G raham Moore and was saddened to hear of his death this week.
I saw most of his home games for us and some away.
Richard is correct in saying he played as a deep lying lying centre forward which was unusual in British football having first been seen in the great Hungarian side of the fifties.
He specialised in the nutmeg which used to infuriate defenders!
In those days we did not get so much information about injuries and their treatment was comparatively primitive but for whatever reason he did not fulfil his early promise.
To get some idea how highly rated he was-
1 He was signed from Chelsea by Matt Busby who spoke very highly of him and M.U were a major force at that time.They finished the 1963/64 season as runners up to Liverpool.
2.Before he started to get injury problems he was a regular starter in a five man forward line alongside some pretty good players called Bobby Charlton,Denis Law and a young George Best who was in his debut season.
When you consider the patience shown with someone like Sturridge at Liverpool it is a shame when a talent like G M’S was allowed to fade.
Information about his record at M U in the 1963/64 season is on Wikipedia where you will see his name alongside the other goalscorers
Richard
Colin Phillips says:
He was certainly a star at Cardiff City, probably overrated by some (including me) but he did score some very important goals both for club and country. When he went from Cardiff he basically went missing from my radar screen but I do remember seeing highlights of one of his Chelsea games and he did not look out of place in what was a young talented football-playing side. I can’t recall anything about his time at United or his later career.
Just very sad news to hear of the death of one of your heroes.
R.I.P Graham.
Dai Woosnam says:
Not well here in Malta.
Feeling worse now that a giant has gone.
Moore was quite magnificent.
Not more nothing did Chelsea sign him to replace the great Jimmy Greaves, and Busby to form a trinity with Law and Charlton…which with the arrival of boy wonder Best just months later would have been an immortal FOUR MARKSMEN OF THE OLD TRAFFORD PITCH (say it quickly) had not devaststing injuries not intervened….Hargreaves/Gammon style, so he was never the same again.
Dai Woosnam says:
As for anyone who thinks Moore was overrated…
Just look at the facts.
Jimmy Greaves was the greatest natural goal scorer I ever saw.
When he was sold to AC Milan, who did Chelsea immediately sign as their big name replacement?
Why…Graham of course…though Tommy Doc was at pains to say from the start, that they were players with totally different styles.
Now, memory plays tricks on one 55 years down the road, but I am almost certain that Graham’s debut came against an all-conquering Spurs side at White Hart Lane.
Chelsea lost something like 5-2…but both of their goals were stunners, and both scored by Moore. Thunderous shots from distance, Jamie Vardy against Liverpool style.
This was pre MotD remember, but both goals were so remarkable that they made the main BBC news that night !!
An extraordinary player blighted by injury (and I have a hunch, possibly succumbing also to La Dolce Vita…???)
Anyone who calls Graham Moore “overrated” should wash their mouth out with carbolic soap.
One of only four Cardiff players I have seen that could warrant the adjective “outstanding” (while wearing a City shirt that is…and having watched them for at least 2 seasons of home games).
Lots of very good ones…Willie Anderson, Gerry Hitchens, John Toshack, Don Murray, Trevor Ford, Alf Sherwood, John Buchanan, Peter Rodrigues, Steve Gammon, Mel Charles, Ian Gibson, Barrie Hole….etc… But only four outstanding ones…
Danny Malloy, John Charles, Ivor Allchurch and …
GRAHAM MOORE.
And if you do not want to take my word for it, that’s fine by me, folks.
What do I know about football, after all?
Instead I will refer you to three men who DID think him outstanding. And they knew a thing or two about this game.
Messrs …
Jimmy Murphy, Tommy Docherty and…
Sir Matt Busby.
I rest my case…and my pen.
Back now to the serious business of wrestling with the pains from hell, four weeks into my fight here in Malta.
DW.
Mike Herbert says:
I remember Graham playing for Cardiff when initially he was hailed as “our new Trevor Ford” but when he later developed into a deep-lying centre forward I often wondered if this was inevitable as I imagined him spraying his passes from that central part of “the basin” where he had learnt his game and eschewing the sloping parts of the pitch.
RIP Graham