Mark Pougatch and the ITV panel for Spain’s 2-0 win over France (Image: ITV)
ITV presenter Mark Pougatch issued an immediate apology for accidentally calling Bobby Moore ‘Sir’ after the England legend famously never received a knighthood. The World Cup-winning captain was sadly never knighted before his tragic death from cancer at the age of 51 in 1993. Moore is still adored and remembered as one of England’s greatest ever players, having made 108 appearances between 1962 and 1973, captaining the side in 90 of those matches, including their unforgettable 4-2 Wembley triumph over West Germany in 1966.
No defender has ever earned more caps for the Three Lions since their first official international. But Pougatch accidentally referred to him as ‘Sir’ during the post-match coverage of Spain’s semi-final win over France on Tuesday night. Thomas Tuchel’s England face reigning world champions Argentina in the second World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, as the two nations go head-to-head for the first time in 21 years.
After a VT of Harry Kane and Thomas Tuchel being interviewed to preview that semi-final finished, Pougatch said: “Harry Kane is desperate to do what Sir Bobby Moore did… Bobby Moore. He should’ve been Sir Bobby Moore. Sorry! Should have been Sir Bobby shouldn’t he? He lifted the World Cup.”
The slip-up will hopefully lead to fresh calls for Moore’s posthumous knighthood. Just last year, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir David Beckham led a campaign for the West Ham and England icon to receive the honour.
Hurst, 84, is the only surviving English player who played in the 1966 World Cup final. He said: “Yes, I scored the goals, but I would argue that the captain of the great sides is always the significant figure.
“The treatment he received at the end of his career by the hierarchy and his lack of recognition was nothing short of abysmal.
“Forget about the football for one second, you could argue he should get two knighthoods, one for football and for his phenomenal charity efforts. I can’t think of anybody more deserving of a knighthood in football.”
While Beckham said: “Bobby led his England team to the height of sporting achievement when they won the World Cup. He was a giant of a man, an incredible leader and one of the finest players our country has produced.
“I am delighted to join so many other great names to support calls for his contribution to be recognised with a knighthood.”
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Bobby Moore captained the iconic England team of 1966 to World Cup glory (Image: Getty)
During this World Cup, Hurst said that current England captain Kane actually reminds him of Moore due to his leadership qualities. The former striker explained: “There are certain people in walks of life whether it’s business or football, that emerge from within a group of people who automatically see them as the boss, the captain.
“In my time it was quite evidently Bobby Moore. Last year, a West Ham fan sent me a calendar with about 12 pictures in each of the months from around the time Bobby Moore was a schoolboy to when he left the club in ’74.
“In the first schoolboy picture, maybe U10 or U11, he was in the team but was in the back row somewhere. The next year, he was right in the middle, as captain and holding the trophy as a schoolboy, within one year of having gone there.
“That’s how he was and acted as a kid in being immaculate and so it happened at West Ham for him to be picked to captain from within the group of people, the players or the management, seeing him as the man ideally to be captain.
“And I think Harry Kane is absolutely in that same mould, not just on the field but off the field with all the stuff they do together.”
Should Bobby Moore be posthumously knighted? Have your say in the comments