Shropshire's very own Bobby Moore - aged one - is flying the flag for England
It’s coming home – and here’s one lucky mascot to cheer on England during today’s World Cup quarter final.
A football-mad tot who shares his name with the country’s ultimate legend will be one of millions of fans tuning in as England go head-to-head with Sweden today.
Little Bobby Moore was named after the man who led his team to victory in the 1966 World Cup.
He celebrated his first birthday last month with a World Cup themed party at his home near Market Drayton.
And his family hope he is now destined to mark his first World Cup with an historic England triumph.
A letter from little Bobby, wishing the England team good luck, was even sent to the English Football Association’s national football centre at St George’s Park, Burton upon Trent, by his grandmother Jane Moore, before the competition started in Russia.
And Mrs Moore, who lives with Bobby, says it is proving to be a good luck charm as England progress through the rounds of the competition.
Last month, their home in Cheswardine was decorated with flags from all of the competing nations.
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The family have kept the flags on display and, when nations have been knocked out of the competition, they are marking the relevant flags with black crosses.
Jane, 62, who used to run the village shop, said: “We are hoping that the English flag will be the last one flying without a cross through it.
“We’ve never had such a good chance as we have now. There’s no Germany or Spain any more.
“It would be great to win. We are getting ready for the next game and will be crossing our fingers.”
She said Bobby loves football, taking after his father – her son, Gary, 26.
Speaking about how he got his name, Jane said: “I love the name Bobby. They weren’t sure what to call him and I said to them I quite like Bobby.
“Gary is football mad and said we will have that.”
Today’s match is the biggest England have faced since Italia 90, when a team captained by Terry Butcher made it to the semi finals. Pubs across Shropshire will be packed today and expect to reap the benefit with sales up 1,000 per cent on a normal summer Saturday afternoon.
It was reported today that the economic benefit to this country if England actually win would be more than £1 billion.
