A host of special guests and more than 35,000 fans made for a moving night of tributes to West Ham United and England legend Bobby Moore, who passed away 20 years ago last weekend, during Monday's game with Tottenham Hotspur.
The Boleyn Ground was repeatedly rocking to the sound of 'Bobby Moore's claret and blue army' following touching messages from friends, fans, team-mates and relatives of the world-famous No6.
The Hammers faithful continued their tradition of tying scarves and shirts to the Boleyn Ground gate as thy made their way down Green Street on their way to the stadium for the game.
Then, as the atmosphere started to build towards kick-off, the big screens inside the ground carried video messages from his team-mates and family members.
His daughter Roberta Moore provided her own personal tribute to her late father, before she watched on as his grandchildren Freddie, Poppy and Ava led the two teams out with the match ball, as the stadium synonymous with Bobby Moore erupted into a poweful chorus of 'Bubbles'.
After the traditional pre-match handshakes had been concluded, referee Howard Webb brought the teams together for a rousing minute's applause from all four sides of the ground. Then as the teams broke away to kick-off, the final touch of a memorable pre-match build up was rounded off with a stunning 'MOORE 6' mosaic across the Bobby Moore Stand.
Then, in the sixth minute the home support once again burst into a rendition of 'Bobby Moore's claret and blue army' as picture of the only England captain to lift a FIFA World Cup was displayed on the big screen.
The memories continued to flow at half time as Moore's fellow World Cup winner Martin Peters joined a host of his famous former team-mates on the Boleyn Ground turf for a rare team photo before SBOBET Executive Director Bill Mummery handed over a cheque for £5,000 to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. The Fund also benefitted from the generosity of Hammers fans who donated to bucket collectors and via text message, in addition to the 50p donation from every 100-page commemorative programme sold.
Although West Ham United lost to the odd goal in five against a Gareth Bale-inspired Spurs, Hammers manager Sam Allardyce felt it was a fitting tribute to a man held in such high esteem by so many in east London.
"It was a fantastic atmosphere before kick-off and the fans helped to pay a great tribute to one of their own," Allardyce said. "We couldn't have had any more backing from the supporters than we did - we tried to give them what they wanted but unfortunately one man got in the way and that man was Gareth Bale."