Love story of football legend!

ITV has commissioned a new three-part drama, Tina And Bobby – about the story of the England and West Ham legend Bobby Moore‘s life with his childhood sweetheart, Tina Dean.

When England won the World Cup in July 1966 Bobby Moore became a national hero.  Swept up by the media frenzy and the nation’s adoration, he and wife Tina were the original ‘golden’ couple.

Made by ITV Studios, the drama is based on Tina Moore’s memoir, Bobby Moore: By The Person Who Knew Him Best, and written by Lauren Klee (EastEnders, Waterloo Road).

A typist for the Prudential, Tina first met Bobby aged 15 when she ‘played hookey from school to go to the Ilford Palais with her cousin Jenny’.  Film star handsome and coolness personified, Bobby was only 17 himself and, though an exciting emerging talent, had yet to make a first team appearance.

Tina was to marry Bobby on 30 June 1962, finding her feet in this new glamourous world, Tina realised whilst on honeymoon in Majorca, that she might have to share Bobby with the world of football when Noel Cantwell, Malcolm Allison and their respective wives joined them.

As Bobby’s career flourished, Tina was happy to consider herself the first WAG, though she struggled to master life as a suburban housewife. Getting pregnant with their first child Dean gave her renewed purpose.

Then in 1965 the ‘golden’ couple were dealt a devastating blow: Bobby was diagnosed with testicular cancer and faced a career threatening operation.  With the World Cup around the corner it looked as if Bobby wouldn’t be eligible to play but, against all the odds, he fought his way back to fitness and the rest, as they say, is history.

Their heady lifestyle did take its toll, though the marriage survived. However, when Bobby’s career waned and business ventures failed the cracks started to show and Tina began to realise that the biggest challenges were still to come…

ITV’s Director of Drama Steve November, said: “Tina and Bobby became national sweethearts in a time when the whole of Britain seemed youthful, successful and optimistic. Tina has reason to be called the first WAG, the Moore’s were the first celebrity football couple and the nation fell in love with them. Tina and Bobby is a personal and frank insight into their lives and we’re delighted to commission the drama from Kieran Roberts and ITV Studios.”

Executive Producer for ITV Studios, Kieran Roberts, said: “Most people will know the story of Bobby Moore’s achievements as captain of club and country – the only Englishman ever to lift the football World Cup. Far fewer will know the story of his life with Tina  – a love story every bit as dramatic and epic as Bobby’s exploits on the pitch. We are thrilled to be dramatising Tina and Bobby’s amazing story for ITV.”

Tina and Bobby will go into production in Manchester during the summer of 2016.