Bobby Moore deserves a posthumous knighthood for his unique contribution to English football according to Football Association chairman Greg Dyke — and The Mail on Sunday can reveal a cross-party coalition of leading MPs are seeking to change the law to make it happen.

Moore is the only Englishman to captain a World Cup-winning football team, leading his side to glory in 1966 against Germany, whom England beat 3-2 last night, after coming back from 2-0 down with a 91st-minute winner by Eric Dier.

Moore died from cancer aged 51 in 1993 after a post-playing career in which he was largely marginalised by the game. The 50th anniversary of the World Cup win is seen as a fitting time to make the award.

Bobby Moore deserves posthumous knighthood, according to FA chairman Greg Dyke and leading MPs

Moore, pictured with the trophy in 1966, is the only Englishman to captain a World Cup-winning team

‘In the year of the 50th anniversary, Bobby will be seen as a hero,’ says Dyke. ‘It is a shame that Bobby Moore died without getting the knighthood.’ Conservative Sports Minister Tracey Crouch backs the plan, as does Labour Baroness Tessa Jowell.

Tory MP Damian Collins will table a parliamentary question on it after the Easter recess. Labour’s Stephen Timms, MP for the constituency where Moore’s West Ham club play, said: ‘The principle of commemoration is a great idea.’

Conservative Sports Minister Tracey Crouch is among an all-party group who back the campaign to see Moore become ‘Sir’ this year.

Ms Crouch was one of the first women to play for the MPs’ XI. She is currently on maternity leave but a source close to her said: ‘She thinks it is a great idea.’

A statue of Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Ray Wilson is outside Upton Park

Moore, a ball-playing centre-half known for his elegant style and positional play, made his name at West Ham and became the captain of England by the age of 22, in 1963.

He went on to win 108 caps but, despite his magnificent achievement in lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy and earning world-wide respect from legends such as Brazil superstar Pele and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer who described him as ‘one of the best players in the history of the game’, he was largely marginalised by the FA and his club when his playing days were over.

Indeed, he wrote to the FA offering his services and was dismayed when he did not receive a reply.

For him to receive a knighthood now would require a change in the honours system or a change in law. Both options are feasible, if not likely, but an official award is probable.

Labour’s Baroness Tessa Jowell, the former Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, said: ‘What a wonderful way to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup. Bobby Moore was a brilliant player on the pitch and a true gentleman off it.’

Moore's death in 1993 from cancer was mourned by football fans all over the world

Baroness Jowell was the Cabinet Minister responsible for London’s 2012 Olympics bid, which led to the building of the Olympic Stadium where West Ham will play next season.

The MoS can reveal that MP Damian Collins, known for governance reform campaigning in sport, has tabled a Parliamentary question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, asking what plans there are to commemorate Moore’s life. An answer is expected when parliament resumes after Easter.

‘Bobby deserves special recognition in this anniversary year,’ said Collins. ‘No other Englishman has matched his achievement, and that of the team he led, in lifting the football World Cup. Had his life not been cut tragically short, he would I’m sure have received a knighthood.

‘It would be the perfect time for a fitting tribute.’

Stephen Timms, the Labour MP for East Ham, the constituency that houses West Ham’s Upton Park ground, agreed. ‘To mark the 50th anniversary and to celebrate his life, the principle is a great idea.’

England’s World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey was knighted in 1967 but two other heroes from 1966 had to wait much longer. Both Sir Bobby Charlton (1994) and Sir Geoff Hurst (1998) were knighted after Moore had died.

Geoff Hurst (left) told Mail on Sunday his former team-mate 'deserves a knighthood for what he achieved'

Sir Geoff, who was a team-mate at West Ham as well as England, told the MoS: ‘The World Cup victory in 1966 was the greatest triumph our national sport has known. And Bobby Moore was England’s leader.

‘I strongly feel that he deserves a knighthood for what he achieved and for the way he achieved it. In fact, the public “knighted’ him long ago. “Sir Bobby”, I’m all for that.’

Moore’s life is soon to be celebrated on the big screen with the release of biopic movie, ‘Bobby’, produced by Matthew Lorenzo and directed by Ron Scalpello.

It features more than 30 interviews with team-mates, family, friends and admirers and nearly an hour of archive footage, much of it never seen before. The premiere, scheduled for May 25, is expected to be staged in conjunction with the FA and shown on a giant screen at Wembley, an idea first mooted by Dyke.

'Bobby' will be released in some cinemas from May 27 and on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on May 30

It is due for general release from May 27 and explores how Moore was snubbed by the FA and his club after he hung up his boots. It was only many years after his death that the statue of him was erected outside the new Wembley.

Dyke says: ‘The FA [of that era] didn’t understand he was an icon. It’s only in recent years that people see, and the FA have seen, that this was probably one of the major figures of 20th century football. He should have had the knighthood.’

The last word goes to Harry Redknapp who played for West Ham with Moore and went on to manage them. He said: ‘No disrespect to other footballers who got knighthoods but no one deserved a knighthood more than Bobby Moore.’