[Legend] Sir Bobby Charlton

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29/03/2016 08:00, Report by Adam Bostock
CELEBRATING SIR BOBBY CHARLTON

Sunday 3 April 2016 will be a special day in a life that is already filled with landmarks and significant achievements - the life of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest players in the history of Manchester United and the England national team.

This will be the day when the South Stand at Old Trafford, the stadium where he played around half of his 758 matches for United, is officially renamed in his honour before his beloved Reds take on Everton in the Barclays Premier League.

The unveiling of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand comes in the year when the 60th anniversary of his United debut will be commemorated. He went on to make 758 senior appearances for the club - we emphasise senior because prior to his first-team breakthrough, he served the Reds for three years as a fresh-faced apprentice from Ashington, Northumberland. During that period, he tasted success for the first time by helping the Busby Babes to lift the FA Youth Cup, a competition United won for five consecutive years from its inception. As a professional player, he helped his club to land three league championships, the FA Cup and the European Cup and helped his country to become world champions for the first and only time so far in 1966. Sir Bobby, a club director and ambassador, remains the Reds' all-time record goalscorer with 249 strikes. This remarkable tally started with two on his debut, somewhat appropriately against Charlton Athletic, on 6 October 1956. United won 4-2 at Old Trafford, the stadium that will now bear his name on the roof of its oldest side, the south side. It was there where Sir Bobby would proudly lead the team out on hundreds of matchdays as captain, emerging from the original players' tunnel into the arena.

The United and England legend commented: "This is a great honour and I am very proud – for myself and my family – that the club has chosen to name the South Stand after me. Manchester United has been such an important part of my life and I have so many wonderful memories of this Theatre of Dreams. As a player, I remember the goals and the marvellous players I played with. As a director, I have seen some outstanding matches and players. It is a special place indeed.

"I would like to thank everyone connected with Manchester United. So many people work so hard to keep us at the top; their effort should never be forgotten. But most of all, I would like to thank Norma, my wonderful wife, and my family for the support and encouragement they have always provided. This is for them."

Celebrations around the stand renaming include a special pre-match lunch attended by Sir Bobby's family, friends and figures from the football world, a souvenir edition of the matchday programme, United Review, and a new MUTV documentary which will premiere a few days beforehand on 31 March and be shown again on the big day at 7pm.

Fans attending the Everton match are urged to take their seats in the stadium early, to witness the unveiling of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and to help create a crowd mosaic.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “Bobby is, quite simply, the most iconic figure in English football history. A player, a diplomat, a gentleman and a tireless worker for charity, he represents everything that is good about football and Manchester United.

"It has been a privilege to know him and humbling to work alongside him for the last 10 years. Renaming the South Stand, which contains both the Directors’ Box and the old players’ changing rooms, is a fitting tribute to all that Bobby has contributed to the club both as a player and a director."

Resouce more : www.manutd.com/thankyousirbobby

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EIGHT MOSAIC BANNERS AT OLD TRAFFORD

Manchester United fans at Old Trafford on Sunday are invited to pay tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton to mark the South Stand being renamed in honour of the 1968 European Cup winner.

Before kick-off against Everton, as the players walk out of the tunnel, supporters in the lower tier of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand will hold aloft coloured tiles to spell 'Sir Bobby' in one giant mosaic effect.

There will also be two bar scarf mosaics running across the lower tiers of the Stretford End and East Stand, and fans in every other area of the stadium will have individual flags to wave. So if you are coming to Old Trafford on Sunday, make sure you get to your seat nice and early in order to take part.

Our gallery shows eight previous games when fans paid a collective tribute, such as the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Barcelona and Sir Alex's last home game as manager.

http://www.manutd.com/en/History/Thank-You-Sir-Bobby-Charlton/Thank-You-Sir-Bobby-News-And-Features/2016/Mar/Eight-matches-when-mosaic-banners-appeared-at-Old-Trafford.aspx

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CELEBRATING SIR BOBBY CHARLTON

Today [Sunday 3 April 2016] is a special day in a life that is already filled with landmarks and significant achievements - the life of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest players in the history of Manchester United and the England national team.

This is the day when the South Stand at Old Trafford, the stadium where he played around half of his 758 matches for United, is officially renamed in his honour before his beloved Reds take on Everton in the Barclays Premier League. The unveiling of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand comes in the year when the 60th anniversary of his United debut will be commemorated. He went on to make 758 senior appearances for the club - we emphasise senior because prior to his first-team breakthrough, he served the Reds for three years as a fresh-faced apprentice from Ashington, Northumberland.

During that period, he tasted success for the first time by helping the Busby Babes to lift the FA Youth Cup, a competition United won for five consecutive years from its inception. As a professional player, he helped his club to land three league championships, the FA Cup and the European Cup and helped his country to become world champions for the first and only time so far in 1966.

Sir Bobby, a club director and ambassador, remains the Reds' all-time record goalscorer with 249 strikes. This remarkable tally started with two on his debut, somewhat appropriately against Charlton Athletic, on 6 October 1956. United won 4-2 at Old Trafford, the stadium that will now bear his name on the roof of its oldest side, the south side. It was there where Sir Bobby would proudly lead the team out on hundreds of matchdays as captain, emerging from the original players' tunnel into the arena.

The United and England legend commented: "This is a great honour and I am very proud – for myself and my family – that the club has chosen to name the South Stand after me. Manchester United has been such an important part of my life and I have so many wonderful memories of this Theatre of Dreams. As a player, I remember the goals and the marvellous players I played with. As a director, I have seen some outstanding matches and players. It is a special place indeed.

"I would like to thank everyone connected with Manchester United. So many people work so hard to keep us at the top; their effort should never be forgotten. But most of all, I would like to thank Norma, my wonderful wife, and my family for the support and encouragement they have always provided. This is for them."

Celebrations around the stand renaming include a special pre-match lunch attended by Sir Bobby's family, friends and figures from the football world, a souvenir edition of the matchday programme, United Review, and a new MUTV documentary which premiered on 31 March and will be shown again today at 7pm.

Fans attending the Everton match are urged to take their seats in the stadium early, to witness the unveiling of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and to help create a crowd mosaic.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “Bobby is, quite simply, the most iconic figure in English football history. A player, a diplomat, a gentleman and a tireless worker for charity, he represents everything that is good about football and Manchester United.

"It has been a privilege to know him and humbling to work alongside him for the last 10 years. Renaming the South Stand, which contains both the Directors’ Box and the old players’ changing rooms, is a fitting tribute to all that Bobby has contributed to the club both as a player and a director."

http://www.manutd.com/en/History/Thank-You-Sir-Bobby-Charlton/Thank-You-Sir-Bobby-News-And-Features/2016/Mar/introduction-to-thank-you-sir-bobby-charlton-celebration-renaming-south-stand-old-trafford.aspx

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SIR BOBBY CHARLTON PROUD OF UEFA AWARD

Sir Bobby Charlton has declared his pride at being awarded UEFA's Order of Merit in recognition of his lifelong devotion to football.

The Manchester United legend and club ambassador, who last month had Old Trafford's South Stand renamed after him, told TheFA.com:

"To receive this award is a huge honour for myself, my wife and all of my family. It is something I am extremely proud of and humbled by.

"I have been fortunate to play football alongside some truly magnificent players and work with some fantastic people throughout my career, and they have all played such an important part in giving me so many fond memories.

"There have been a number of career highlights for me, on and off the field, and now to accept the UEFA Order of Merit is really special and I would like to pass on my thanks to everybody who has made this achievement possible."

Former United chief executive and FA vice-chairman David Gill accepted the award on Sir Bobby's behalf at the 40th UEFA Congress in Budapest, Hungary. Another England legend, Sir Trevor Brooking, was also honoured at the ceremony for his services to football development in this country.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Club-News/2016/May/sir-bobby-charlton-proud-to-receive-uefa-order-of-merit-for-lifelong-devotion-to-football-man-united.aspx

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SIR BOBBY REFLECTS ON WORLD CUP 50 YEARS ON

Some half a century on from England’s most notable footballing achievement, lifting the World Cup at Wembley in 1966, the memories of that glorious summer’s day at Wembley Stadium are still fresh in the mind of Sir Bobby Charlton.

The Manchester United icon was at the Old Trafford Megastore this week to sign copies of his new book – 1966, My World Cup Story – which tells the inside tale of the 4-2 victory over West Germany that ensured Sir Alf Ramsey’s side were crowned champions of the world.

Of course, there was another United man in the starting line-up – Nobby Stiles – and a third Red in the squad – John Connelly. Stiles’ contribution to his country reaching the pinnacle of the game can never be underestimated and Charlton pays proper tribute to his friend in the book.

“He was the companion who became so close and precious to me it was though we shared the same blood,” writes Sir Bobby. “If we were a team of champions, he was our competitive conscience.

"He was at the heart of all we did; he tackled for me and there were times when he seemed to be the guardian of us all, chivvying us along, reminding us that we could not let slip the chance of making our mark on the game of our lives.

“Nobby played with passion, and an extremely hard edge, but in my view he always displayed the heart – and the tactical brain – of someone who both loved and understood the game right down to the core of his being. I could give you a thousand examples of how graphically he conveyed his feelings for the game and the football club which had brought us together.

”If he played tough, and overcame some formidable obstacles to any kind of athletic success, it never coarsened the nature of a man who, for all his ferocious reputation, ultimately found it easier to love than to hate. Most touching of all, for me, was his passion to play. My, he wanted to play.

"He was far more able as a player of insight and skill than many of his critics allowed, but inevitably it was the force of his tackling, and the absolute commitment of his approach, which drew the most attention.”

http://www.manutd.com/

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Busyeettt artikelnya sudah berusia lebih dari 20 tahun !!!



ARCHIVE SIR BOBBY INTERVIEW: APRIL 1994

As we build up to the 60th anniversary of Sir Bobby Charlton's Manchester United debut, we look back at a wide-ranging interview in the April 1994 edition of Inside United, the official club magazine. The United legend provides an insight into a period when the Reds were chasing the Double, reflects on what football was like when he made his bow, and makes other points that still hold true today….

The name of Bobby Charlton is basic vocabulary in the international language of football. Speak it anywhere and you conjure and image of skill, guts and imagination – the stuff of which English soccer is traditionally made.
In his playing days, he was universally admired as one of the greats. Since retirement from active service, he has carved a role as an ambassador for the sport, welcomed and respected wherever he goes. As he continues to share his experience and love of football with players and fans, young and old, his influence has truly spread throughout the land.

A newspaper article recently suggested that the present (1994) United team were not as good as the 1958 side, but were better than the 1968 side. Do you agree?
As regards the 1958 team, I don’t think you can really compare any team to them because at the time of the accident, the side hadn’t reached their full potential and were only on the way up, really. In the end, they never really got the chance to play their best football. However, I would compare the present United team to any of the other teams of the past – they are playing some beautiful and entertaining football and I think people watching the lads now will look back in a few years and say ‘Wow! I was really lucky to see them play!”, just like people said in the 1960s. Manchester United have always been an ‘up and down’ side. We’ve reached heights as well as plumbing the depths but, at the moment, we’re performing very consistently. When you think about it, we’re in the most perfect position you can think of at the moment: we’re winning games, we’re having good runs in the league as well as in the cups and all our players are performing well. We’re in a good financial position and our fans are happy. I really do think that the Manchester United team of the 90s is fast on the way to becoming one of the club’s best-ever teams.

Is football more physical now than it was in your day as a player?
Training sessions now are more geared to power in terms of speed, so players can avoid as much physical contact and injuries as possible, but I think football is perhaps a little less physical now than it was for us then. In those days, it was much tougher and players were exposed to a lot more rough and tumble – goalkeepers could be shoulder-charged, for example, and much more man-to-man contact was accepted. There were lots of broken legs then too; they were commonplace on a weekly basis because of the heavy boots and the hard pitches. Violent incidents get more press attention now but, in my day, there were hundreds of Vinnie Joneses, not just one!

How different is the modern game to the one of the 50s and 60s?
Obviously the game has changed a lot in terms of training techniques and technology, but you often hear people talking about the players of old not being able to cope with today’s game. I don’t think that’s the case – George Best and Denis Law, for example, could have played in any era. Some highlight the pacier aspect of the game nowadays, but that’s only because the pitches are faster and the equipment is lighter! Don’t forget, footballs and football boots used to be much, much heavier when we played. Conditions are also better for players these days – we’d play on everything: snow, ice, waterlogged pitches. You name it, we’d have to play on it. Football has changed a lot but I would never swap my time for any other – I really enjoyed myself – it was great. But one thing that remains the same is that United are always the team to beat, from the time before my day to the present day. The club has this aura about it that can’t be matched at any club around the country. It doesn’t matter if any team wins more, or that others have spent more money on players, no-one can have the atmosphere that we’ve always had at Old Trafford. We’ve always advocated positive, attacking and exciting football here and I think it’s appreciated by our fans. Now that it’s creating some success for us, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of teams begin to copy the team’s style of play sooner or later. We’re setting the standard for the rest of the league now.

How important are team spirit and morale for performance on the pitch?
Team morale is very important if you want success but, to have good team spirit, you’ve usually got to be winning so it can be a bit of a vicious circle. But keeping the team happy is what the manager is there for. It’s not an easy job because there are always players who will be unhappy about not being in the first team, but the competitive element of football has to be there.

Are United capable of the domination that Liverpool managed in the 1980s?
It’ll take some doing. I think we are certainly capable – we have the players, the supporters and the money to be a big success. But you can’t underestimate what Liverpool did at that time – they were absolutely amazing for years and years. They maintained a great consistency and concept of the game, even though they had a few changes in the management. The more success they had, the more they wanted, and that’s the way it should be. We could maybe be like that if we keep at it the way we are doing, but we’ve got a long way to go both at home and in Europe if we’re going to achieve what Liverpool did. Some people say it’s a mistake to have one team virtually dominating everything, but I think a lot of people would benefit from United doing well. It’s not as though we play mediocre football, is it?

You’ve been involved with coaching young players in your Soccer Schools – is football still as popular a pastime as it was in the past?
The desire and interest in football is still there with young kids, but there are certainly obstacles like computer games and television sets which can keep them indoors instead of going outside and kicking a ball in the park. I really despair when I see parents who aren’t encouraging their sons and daughters to get some fresh air instead of sitting in front of computer screen. Years ago, you’d always see kids playing football on the street but, these days, you don’t, for various reasons. Therefore, Soccer Schools and clubs have to work extra hard when they sign youngsters up, making sure that they enjoy themselves as well as ensuring that they are getting the right type and amount of coaching. But I do see a surge of interest in the game with kids recently: they’re watching players like Giggs and Cantona doing all their tricks and it makes them want to do the same!

You’ve travelled the world as an ambassador for Manchester United. How is the team rated internationally?
You wouldn’t believe how popular Manchester United are abroad. I visit a lot of places all over the world and the team’s popularity never ceases to amaze me. English football in general is well respected; foreigners like the way that we always play for a win and they like the fact that the English game is a lot tougher than that of its European counterparts. I watched the United-Liverpool match live in Cyprus and the interest over there was incredible. Go to the Souvenir Shop and you’ll see bags and T-shirts with “The World’s Greatest Football Club” on them. In my time at United, no-one has ever questioned it. We are, and always will be, the best-loved club all over the world.

http://www.manutd.com/

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Sir Bobby Charlton inspires pupils at new Foundation partner schools

Sir Bobby Charlton and his wife Lady Norma paid a visit to two local high schools to launch new partnerships with Manchester United Foundation.

Sir Bobby Charlton inspires pupils at launch events for two new Foundation partner schools

Whalley Range 11-18 High School and Levenshulme High School for Girls are each members of the Education and Leadership Trust and are the latest of twenty schools across Greater Manchester to benefit from such a partnership with the Foundation.

The day began at Whalley Range where students from the Senior Leadership Team welcomed Sir Bobby and Lady Norma with a presentation, encompassing the shared values of Manchester United Foundation and the school, before showcasing recent school projects and leading a tour of the school and sports facilities.

Year 11 student Myesha said, “Our school promotes values such as equality, democracy and equity and Manchester United Foundation is all about inspiration and unity; many things link to what the Foundation is doing and it’s had such an impact on us. It’s a huge inspiration for such a historical and successful figure as Sir Bobby Charlton to come in; we’ve learnt about what he’s achieved and it’s truly amazing.”

At Levenshulme High School the former England captain and 1966 World Cup winner witnessed the extensive sports programme on offer for the students, including the successful girls’ football development project ran by Foundation coaches. The school council also put on a special presentation to showcase the school’s values Solidarity, Resilience and Multi-Culturalism and how each Levenshulme High School, Sir Bobby and Manchester United have shown solidarity and resilience in their journeys to get to where they are today.

School council member Alligha, 16, said, “It’s a really big deal to have a partnership with Manchester United Foundation; the sports department has developed so much and our coach, Jason, has also been working with a lot of girls, not just in PE but in other subjects, to show that it’s not just about sports at United, it’s about improving someone as a whole.”

Jackie Fahey, deputy headteacher at Whalley Range, concluded, “It’s been absolutely fantastic to welcome Sir Bobby today, the girls have been so excited and have done lots of research about him. They were all overwhelmed and excited to say that they’ve met him because he’s such an inspirational leader and a real ambassador for Manchester.”
Manchester United Foundation’s partner school programme bases full-time coaches in local high schools to work with pupils, local primary schools and within the community to build lasting relationships and reputations.

Source : www.mufoundation.org

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ENGLAND PITCH TO BE NAMED AFTER SIR BOBBY

Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton is to have a pitch at England's St. George's Park unveiled in his name, to mark the national football centre's fifth anniversary and to coincide with the 1966 World Cup-winning great's 80th birthday.

England manager Gareth Southgate and his squad will join Sir Bobby, his wife Norma and guests for a short ceremony to unveil the Sir Bobby Charlton pitch before the England training session on Monday.

The one-time Ballon d’Or winner, who made 758 appearances in a 17-year United career during which he won a host of honours, including three league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup, is due to attend England's World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley as guest of honour, a week before he toasts his 80th birthday.

England manager Gareth Southgate said: "It’s fantastic to be able to acknowledge the contribution Sir Bobby has made to our game, not only as a player but as an ambassador for the sport. It will be a very proud moment to introduce him to the current set of players and officially unveil the Sir Bobby Charlton pitch.“

Sir Bobby, who is second only to Ryan Giggs in the list of United's all-time appearance-makers, played his final game for his country in 1970, ending with 106 caps and 49 goals to his name. The two tallies topped the England record books, before both were surpassed by fellow United and England great Wayne Rooney, in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

www.manutd.com

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Football pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton as Manchester United legend turns 80: 'When he got the ball, the whole crowd would take a breath'

* BBC will air programme on Sunday night honouring Sir Bobby Charlton's career
* Programme comes ahead of Manchester United legend Charlton's 80th birthday
* The likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham and Eric Cantona paid tribute
* Charlton was overtaken as United's record goalscorer by Wayne Rooney

He is a legend of the game and Sir Bobby Charlton’s impact on Manchester United and England will be reflected in a special BBC programme on Sunday night to honour his 80th birthday, which is on Tuesday.

Here are some of the tributes paid...


Sir Bobby Charlton made 758 appearances for Manchester United between 1956-73

Sir Alex Ferguson

The great thing about Bobby Charlton is how he’s handled the greatness. Success can change people, and it’s never changed Bobby Charlton. He is what he is: quiet, shy and I think it’s fantastic.

An example for anyone who enters football. He has never forgotten his roots. That girl Norma has been his rock, all his life. She’s an unbelievable person and that is a great partnership.

I think he was responsible for me getting the job at Manchester United. We used to go to games all the time — although I don’t think Bobby enjoyed my driving! — so it was a great introduction.

We lost the league by drawing at West Ham in the last game of the season, when Blackburn beat us by one point (in 1995). The dressing room was dead. There’s nothing you can say.

Bobby came in said: ‘I’m so proud of you all. You’ve represented Manchester United in the best possible way. You’ve done your best.’ And then he went around and shook everyone’s hand. I’ll never forget it. A friend is someone you can rely on all the time and that’s the case with Bobby. He’ll never let me down'.


Sir Alex Ferguson claims Charlton was responsible for his appointment as United manager

Eric Cantona

He is Manchester United. I think his car can drive there by itself. He can go there with his eyes closed.

When I was warming up, I knew he was in the stands and sometimes I thought about that. I never said this before but sometimes I thought: ‘Maybe he’ll be looking at me so I’ll try to do something nice so that he’ll like it.’ I think he’s a masterpiece of the game. He has a big presence and charisma. He is the heart of the family.

I wish him a Happy Birthday. BobbyW, I would like to thank you for everything you did for us and you still do for the club. If we have won some things it is because of a strong figure like you. You gave us all the confidence we needed to win things


Eric Cantona revealed he used to try things on the pitch to impress the watching Charlton

Sir Geoff Hurst

Bobby is a self-effacing individual. He didn’t recognise how great he was. He was probably one of the most gifted players of this or any generation.

He was an idol of mine, to be in the same dressing room as him was a wonderful pleasure.

You travel all over the world, to parts where nobody can speak English, and there’s only thing they can say: ‘Bobby Charlton.’

Denis Law

You just can’t imagine it. You’ve survived a crash like Munich and then carried on your career and you do the things that Bobby did — fantastic.

The beauty about playing alongside these boys was that Bobby knew where I’d be going if he was crossing the ball. He was probably one of the most fantastic players there has ever been.

For him to go and pick up the European Cup after the crash and everything, you couldn’t write it, could you? He’s a figure in the football world who will never be forgotten. Not only for his playing but for himself


Denis Law (left) shared a dressing room with Charlton at Old Trafford for 11 seasons

Ryan Giggs

When you get a stand named after you at Manchester United then you’re a pretty special player. He is Manchester United. You go for pre-season tours and there are bigger queues for his autograph than for some of the players. And you think: ‘Flippin’ ‘eck, I’m in the presence of a legend.’

He would join in the sessions the night before a European game. He just glided along the floor, even in his late fifties. It was brilliant to see. That dip of the shoulder, right foot, left foot. It was those shots that seem to get quicker and then they get to halfway and they go even quicker.

It’s a remarkable story but the man throughout it never changed. He’s always been a gentleman.

Gary Neville

He is a level above in terms of what he’s done in his career and how he’s gone about his business, his life. Pele, Maradona, Platini, Beckenbauer — all these great players and you put Bobby Charlton in that category.

He’s the epitome of Manchester United. The period Sir Bobby played, with Munich, with ’68, with Matt Busby, with George Best, with Denis Law, the Busby Babes, they are this club’s history and the foundation of what everybody looks back to.

Dressing rooms can be a rowdy place and, if Sir Bobby walked in, you stopped swearing. You started to behave. I’d done something idiotic on the pitch. He came up to me at the end and said: ‘You don’t need to do that. You are a Manchester United player.’ I thought: ‘Good point.’

He’s a hero. If there’s a beacon we can throw out and say ‘there’s our light’ it is Sir Bobby Charlton.

He’s the person we would always put up there as being an international world star. A true role model. He’s a level above.

Rio Ferdinand

He is just Mr Football. The tragedy that he has seen, friends, team-mates dying in front of him and to then dust yourself down and then go again. The strength of that man and the character to do that can’t be underestimated.

His wife Norma runs it, no doubt about it. I went to an awards do and was lucky enough to sit with them both and they should have filmed it. She was making sure he didn’t put his cuff in his soup and his knife and fork were in place. For all that he’s achieved as a footballer, as a man, after football, he’s still the man next door. He feels like he’s touchable.

When you sign for United you know you’re signing for the biggest football club in the world, and then you meet Sir Bobby Charlton and he has an impact. There is no better ambassador in football in this country. We are blessed we’ve got someone so pure.


Rio Ferdinand said there is no better ambassador for football in this country than Charlton

David Beckham

My middle names are Robert Joseph. Joseph was after my grandad but Robert was after Sir Bobby because my dad was a massive fan of United and his favourite player was always Sir Bobby.

Sir Bobby and Norma are always together, they’re just a special couple — she’s amazing. You know that when they are around it’s a kind of royalty in the stadium.


David Beckham revealed that his middle name Robert is in honour of the United legend

Gordon Banks

Bobby is one of the greatest, without any doubt. That goal against Mexico (in the 1966 World Cup) was the type of goal Bobby will be remembered for. They were unstoppable.

Jack Charlton

Bobby Charlton is the greatest player I’ve ever seen — and he’s my brother.

I went down to London after Munich and I picked him up and drove him home. I said to him: ‘Tell me about what happened.’ And he said: ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Then he said: ‘I’ll tell you now, but never ask me again.’

Wayne Rooney

(On breaking Sir Bobby’s record to become United’s all-time record scorer in 2017)

It was a great moment, a proud moment. It was nice that Sir Bobby was in the dressing room after the game to congratulate me. It meant a lot — a special moment.


Charlton was overtaken as United's record goalscorer by Wayne Rooney last campaign

Tom Charlton (brother)

He’s exactly the same now as he was when I was a lad which, for someone as famous, is remarkable. I remember asking my mum when we were watching Bob: ‘Why aren’t the rest of them as good as him?’

He went into himself after Munich. I don’t think he ever really got over it. But I watched him play football and I was just spellbound.

When he got the ball the whole crowd would take a breath.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4953086/Football-pays-tribute-Sir-Bobby-Charlton-turns-80.html

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SIR BOBBY IS MR MANCHESTER UNITED



As Sir Bobby Charlton turns 80, ManUtd.com features editor Steve Bartram pays tribute to the great man who truly embodies the spirit of Manchester United...

Sat quietly in Old Trafford’s south stand, 15-year-old Bobby Charlton waited patiently outside Jimmy Murphy’s office. United's assistant manager was making a case to Bob Charlton senior that his boy, making his first visit to the stadium, should move to Manchester permanently.

When his father finally summoned him into the office to ascertain his wishes, the habitually shy, softly-spoken Bobby was uncharacteristically animated as he blurted his answer out.

“I want to come here, Dad. This is my type of club."

None of the trio could have imagined just how right young Bobby was, as they continued their conversation within the confines of what would later become the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.

By turns a wunderkind, survivor, hero, mainstay and icon, the sandy-haired youngster from Ashington has gone on to occupy almost every conceivable role at Old Trafford in his time as a player, director and ambassador. Hand-in-hand for the vast majority of the last six decades, the relationship between Bobby and United has outgrown a mere working association. They form a part of each other.

From the very beginning – when scout Joe Armstrong returned to Old Trafford in February 1953 grinning: “This boy is going to be a world beater,” – Charlton had been bound for Old Trafford, rejecting the interest of countless other clubs through a combination of Armstrong’s incessant persuasion and his own memories of watching the Reds win the 1948 FA Cup.

Grandson of Tanner Milburn, whose name spawned five professional footballers, the pedigree youngster swiftly made an impression on his new club; not least Matt Busby. “It was soon shown that the boy had inherited old Tanner Milburn’s gift for hitting the ball with a great thump and for great distances,” recalled the United manager. “That was only one of his many qualities – so many, indeed, that they combined to form a genius. It was very quickly evident that Master Bobby was going to make a considerable impact on football and on Manchester United football in particular.”

From the start of his early seasons in the first team, Charlton’s was a star seemingly destined to burn bright. While eight of his team-mates were claimed by the Munich disaster, Bobby escaped almost without physical injury, found strapped to his seat, 60 feet from the wreckage. He later admitted: “In so many ways I was part of the horror, but I was also, in the strangest way, detached; it was almost as if I was disembodied, a silent, traumatised participant in a terrible dream I could neither act in, nor escape from."

The mental scars ran deep, but Charlton became the poster boy of the crash survivors, missing just two matches before returning to action. “Though the shock must have been profound, this boy Charlton became a man overnight,” opined Busby. “From being one attractive new stone in a mighty edifice he became the foundation on which we had to rebuild over the ruins."

While the surviving Reds were reinforced by a combination of stellar signings and youth produce along the way, Bobby was the figurehead throughout the club’s return to splendour. Charlton’s quest mirrored that of United; bound for the top of the game but sent tumbling back down to the brink, before embarking on the same journey once again. Bruised and bloodied, but not broken. Still only 20 at the time of the crash, Bobby’s rise to become one of English football’s finest players continued unabated. He was a goal shy of 30 in the season immediately after Munich. “A player who could move with the grace of a ballet dancer and yet with dynamite in his boots,” beamed Murphy.

Wherever he played – he was a striker, winger and midfielder – Charlton was central to United’s subsequent successes. An FA Cup winner and two-time league champion, his finest hour came in a two-goal performance in the 1968 European Cup final victory over Benfica; a result which offered a modicum of closure to a player and a club striving to finish the job started by the Busby Babes 11 years earlier.

Seldom injured and perennially possessing his fearsome shooting ability, Bobby went on to establish club appearance and goalscoring records in the remaining years of his Reds career. He was still United’s top scorer in his final season as a player, albeit with a meagre seven goals, with the writing on the wall for a side which would be relegated the following term. Fittingly, Charlton was spared the indignity of being forced to play second tier football.

When he retired in 1973, the curtain came down on a playing career without equal. As Busby put it: “The greatest thrill for a manager who has persuaded a boy to leave home – and his parents to allow it – is when the young seed bursts through and then blooms gloriously. None has bloomed more gloriously than Bobby Charlton. That shot of his has thrilled the world. Never did a boy seem to enjoy his game more than Bobby did."

As the Reds clawed their way back to prominence in the post-Busby years, Bobby came back on board. By now awarded a CBE to accompany his OBE, United’s most famous son became an Old Trafford director in 1984. A decade on he was awarded a knighthood and he now also occupies the role of club ambassador. His duties therein are simple: represent Manchester United. It’s the role he was born to play, travelling across the globe to represent the club he represents.

Father Time is a light-fingered adversary to us all, and recent years have relieved Sir Bobby of his longstanding status as Manchester United’s leading appearance-maker (an honour now belonging to Ryan Giggs) and goalscorer (to Wayne Rooney for club and country).

But, while records may fall with the passage of time, and new rivals emerge to threaten the records of Rooney and Giggs, Charlton’s unique status will be forever preserved in stasis. If Sir Matt was the father of United and Sir Alex its godfather, then Sir Bobby is its favourite son.

He is an emblem of Manchester United and English football, synonymous around the world with both institutions and a walking study in class and grace. While one side of Old Trafford may now bear his name and his bronze likeness watches over the stadium’s forecourt, these are merely physical expressions of a spiritual association formed over six decades and released into eternity.

The 15-year-old boy who sat outside Jimmy Murphy’s office 65 years ago was right: Manchester United really is his kind of club, and never more has there been a more Manchester United kind of player than Sir Bobby Charlton.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2017/Oct/sir-bobby-charlton-is-mr-manchester-united-a-tribute-to-80-year-old-legend.aspx