Bobby Charlton playing for Manchester United against Coventry City at Highfield Road where The Reds
won 3-2, with Bobby scoring the second goal. George Best opened the scoring for United and Ian Sorey-Moore
scored their third.
On 1st. November 2020 it was announced that Bobby Charlton was suffering from dementia, just two days after
the death of Nobby Stiles (1942-2020) who had died from the same affliction. Bobby's brother Jack Charlton (1935-2020)
died in July 2020 from dementia and lymphoma. All three played in the winning World Cup Final of 1966.
Bobby died on Saturday 21st October 2023 aged 86.
(Part 1) 1956-1966.
Old Trafford legend Bobby Charlton made his League debut for United in a
4-2 victory against Charlton Athletic at Old
Trafford in October 1956
and such was his great service to the Old Trafford club that he was
still playing well into his
thirties in the early 1970s (see photo
above). Charlton scored twice on his debut and from that moment on he
scored
goals for fun for both club and country with explosive shots from
outside the box very much his trademark. By the end
of his first season
with the Old Trafford club Charlton had a League Championship medal to
his name and had contributed
an impressive 12 goals in 17 appearances.
He started out his United career as an inside-forward but after
surviving the Munich tragedy became a left-winger
where his surging runs
and thunderous shooting were a joy to behold. Charlton picked up
runners-up medals in
consecutive FA Cup Finals in 1957 and '58 and it
was not until 1963 that he picked up another winners medal as the
Red
Devils overcame Leicester City 3-1 to claim that elusive FA Cup. The
trophies and awards seemed to just keep
flowing for Charlton after that
as United landed the League Championship in 1965 and '67 and in between
times
he won the prestigious Footballer and European Footballer of the
year awards. For good measure he shone as
England won the 1966 World Cup
with a 4-2 victory against West Germany with Charlton contributing
three
goals on the way to the final. (DS)
Bobby Charlton playing for Manchester United against Birmingham City at
St Andrew's in a 3-1 away defeat on 19th March 1973. He played ten more
games for United and then retired, in April that same year. A grand total
of 758 appearances in all competitions scoring 249 goals.
Photograph George Herringshaw. ©
Bobby Charlton is seen here playing for Manchester United on 30th. September 1972 against
Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. The Blades won 1-0. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
(Part 2) 1966-1973.
By the time of that memorable victory over West Germany in the 1966
World Cup Final Bobby Charlton had moved infield into a playmaker role
which many believed to be his best position. It was here that he
performed so brilliantly in United's 4-2 victory over Benfica on that
magical May evening at Wembley in 1968 as the Old Trafford became the
first English club to lift the European Cup. That sadly proved to be the
last medal that Bobby would win during his time at Old Trafford as the
club struggled somewhat during the early seventies. Charlton finally
called time on his United career at the age of 35 with his final League
appearance for the Red Devils coming in a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on
the final day of the 1972/73 season.
Bobby's wonderful United career,
spanning no less than 17 years, saw him score a club record 199 League
goals in 604 appearances. On top of this he was United's most capped
player and his 49 goals made him England's leading goalscorer of all
time, with Gary Lineker just one goal behind. Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane years later passed that number. Such was his great
popularity that a remarkable crowd of 60,538 turned out to pay homage
to their hero in his testimonial game against Celtic in Spetember 1972.
Bobby Charlton will be remembered not only as a great footballer but
also as a great sportsman, to this day he is a fine ambassador for the
game and in 1994 he was knighted, thus becoming the first footballer
since Sir Stanley Matthews in 1965 to receive this highest of honours.
(D.Scranage.)
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