Bobby Charlton RIP

[DLT]

I've just seen on the BBC website that Bobby Charlton has died:

BBC Bobby Charlton      Obituary

Edited October 21, 2023 by DLT

[tigerburnie]

I saw him play against Leicester City, in the late '60's, but by then George Best was taking the limelight.

[Southernman46]

One of the extraordinary people of my childhood generation .............................. all that he achieved on the football pitch but also to have survived an air crash too.

I would propose that he hit the most perfectly struck shot in the history of football against Mexico in 1966 - never surpassed even by Ronnie Radford's 6 years later.

[Michael Hodgson]

I never met him though I have been told I was (very) distantly related.  My gran was from that part of the world and her maiden name was Charlton.  However I obviously inherited from my footballing skills (two left feet) from my father's side.  Two important footballing events of 1966 :

• Bobby was part of the England side that won the World Cup, 
• I hung up my boots!

[EddieB]

Never a Manchester United follower, but Bobby Charlton was certainly one of my childhood heroes.  Outstanding as a striker in the 1966 World Cup side - which is perhaps around the time I first started to follow football.  Too young to remember the Munich air disaster, but old enough to appreciate the fairytale comeback winning of the European Cup in 1968 (against the great Eusebio, no less).  Always the gentleman, always giving his all when he played.  Sadly taken off by Sir Alf when England lost to West Germany in Mexico, 1970.  A belter of a shot to close out the opening sequence of The Big Match (remember the tune?).  Tears on This is You Life when he recalled the team mates who died in the air crash.  Thank you, Sir Bobby, you brought honour to their memory.

 

I saw him play once - a goalless draw at Upton Park.  Years later he was guest speaker in a City Pub (something of a local to where I worked) - couldn’t get near the place!

[Red Devil]

Erm, I suppose my user name gives it away a bit.....

I am a United supporter, I understand I did see him play but was too young to register this being little more than a toddler.

That said I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to him three times.

Once when he was doing a promotional tour for Bulldog Garden tools, once at Volgograd airport and once more than a few beers in in Budapest (me not him!).... The last two were obviously at Utd away games.....

He was a gent with us every time, cannot speak of him more highly than that. There's an old saying  'never meet your heroes' for some of my older compatriots in red that simply isn't true, I know more than a few who were absolutely gutted on hearing the news even though many knew him to not be very well.