NOBODY ever says: “The best of English,” it is always: “The best of British.” Sir Bobby Charlton, who has died, aged 86, was English – but, he was undoubtedly The Best of British. Indeed, for at least the last 30 years of the 20th Century and the first 23 of the 21st, apart from Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, nobody better exemplified the essence of “Britishness.”
One of the hardy annuals of Scottish Football legends is of the young Celtic player, in his first Old Firm game, sitting fuming at the break, upset because he, a Protestant, is being abused as a “Fenian Bastard.”
He is reassured by team mate Jimmy McGrory: “Ignore them – I get called that all the time,” only for the young team mate to come back with: “Aye OK, but, you are wan.”
Well, no Tartan Army foot soldier that I can think off ever called Sir Bobby: “An English Bastard,” we Jocks had far-more respect for the man – we would quite happily have adopted him as one of our own, because, the Tartan Army has always recognised Class, which Charlton had in spades.
One of the perennial English legends, one which has been repeated ad nauseum since his passing, is of ordinary English tourists in umpteen countries across the globe, running into an officious local policeman, demanding: “Papers,” then, when a UK passport is produced, the stern, officious countenance gave way to a smile and three words: “English – Bobby Charlton.”
That, as much as his phenomenal career on the football field, is a measure of the man's standing.
The basics of his life are well-known, he was born in Ashington, County Durham, to Robert, a local miner and his wife, Cissie, who was a Millburn – a revered name in Geordie football culture.
While elder brother Jack briefly followed his father down the pit, before finding his own football nirvana at Leeds United, Bobby was different. He passed his 11+ and went to a rugby-playing grammar school, before his mother intervened and got him transferred to another, football-playing one. This led to appearances for England schoolboys and he became the most-wanted young player in the land, with 18 clubs vying to sign him, before. After local scout Joe Armstrong charmed the redoubtable Cissie and he went to Manchester United, where Manager Matt Busby was assembling his legendary Busby Babes.
Here, Bobby came under the wing of legendary coach Jimmy Murphy, who immediately recognised he has a special talent on his hands. Some United players, such as Charlton's great friend Duncan Edwards, were in the first team aged 16 or 17, but, Charlton was a slow burner, not making his first team debut until well into his 19th year. As was common then, he did his National Service, serving in the same Army unit as Edwards.
He was in the United team which won the League in 1957, but lost in that year's FA Cup Final, after goalkeeper Ray Wood was injured. This was in the days before substitutes. He also featured as United reached the European Cup semi-finals, losing to Real Madrid.
The “Busby Babes” were among the favourites to win the European Cup that season and they reached the semi-finals again, by beating Red Star Belgrade, in Yugoslavia. However, on the flight home, taking off after a stop-over in Munich, the aircraft crashed.
Twenty-three of the 44 passengers died – these included eight of Charlton's team mates. He himself had a miraculous escape, being catapulted, still in his seat, clear of the wreckage, where he was found by goalkeeper Harry Gregg. Gregg, who died in 2020 and Charlton, were the last survivors of the Busby Babes.
He was back in the United first team just over three weeks later, but, the accident cast a pall over his many remaining years. He perhaps suffered from “Survivor's Guilt” and for a time, he found solace in the bottle, before bouncing back and resuming his stellar career.
Less than 12 weeks on from Munich, Charlton won the first of an eventual 106 England caps, marking his debut, against Scotland at Hampden Park, with a fantastic volleyed goal, in a 4-0 England win. He went to the 1958 World Cup Finals with England, but, he remained an unused squad member as they failed to advance to the knock-out phase.
However, he would play a major role for his nation in a further three World Cups, in 1962, 1966 and 1970. That 1966 campaign remains his greatest international period, After a dull 0-0 draw in the opener, Charlton set England on the way to glory with the opening goal, against Mexico. He took them to the final with two goals against Portugal in the semi-final and if, in the final, he and Franz Beckenbauer marked each other out of the game, as England won 4-2, after extra time.
Wembley wasn't so-kind to him the following year, when Scotland beat the then World Champions, but his 1968 visit to the twin toweers was more-memorable, as he captained Manchester United to that longed-for European Cup win, beating Benfica to finally scratch an itch which had bothered him for over a decade.
In 1970, after a record 106 caps, he bowed out of the England team after they lost to West Germany in the World Cup, in Mexico. He continued to play and captain Manchester United until 1973, when, after a record number of appearances and goals, he retired.
There was a short and unsuccessful spell as Preston North End manager and a last hurrah with Waterford in Ireland, before he joined the growing band of former players who were talking heads on television.
He left us with a highlights video few could equal. The sight of Charlton breaking from midfield, bfore sending a long-range shot rocketing past a helplessly-flayling goalkeeper, it's a football vision for the ages.
His natural shyness perhaps inhibited hims media work, but, when he spoke, everyone listened, such was his presence. He later returned to United as a Director and Club Ambassador, while he collected the honours he was due: various Hall of Fame inductions, life-time achievement awards, the iconic statue of The Holy Trinity: George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, erected outside Old Trafford. A This Is Your Life television programme, honorary degrees from local universities, a grandstand at Old Trafford named in his honour.
But, around the world, the name Bobby Charlton stood for all that was good about the Beautiful Game – that is perhaps his over-riding achievement, that he stood for so-much to so-many people, even those who had never seen him play.
His final years were blighted by Dementia and a family fall-out, later sorted out, before Jack pre-deceased him. Whether or not you believe in a Hereafter, it would be nice to think that, somewhere in the Elysian Fields, Bobby Charlton is today reunited with Duncan Edwards, Eddie Coleman, David Pegg and the other Busby Babes, whose legend he did so-much to keep alive.
He was one helluva player, it was a joy to watch him in action.
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