Bobby Charlton Has Died Age 86

[MargoTester]

Just heard on the news

[Canary42]

A truly wonderful player, and a humble gentleman too.

RIP Bobby

[10ClarionSt]

I saw Bobby Charlton play every week. I saw him play his last game for Manchester United, in 1973 against Sheffield United, ironically the team they played on the day he died. 

I think he suffered from PTSD since the Munich crash, or something called Survivor Syndrome. I only ever encountered him once, in 1965, when I went to OT on a Monday morning to buy some match tickets. I bought the tickets but the ground and surrounding area was completely deserted, so I wandered down to the players entrance, where I could hear lots of shouting. As I was trying to look in, a light blue car drove down to the players entrance and who got out but Bobby Charlton! Wow! Nobody else in sight, not a soul, so I asked him for his autograph, but he blanked me and walked straight past into the ground. That was the only time I ever had the chance to get his autograph. I never had a good opinion of him after that, but in later years his brother Jack explained that lots of people didn't know the personal trauma he was still going through as a result of Munich, and I was definitely one of those people. He used to live not far from here when he moved to Manchester, lodging in a house on Cedar Road in Middleton, then, a few years later, he was married just round the corner at St. Gabriels' on Greenhill Road, to Norma Ball. Remember their daughter Susan? She used to present the weather report after the main BBC News on tv. He had another brother called Gordon, who was also a professional footballer but he only played in the lower leagues, one of his teams being Bradford Park Avenue.

Although he was only ever booked once, referees of the time used to say that he was one of the worst moaners and complainers in the game, constantly whingeing about everything. But for all that, I can only endorse the comments of everyone about what a great player and ambassador he was for football. On the day of his final game in 1973, as the end neared, he played up against the touchline near the tunnel and when the final whistle went, he was first off the pitch and sprinted off down the tunnel, much to the great disappointment of the crowd. However, he came back out and did a "sprint" round the pitch as a lap of honour, and then he was gone.

He will be greatly missed, but he leaves lots of fantastic memories, and I believe that he never really recovered from his Munich trauma. But it's over now Sir Bobby. Thanks for the memories. RIP.