The most influential & important footballer in the history of our game

WITHOUT the brilliance of Bobby Charlton, England would not have that single Word Cup to its name.

Without the brilliance of Bobby Charlton, Manchester United would not be the grand, fabled institution that it is today.

He is, arguably, the most influential and important footballer in the history of the game in this country, a towering figure for both club and for England.

For the many years when he sat in the Old Trafford stands as a director, he was an unmistakable reminder of what the place should always be all about. Dignity, distinction, honour, service. After surviving the Munich air disaster as a 20-year-old, most of Charlton’s career was dedicated to United, making a total of 758 appearances for the club and then representing them for decades to follow.

And there has been no finer servant to the England cause than Charlton, whose mark of 49 goals stood as a record for some 45 years until Wayne

Rooney finally broke it. Harry Kane now holds the record.

Charlton’s image is among those you would always associate with that triumphant campaign in 1966 – but it is probably not the defining one.

The defining one would feature Geoff Hurst or Bobby Moore, but over the course of World Cup ’66, manager Sir Alf Ramsey had no player more important to his cause than Bobby Charlton (his brother Jack was also in the team, of course).

Charlton’s performance in the semi-final against Portugal is one of THE great overlooked contributions in the annals of the English game.

How good was the second of his two goals in the 2-1 win that took England to the Final?

As he returned to his own half, the Portugal winger Jose Augusto offered him his hand in congratulation.

Even in those more sportsmanlike days, it was some gesture.

In the World Cup Final, Ramsey asked Charlton to curb some of his adventurous instincts and concentrate on stopping Franz Beckenbauer starting German attacks.

Ironically, the German had been told to try to neutralise the marauding Charlton.

For two hours, they cancelled each other out and Beckenbauer’s respect for Charlton has always been unmatchable.

“Bobby Charlton stood alongside Pele as the greatest players of their generation and I value his friendship to this day,” Beckenbauer said in 2016.

For those who like material proof of those types of words, Charlton won the Ballon d’or in 1966.

He was runner-up in the voting for the 1967 and 1968

awards. He was some player. and the Germans went on to Charlton was a member of the win 3-2. Busby Babes, the young side Not that Charlton would ever that won the 1956-57 First complain – he was booked only Division before eight of the once during his club career (and team perished in Munich. that was later rescinded) and

Ten years later, in 1968, only once during his 106-game Charlton scored the first and England career (against last goals in United’s 4-1 win in Argentina, for dissent, in the ’66 extra-time against There has been no World Cup Benfica in the finer servant to quarter-final and, European Cup the England cause let’s face it, they Final. than Charlton would have made

That would a saint swear). He prove to be his last major medal was never sent off. His with United and his last behaviour should not have been appearance for England came a surprise – they knew how to in the World Cup quarter-final behave themselves up in against West Germany in Ashington, hard but fair. Mexico in 1970. The footballing Milburns

England were 2-1 up when were on his mother’s side of the Ramsey withdrew Charlton family and, of course, one of his brothers, Jack, played alongside Bobby in the 1966 Final.

Bobby had two other brothers – Gordon, who died at the age of 79, and the youngest, Tommy.

Jack passed away at the age of 85 in July 2020, after suffering with dementia.

Sir Bobby’s death means there is only one member of the team that won in 1966, Sir Geoff Hurst, left with us.

Of the squad, only Hurst, Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan and George Eastham are still alive.

But the memories of ALL the boys of ’66 will live forever… and none will live more vividly in the mind than the one of Bobby Charlton.

As Franz Beckenbauer said, one of THE greatest.