SIR ALEX IN BOBBY TRIBUTE
watched Charlton score for England against Scotland a few weeks after he had survived the horror of the Munich air crash that claimed the lives of eight of Matt Busby’s brilliant Babes.
Ferguson writes: “I first set eyes on Bobby Charlton when he made his debut for England at Hampden Park in April 1958, just two months after surviving the Munich air disaster.
“I was there as a Scotland fan, stood by the corner flag, and I remember Tom Finney playing as an outside-left against Alex Parker, who was a very good full-back.
“On one occasion, Finney got the better of Parker, took the ball to the byline and cut it back across the box for Bobby, who hammered it into the roof of the net from 16 yards out.
“In those days you didn’t have players jumping on top of each other when they scored, and Bobby just jogged back with a couple of slaps on the back from his team-mates.
“But the Scottish keeper sprinted 40 yards to congratulate him, not just because it was a great goal but also because of what Bobby had been through.
“Everyone in the stadium could see there was a bit of magic about him, but also some steel.”
Ferguson recalls how Charlton gave him his full backing in 1986 when United were looking for a new boss capable of bringing back the glory days. He would become the club’s most successful manager during a 26-year reign.
He said: “The personal connection between us began almost three decades later, when I was manager of Aberdeen, and Bobby was a director of Manchester United.
“The directors asked what my vision was for the job. I said I would take the same approach I had at Aberdeen, by looking to build up the whole club, not just the team, and that I would do that by developing young players.
“As I was explaining this, I saw Bobby nudge one of the other directors and he said: ‘That’s what we want’. He’d made his mind up.
“From that moment on he was a tower of strength for me.”