Goodbye to one of the greats

TRIBUTES poured in last night after Leeds and England legend Jack Charlton passed away, aged 85. In a statement, his family said that he died peacefully at his Northumberland home after a battle with illness. The former Elland Road great and Republic of Ireland manager had been diagnosed with lymphoma in the last year, and also suffered with dementia. ‘Big Jack’ was one of English football’s most charismatic characters, and was a key member of the side that won the 1966 World Cup, alongside brother Bobby. But while Charlton’s younger sibling was among a number of Three Lions stars to be knighted in the years after they lifted the Jules Rimet trophy, Jack was not similarly honoured. Ex-Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton, who was handed his Ireland debut under Charlton, said: “The word legend is used too much in football, but not for Jack for what he’s done with Leeds and winning the World Cup, for which he should have been knighted. I’ve still never understood that – it’s an absolute disgrace. “He changed everything about Irish football too because there was a stage where we hadn’t qualified for tournaments.” Charlton made a record number of appearances for Leeds, who were “deeply saddened” by the news, before retiring as a player in 1973. He went on to manage Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United. But it was with the Republic of Ireland where he made his mark, leading them to their first major finals at Euro ’88 and the World Cup quarter-finals at Italia ’90 during his decade in charge.

TRIBUTE Flowers for Jack were left at Elland Road