Rough, tough and spiky... but ‘Big Jack’ was everyone’s great mate
WHEREVER you went in the world of football everyone knew him as “Big Jack”.
Jack had known for years that he was part of English football’s greatest dynasty.
He was the big brother of Bobby Charlton, a man acclaimed as one of the best players on the planet during his Sixties pomp.
The Charlton boys’ mother was Cissie, nee Milburn, the cousin of Newcastle and England legend Jackie Milburn.
Five of their direct relatives had been professional footballers, so it was little surprise when the Charlton boys went on to become pros.
But their neighbours in the Northumberland pit village of Ashington could never have guessed the fame the brothers would achieve.
Jack, born in 1935, was the elder by two years. And just as Bobby epitomised self-discipline, grace and attacking style, Jack was lanky, granite-hard and belligerent.
Jack was also blunt, outspoken and passionate in declaring his views. Jack hurt Bobby when he revealed in his autobiography how the brothers had grown apart.
Family disputes over their elderly mother had seen Jack and wife Pat take over her care. He felt Bobby and his wife Norma could have done more. Their plea for help was rejected.
As youngsters, Bobby and Jack had shared a bed. In later life, their relationship had virtually broken down. Jack was 15 when he turned down the first approach from Leeds. He chose to join his dad working down the local pit. But once he discovered how tough life was for a coal miner he decided to change tack.
He considered becoming a policeman, but then opted to have a second trial at Leeds and this time accepted their offer of a football apprenticeship.
He spent his entire playing career at Leeds, accumulating a club-record 629 league appearances in his 21 years there.
He joined Leeds when they were a mediocre Second Division club.
He used to joke: “We only had one good thing going for us – John Charles.”
Leeds eventually sold their Wales superstar to Juventus and there was no hint of what was just around the corner.
The appointment of Don Revie as manager in 1961 transformed their fortunes.
The Revie revolution ensured that within three years Leeds were in the top flight.
From there, they launched a stunning campaign to be recognised as one of Europe’s most successful clubs. And Big Jack was at the very heart of the Revie team. He was the senior partner who had some of the greatest homegrown youngsters operating alongside him in the shape of Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray.
In later years, Jack openly admitted Revie’s Leeds should have won more. They had been runners-up far too often.
But woe betide anybody who criticised his old mates.
He was manager of the Republic of Ireland more than 20 years after retiring as a player when he joined a group of journalists in a Dublin bar for a pint of the black stuff.
One of the pressmen made the mistake of declaring that Bremner was not much of a player, just a kicker. Jack was outraged at the slur on his old friend.
Verbally, he took the journalist apart, listing epic games Bremner had won for Leeds. And at one point he was ready to step outside to sort it