BORN ON THIS DAY

SIR BOBBY ROBSON (19332009). The County Durham-born footballer was the first player to sign an ‘ image rights deal’ — three guineas for his photo to be on cigarette cards. As England manager, he led his side to the 1990 World Cup semi-finals having lost a quarter- final in 1986 ( thanks to Maradona’s infamous hand-balled goal — of which Robson said: ‘It wasn’t the hand of God, it was the hand of a rascal.’) Sir Bobby (pictured in West Bromwich Albion kit) died of lung cancer, having survived bowel cancer, a malignant melanoma and a brain tumour. MARY I (1516-1558). Henry VIII’s eldest child was a Catholic and the first queen to rule England in her own right. Nicknamed Bloody Mary because of the hundreds of Protestants burned at the stake during her reign, she was also said to be a talented linguist who had a fine contralto voice.