Bobby Charlton: He was “the footballer”

EVERYBODY wanted to be Bobby Charlton in the school playground. He was the ultimate footballer of his generation; respected, envied, skilful, energetic and extremely well behaved. While other players had star quality, the looks and the style of the age, Charlton was what everyone saw as being the consummate professional. 

He defined the role with the trademark “Bobby Charlton thunderbolt”, his long-range shooting that gave the best goalkeepers no chance at all. And then, less flattering, was the “Bobby Charlton comb-over”, the hairstyle that attempted to disguise premature balding. Although this made him look like an elder statesman compared to his team-mates from the long-haired era, Bobby’s thinning hair was as much a part of his image as his technique was.

Bobby Charlton, who died aged 86 on October 21, 2023, was the first name anyone would mention when somebody threw the question into the air, “name a footballer”. He belonged in the same category as Pelé, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer. 

There are many other things that made Bobby Charlton special. How many people survive an aeroplane crash, for example? And having done that, how many would overcome the grief of losing a team of pals in such tragic circumstances on a Munich runway? Some used to say he was a solemn individual, somebody who smiled little and communicated rarely, but unlike his gregarious brother Jack, Bobby kept his own counsel, kept private and devoted his spare time to his family. Not even the weekly “Bobby Charlton’s Diary” in Goal magazine provided much in the way of insights. Munich 1958 would have left a mark on a sensitive young man that undoubtedly shaped his personality and career in the years that followed. 

How could he have ever left Old Trafford after that? Charlton was very much a one club man, bound to United as if forever commemorating his old friends. The rumour was that Charlton and George Best did not get on too well, but how could they possibly have been natural stablemates? The United team that Matt Busby rebuilt, characterised by the holy trinity of Best, Charlton and Law, was a compelling force, but it represented the maturity and final flourishing of two players and the youthful exuberance of Best. In between, Charlton was a pivotal figure for England as they won the World Cup. He was named player of the tournament and in 1966 he was also the winner of the Ballon d’Or and in 1965-66 season, was the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year. 

Charlton’s reputation across Europe was significant. Between 1960 and 1971, he appeared in the Ballon d’Or voting nine times and as well as winning the prestigious trophy in 1966, he was runner-up in 1967 and 1968. In 1968, he won the European Cup, at long last, with United, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory against Benfica at Wembley. As he had two years earlier in the World Cup final, Charlton could be seen weeping with joy on the hallowed turf. His emotional nature only served to endear him even more to the public. 

United went into decline and Charlton seemed increasingly from a different time, notably when Best perpetually tested the patience of his employers. His England career, which had earned him 106 caps, ended in the heat of Mexico in 1970, and in 1973, he decided it was time to finish at United before that decision was made for him. His final game for the club was at Chelsea where the normally unforgiving crowd gave him a rousing send-off. A year later, his beloved club was relegated, the culmination of a steady decline since that glorious evening of European triumph.

His managerial career was very brief and largely difficult, but Charlton was arguably too nice a guy to be a manager in the old sense. He belonged at Old Trafford and quite rightly, he became a director of the club a decade later. Never has a football institution had a more appropriate ambassador than Bobby Charlton. He came from a simpler time when integrity and respect were still appreciated in the game and Sir Bobby Charlton himself had those attributes in very large quantities. It is difficult to name a player that was more revered across the whole game. It is not just his family, friends and Manchester United that have lost a favourite son.