Thousands of people on Monday lined the streets of Manchester, England, to pay their final respects to Manchester United and England great Bobby Charlton, with Alex Ferguson and Britain’s Prince William among the mourners.
The 1966 FIFA World Cup winner, widely regarded as one of England’s greatest players, died on Oct. 21 at the age of 86 after a fall at his care home.
Crowds clapped warmly and held banners as the funeral cortege drove past United’s Old Trafford ground on its way to a private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral to celebrate Charlton’s life.
Photo: AP
The hearse passed the famous United Trinity statue immortalizing Charlton, Denis Law and George Best as members of the club’s under-18 and under-21 squads formed a guard of honor.
High on the glass wall of the East Stand were two huge black-and-white photographs, one of Charlton in his playing days and the other showing him as an elder statesman, flanking the words “Sir Bobby Charlton, 1937-2023. Forever Loved”.
About 1,000 guests including former United manager Ferguson, England manager Gareth Southgate and Engliah Football Association president Prince William arrived for the service, along with current and former players.
Former United captain Bryan Robson, speaking before the service, told the BBC: “For a player to win the World Cup, win the [UEFA] Champions League and have such a long and successful career you’ve got to be a fantastic player to be able to achieve that.”
“But Sir Bob wasn’t just a great player, he was a great person and had time for everybody,” Robson said.
Former teammate Alex Stepney said that Charlton remained humble despite his success.
“It was about winning and that was what Bobby Charlton was all about,” he said. “A humble guy, a great family man. It never went to his head.”
Former United CEO David Gill gave a eulogy during the service, describing Charlton as a “legend, an icon and a very dear and loyal, much-loved colleague and friend.”
“Football is a tribal sport, but Bobby was universally admired,” he said.
The funeral ended with the chiming of bells as the coffin, covered in white flowers, was carried out by pallbearers.
Ferguson described Charlton, who played a key part in his appointment as manager at Old Trafford, as a “tower of strength” during his trophy-laden 26-year spell as manager.
Former England captain Gary Lineker said Charlton was “more than just a footballer in many ways.”
“He was synonymous with the word ‘football,’” he said. “You could go anywhere in the world, even places where they didn’t speak English and they’d say one thing to you and that was ‘Bobby Charlton,’ and that shows his fame, but it also shows how much respect and love he has around the world.”
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