There is more to Sir Robert Charlton than what meets the eye.
A football legend who survived the tragic Munich air crash, Bobby (as he is
commonly known among football circles) has a career span that includes an
unbroken football record on garnering the most number of goals among England’s
finest booters. Starting at 17 playing midfield for Manchester United, he was
quite renowned to be the force behind England’s success in coveting the 1966
World Cup Title, the only cup won by the Brits up to this day. On that same year, he was awarded the highly
revered European Footballer of the Year, or popularly known today as Ballon
d’Or. Indeed, the late 1960s was his glory years. With 750 games, 247 goals, 3
World Cups, a Ballon d’Or, a CBE, and a knighthood, Sir Bobby is the very
epitome of success that only dreams are made of.
Lurking behind the facade lays a heavy toll on Bobby’s
shoulders. His teammates often criticized him for being too reticent and
distant. But few only understood how broken he was after the Munich air crash in
1958 that took so many lives, and majority of the Manchester United squad after
a refueling stopover turned deadly. On February 6, 1958, after the team’s
European Cup match against Belgrade, Yugoslavia (or Serbia today), eight of its
players, 2 staff members and Coach Whalley succumbed to their injuries. Some died on
impact while others died after days of rigorous treatment in nearby hospitals. It
created frenzy to booters all across Europe and so much more so for Bobby.
Unknown to many, Bobby and Dennis Violett swapped seats with
Tommy Taylor and David Pegg who wished to be seated at the back of the plane.
Bobby and Dennis survived but Tommy and David, whom they swapped seats with,
did not. After a week of treatment, Bobby went home to recuperate and in the
words of Ronnie Cope “Bobby has never been the same again.” Gone were the days
that Bobby would kid around the bleachers or in the locker room. Bobby became
withdrawn, to the point of keeping things to himself. Alienating most of his
new teammates, he became introverted and did not easily blend in with the crowd.
He became an enigma and focused to channel his passion to winning every game.
His prowess contributed largely to the completion of Manchester United’s
greatest triumvirate, its very own “Holy Trinity” in football: Best – Law –
Charlton. To this day, an effigy in their honor stood erect and proud at the
famed Old Trafford for all of England to remember.
After a series of losses to West Germany in the subsequent
reclamation of their World Cup glory in 1966, Bobby decided to hang his jersey
in the summer of 1973. Much of the world knew only of a man who had done his
all for the love of the game. So little had been known about the broken soul
and the extra emotional baggage he had been carrying all throughout the years from that
one ill-fated stopover. If you look closely at Sir Bobby’s eyes and smile,
there lies a soul that had been through so much but yet moved on and let go.
Thank you Sir Bobby for all that you are. Manchester United was and is lucky to have you on board the team. And with this we dedicate this song sung by Jaclyn Victor and Cleopatra to one of Manchester United's greatest - Bobby Charlton!
