Our Footie Heroes - Bobby Charlton

Born on October 11th, 1937,
in County Durham in the northeast of England,
Bobby Charlton came to represent all that was great about a British footballer.
He had integrity, sportsmanship, an insatiable love for the game,
a ferocious shot and pace out of midfield.
His career spanned the low of British football –in February, 1958,
on a return trip from playing a quarter final match in the European Cup in Belgrade,
the plane his team Manchester United were flying on,
crashed during a re-fueling stop in Munich.
Eight teammates perished.
This was a devastating loss for the nation, still recovering from World War II.
The team had come to represent the verve and vigor of youth and renewal for the country.
And they were affectionately called Busby’s Babes after the mighty manager Matt Busby.
But recover they did.
And Bobby Charlton led his teammates and the nation in their greatest football success:
victory in the 1966 World Cup Final in Wemblay Stadium in London.
Bobby was named European Footballer of the Year in 1966
and captained Manchester United in their 1968 victory in the European Cup Final over Benfica.
Bobby played 606 games for the Red Devils and scored 249 goals
(a record still not surpassed).
He also accumulated 106 caps for his country.
In 1994, he received a knighthood for his service to the game and to the country.
And to this day, no figure in British football is as revered as Sir Bobby Charlton.