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Knighthood|Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton, Order of
the British Empire|KBE (born Ashington,
Northumberland, 11 October 1937) is a former
English Football (soccer) |football player, one of
the most famous names in the game and a hero of
the Football World Cup 1966|1966 World Cup.

==Early Life & Career==

One of his uncles, the Newcastle United
F.C.|Newcastle United centre forward Jackie
Milburn, was a professional footballer, but it was
Charlton's mother Cissie who coached him at first.
 His elder brother, Jack Charlton|Jack, went to
work as a miner and also applied to join the
police before also becoming a footballer.

As a teenager, Charlton was picked for the England
schoolboys' team, and as a result of his
performance he was approached by several soccer
clubs, including Manchester United F.C.|Manchester
United, for whom he signed at the age of 17,
having begun an apprenticeship as an engineer
because his mother was reluctant to let him commit
to an insecure football career straight after
leaving school. Under manager, Matt Busby, he was
groomed for greater things.

Charlton became one of the famed Busby Babes, the
collection of precociously talented footballers
who emerged through the system at Old Trafford
(football)|Old Trafford under their manager in the
1940s, 1950s and 1960s as Busby set about a
long-term plan of rebuilding the club after the
Second World War. He worked his way through the
pecking order of teams, scoring regularly for the
youth and reserve sides before he was handed his
first team debut against Charlton Athletic
F.C.|Charlton Athletic in October 1956. At the
same time, he was doing his National Service in
Shrewsbury, where Busby had advised him to apply
as it meant he could still play for United at the
weekend. Also doing his army service in Shrewsbury
at the same time was his United team-mate Duncan
Edwards.

Charlton played 14 times for United in that first
season. They won The Football League but were
denied the 20th century's first "double" when they
lost the 1957 FA Cup final controversially to
Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa. Charlton, still only
19, was selected for the game which saw United
goalkeeper Ray Wood carried off with a broken
cheekbone after a clash with Villa centre forward
Peter McParland. Though Charlton was a candidate
to go in goal to replace Wood (in the days before
substitute (soccer)|substitutes, and certainly
before goalkeeping substitutes), it was team-mate
Jackie Blanchflower who ended up between the
sticks.

Charlton was an established player by the time the
next season was fully underway, and the previous
year United, as League champions, had become the
first English team to embrace the European Cup
thoroughly, reaching the semi finals where they
lost to Real Madrid. Previously, the Football
Association had scorned the competition but
United's progress through the rounds earned them
much Europe|continental respect, which was
replicated the next season as they got to the
quarter finals to play Red Star Belgrade. In the
first leg at home, United won 2-1. The return in
Yugoslavia saw Charlton score twice as United
stormed 3-0 ahead and though the hosts came back
to earn a 3-3 draw, United maintained their
aggregate lead to reach the last four and were in
jubilant mood as they headed off to catch their
flight home, thinking of an important League game
against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves at the
weekend.

==Munich==

The aeroplane which took the United players and
staff home from Zemun|Zemun Airport needed to stop
in Munich to refuel. This it did, in turning
weather, and by the time the refuelling was
complete and the call was made for the passengers
to re-board the aircraft, the wintry showers had
taken hold and snow had settled heavily on the
runway and around the airport. There were two
aborted take-offs which caused a rumpus on board,
and the passengers were advised by a stewardess to
dismount again while a minor technical error was
fixed.

Back in the airport terminal for barely ten
minutes, the call to reconvene on the plane came
and a number of passengers began to feel nervous.
Charlton and team-mate Dennis Viollet swapped
places with Tommy Taylor and David Pegg, who had
decided they would be safer at the back of the
plane. This would prove a fatal decision.

The plane clipped the fence at the end of the
runway on its next take-off attempt and a wing
tore through a nearby house, setting it alight.
The wing and part of the tail came off and hit a
tree and a wooden hut spinning along the snow
until coming to a halt. It had been cut in half.

Charlton, strapped into his seat, had fallen out
of the cabin and when United goalkeeper Harry
Gregg (who had somehow got through a hole in the
plane unscathed and begun a one-man rescue
mission) found him, he thought he was dead. That
said, he grabbed both Charlton and Viollet by
their trousers|trouser waistbands and dragged them
away from the plane in constant fear that it would
explode. Gregg returned to the plane to try to
help the appallingly injured Busby and
Blanchflower and when he turned round again, he
got the relief of his life when he saw that
Charlton and Viollet, whom he'd presumed to be
dead, had both got out of their detached seats and
were looking into the wreckage.

Charlton suffered cuts to his head and severe
shock and was in hospital for a week. Seven of his
team-mates had perished at the scene, including
Taylor and Pegg, with whom he and Viollet had
swapped seats prior to the fatal take-off attempt.
Club captain Roger Byrne was also killed, along
with Mark Jones (football player)|Mark Jones, Liam
Whelan|Billy Whelan, Eddie Colman and Geoff Bent.
Edwards died a fortnight later after an agonising
battle against his injuries. In total, the crash
claimed 23 lives. Initially, ice on the wings was
blamed, but another inquiry later declared that
slush on the runway had make the plane's facility
to achieve safe take-off conditions almost
impossible.

Charlton was the first survivor to leave hospital.
He arrived back in Manchester on 14th February
1958, eight days after the crash. As he
convalesced, he spent some time kicking a ball
around with local youths and a famous photograph
of him was taken. He was still only 20 years old,
yet now there was expectation on him to help with
the rebuilding of the club as Busby's aides tried
to piece together what remained of the season.

Not unexpectedly, United went out of the European
Cup to Real Madrid in the semi finals to a 5-2
aggregate defeat and fell behind in the League.
Yet somehow they reached their second consecutive
FA Cup final and the big day at Wembley coincided
with Busby's return to work. His words could not
inspire a side which was playing on a nation's
goodwill and sentiment, however, and Nat Lofthouse
scored twice to give a professional Bolton
Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers side a 2-0 win.

==Hero of United & England==

At the same time, Charlton's emergence as the
country's leading young football talent was
completed when he was called up to join the
England national football team|England squad for a
British Home Championship game against Scotland
national football team|Scotland at Hampden Park.
It would be the start of a long, prolific,
record-breaking and globally respected career for
his country.

Charlton was handed his debut as England romped
home 4-0, with the new player earning even more
admirers for scoring a magnificnent thumping
volley dispatched with authority after a cross by
the revered left winger Tom Finney. He scored both
goals in his second game as England beat Portugal
national football team|Portugal 2-1 in a friendly
at Wembley; and overcame obvious nerves on a
return to Belgrade to play his third match against
Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia.
Unfortunately, England lost that game 5-0 and
Charlton played poorly. He was selected for the
squad which competed at the Football World Cup
1958|1958 World Cup in Sweden, but didn't kick a
ball, something at which critics expressed
surprise and bewilderment, even allowing for his
no-show in Belgrade.

Charlton began to settle back into his footballing
life with Manchester United and England and
enhanced his reputation as a scorer of great goals
as well as a great goalscorer - rarely is a player
regarded as both. In 1959 he scored a hat-trick as
England demolished the United States men's
national soccer team|USA 8-1; and his second
England hat-trick came in 1961 in an 8-0 thrashing
of Mexico national football team|Mexico.

He played in qualifiers for the Football World Cup
1962|1962 World Cup in Chile against Luxembourg
national football team|Luxembourg and Portugal and
was named in the squad for the finals themselves.
His goal in the 3-1 group win over Argentina
national football team|Argentina was his 25th for
England in just 38 appearances, but his individual
success couldn't be replicated by that of the
team, which was eliminated in the quarter final by
Brazil national football team|Brazil.

Success once again with Manchester United finally
came Charlton's way when they beat Leicester City
F.C.|Leicester City 3-1 in the FA Cup final of
1963, with Charlton finally getting a winners'
medal in his third final. Busby's post-Munich
rebuilding programme achieved another feat with
two League championships within three seasons,
with United taking the title in 1965 and 1967. In
between, there was the pressing matter for
Charlton of the Football World Cup 1966|1966 World
Cup for which he and England had not needed to
qualify, as they were hosting the event. A
successful (though trophyless) season with
Manchester United had seen him take the honours of
Football Writers' Association|Football Writers'
Association Footballer of the Year and European
Footballer of the Year|European Footballer Of The
Year into the competition.

By now, England were coached by Alf Ramsey who had
managed to gain sole control of the recruitment
and team selection procedure from the
committee-based call-up system which had lasted up
to the previous World Cup. Ramsey had already
cleared out some of the older players who had been
reliant on the loyalty of the committee for their
continued selection - it was well known that
decorum on the pitch at club level had been just
as big a factor in playing for England as ability
and form. Luckily for Charlton, he had all three.

Charlton had remained the attacking midfield
player around whom Ramsey had intended to build
his team. Charlton was still scoring and creating
freely and as the tournament was about to start,
he was expected to become one of its stars and
galvanise his established reputation as one of the
world's best footballers.

==The Glory of 1966==

The opening game of the tournament was Charlton's
69th for his country - a goalless draw with
Uruguay national football team|Uruguay - and
England swept aside this minor hiccup to dispose
of Mexico in the next game, with Charlton scoring
one of the most famous goals of his career.

Picking up the ball in the centre circle of the
Wembley pitch, Charlton issued a Mexican
challenger with a body swerve which sent his
opponent the wrong way and opened up a sizeable
gap ahead of him. His reputation for long-range
finishes now the stuff of legend, everyone braced
themselves for a shot - and what a shot it was. It
arrowed straight and true into the top corner of
the Mexico net, finally opening England's goal
account in the tournament and setting them up for
a 2-0 win. This was followed by an identical
scoreline against France national football
team|France and England were in the last eight.

There they overcame a thuggish Argentina side with
a slender 1-0 win - the game was the only one in
which Charlton received a caution - and Portugal
awaited in the semi finals. This one turned out to
be one of Charlton's most important nights, for
both himself and those for whom he played.

Charlton opened the scoring with a crisp
side-footed finish after a run by Roger Hunt had
forced the Portuguese goalkeeper out of his net;
the second was a sweetly struck shot after a run
and pull-back from Geoff Hurst. Charlton and Hunt
were now England's equal-highest scorers in the
tournament with three each, and a final against
Germany national football team|West Germany was to
come.

Though the game had drama, great team performances
and some breathtaking individual displays, the
game actually turned out to be one of Charlton's
quieter days. He had a young Franz Beckenbauer
marking him and vice versa, and the two ultimately
seemed to cancel each other out. But the team did
what was required and won 4-2, with Hurst's
hat-trick putting his name forever into football
folklore (and overtaking Charlton and Hunt as
England's top marksman). Charlton was playing
alongside his brother Jack and the two openly
embraced and wept as the enormity of their
achievement sunk in.

==Record Breaker & Euro Glory==

Charlton's next England game was his 75th as
England beat Northern Ireland national football
team|Northern Ireland; two caps later and he had
become England's second highest representative,
behind the veteran Billy Wright, who was
approaching his 100th appearance when Charlton was
starting out and ended with 105 caps.

In 1968, Manchester United reached the European
Cup final, ten seasons after Munich. Even though
other clubs had taken part in the competition in
the intervening decade, the team which got to this
final was still the first English side to do so.
On a highly emotional night at Wembley, Charlton
scored twice in a 4-1 win after extra time against
Benfica and, as United captain, lifted the trophy.
Weeks later he scored his 45th England goal in a
friendly against Sweden national football
team|Sweden, breaking the record of 44 set the
previous year by Jimmy Greaves. He was then in the
England team which was knocked out in the semi
final of the 1968 European Football
Championship|1968 European Championships against
Yugoslavia in Florence.

In 1969, Charlton was awarded the Order of the
British Empire|OBE for services to football. More
milestones followed as he won his 100th England
cap on 21st April 1970 against Northern Ireland,
and was made captain by Ramsey for the occasion.
Inevitably, he scored. This was his 48th goal for
his country - his 49th and final goal would follow
a month later in a 4-0 win over Colombia national
football team|Colombia during a warm-up tour for
the Football World Cup 1970|1970 World Cup,
designed to get the players adapted to altitude
conditions.

==Mexico 1970 & A Career Ends==

England went into the tournament with two
victories in the group stages, plus a memorable
defeat against Brazil. Charlton played in all
three, though was substituted by Alan Ball
(footballer)|Alan Ball in the final game of the
group against Czechoslovakia national football
team|Czechoslovakia. Ramsey, confident of victory
and progress to the quarter final, wanted Charlton
to rest.

England duly did reach the last eight where they
again faced West Germany. Charlton controlled the
midfield and suppressed the runs from deep of
Beckenbauer as England coasted to a 2-0 lead. Then
Ramsey, again confident that the job was done,
took Charlton off the field and replaced him with
Colin Bell. Beckenbauer was consequently given
more freedom on the park, scored a goal to spark a
comeback, and the Germans ultimately won 3-2 in
extra time. England were out and, after a record
106 caps and 49 goals, Charlton's international
career was over at the age of 32. His caps record
lasted until 1973 when Bobby Moore overtook it,
and Charlton currently lies third in the all-time
England appearances list behind Moore and Peter
Shilton, whose own England career began in the
first game after Charlton's had ended. The goals
record still stands, with Gary Lineker the only
player subsequently to threaten it, but his
England career ended with 48 goals.

There was little left for him in football
thereafter, though he stayed at Manchester United
until 1973, retiring after a club record of 752
matches and 247 goals. He was awarded the Order of
the British Empire|CBE in 1974.

==Management & Soccer Schools==

He became the player manager of Preston North End
F.C.|Preston North End, taking United and England
team-mate Nobby Stiles with him as a player-coach,
but Charlton was not suited to management and quit
after just one season. He then spent some time
playing in South Africa.

In later years Charlton has been known for his
successful "soccer schools" scheme, which were
designed to give football-mad youngsters some
proper coaching during school holiday periods. In
the 1980s, a young David Beckham was among the
hopefuls who had his photograph taken with
Charlton for outstanding potential at one such
soccer school. Charlton also became a member of
the board of directors at Manchester United and
remains in such a role to this day.

==Miscellaneous & Family Life==

Charlton began to lose his hair in the early 1960s
and for a while refused to go bald gracefully,
sporting a style of stranded, isolated hairs which
would often flop around when he was running before
he would tug them back over his head. This style
today is still known by the vernacular of "the
Bobby Charlton Comb-Over".

He received a knighthood in 1994. He met his wife
Norma at an ice rink in Manchester in 1959 and
they married in 1961. They had two daughters -
Suzanne and Andrea - the former of whom became a
public figure herself as a meteorologist|weather
forecaster for the BBC.

start box
succession box|title=European Footballer of the
Year|before=Eusebio |after=Florian
Albert|years=1966
succession box|title=FWA Footballer of the
Year|Football Writers' Association Footballer of
the Year|before=Bobby Collins |after=Jack
Charlton|years=1966
end box