Thousands of Manchester United fans lined the streets outside Old Trafford to bid farewell to Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the club’s greatest ever players.
Charlton died last month aged 86 and on Monday his coffin was carried past his club’s home ground for the last time before the procession headed to Manchester Cathedral.
The private service was attended by almost 1,000 family members, friends and colleagues, including the United star from his decades-long career as a player and then manager.
Guests included Sir Alex Ferguson, Gareth Southgate, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, Football Association Chairman Prince William and UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin.
“We’re talking about the greatest English footballer we’ve ever had. Someone will say: “No worse than anyone else.” And of course he exuded class as a man,” said former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce.
“So when you combine those two factors, you can understand why thousands of people lined the streets and showed the deepest respect. He was a real man and a great football player.
The funeral procession, led by a lone pedestrian in front of a hearse carrying a coffin, passed a statue of Charlton, Denis Law and George Best eulogizing their United team-mates outside Old Trafford, flanked by the current Manchester United vice-manager. Teams under 18 and under 21.
Several members of the senior team attended the funeral, although many had already left for international duty, but those present included Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton.
The order of service at the funeral, led by Canon Nigel Ashworth, included a hymn. stay with metraditionally sung during the FA Cup final, and Jerusalemas well as tributes from David Gill, former chief executive of Manchester United, and John Shiels, former head of the Manchester United Foundation.
Charlton was considered by many to be United’s best player of all time. He joined the club at the age of 15 and scored 249 goals in 758 games, winning three league titles and the European Cup. As England’s greatest player of all time, he is perhaps even less controversial as he was part of the World Cup-winning team in 1966, scoring 49 goals in 106 games for his country. Only Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane have ever achieved more for England.
After his retirement, Charlton continued to be involved in football as a manager for a time, but then enjoyed much greater success as an influential United director for over four decades. He also founded a foundation in his name, created after a trip to Cambodia where he witnessed the impact of landmines left behind by the war. It funds projects to support conflict victims and research into humanitarian demining.
Source: I News
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