On the day Sir Bobby Charlton was born in 1937, read what our United Heroes book had to say about the great man...
One third of the United Trinity, a Ballon d’Or winner, World champion and one of the most famous footballers ever to pull on the red shirt.
If you had to pick one man to represent Manchester United, there really is no debate. Sir Bobby Charlton was a midfielder who could score with either foot from outside the box, dribble past opponents like a Brazilian and assist team-mates with the very best passes. But he was so much more than that.
He was a gentleman - a quiet, modest man who simply loved football. He loved to play, to watch and to teach it to others. And while he wasn’t loud on or off the pitch, he had an inner fire that everyone admired, because his career and life became a tribute to the friends he lost along the way.
Charlton became a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, and not just to fans of United, but to all fans of football, all around the world. In fact, it is fair to say that for many years, the words ‘Bobby Charlton’ were two of the most widely used in the English language across the globe. Imagine a player as famous as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but who played when football was shown on black-and-white TVs! That was Sir Bobby.
Football family
Charlton was born in a mining town called Ashington, near Newcastle, into a family of football fanatics. Several members of his family played professional football, with the most famous being his uncle Jackie Milburn, who played for Newcastle United.
‘Wor Jackie’, as he was known to the Toon Army, was a great player, and it was clear from a young age that Bobby was destined to be too. A number of clubs were interested in signing him, but it was Manchester United that Bobby chose. He had heard the team win the 1948 FA Cup final on the radio, seen newspaper articles about the exciting project led by Matt Busby, and knew that Old Trafford was the right place for him to learn.
He moved to Manchester in 1953 and called it ‘paradise’ as he became friends with other talented youngsters like Duncan Edwards and Eddie Colman. They won the FA Youth Cup together – three times in Charlton’s case – before becoming first-team players. Bobby’s debut came on 6 October 1956, and it was the most magical of moments.
He had waited a long time for the chance - longer than many of his friends in the youth team - but he made the most of it, scoring two fantastic goals on his debut, a very rare achievement. Amazingly, he did so with a sprained ankle - being so desperate to play that he hid the injury from manager Busby.
Rising star
Charlton helped United win the league title in 1957, but was still fighting to become one of the first-choice players in the Reds' thrilling, talent-crammed attack. But he was still young and knew his time would come. In February 1958, he scored another two goals as United drew with Red Star Belgrade, in then Yugoslavia (now Serbia), to claim a place in the semi-finals of the European Cup (now the Champions League).
During United’s return home, the team’s plane crashed in Munich, killing 23 people, including eight of Charlton’s team-mates. Bobby survived with minor injuries, but his life would never be the same again. His best friends were gone. He found it hard to talk about them and put his energy into football and ensuring United would win again. He played a month after the crash and, incredibly, helped United - with only half a squad - reach the FA Cup final. They lost to Bolton Wanderers at Wembley, but Bobby, still only 20 years old, was now at the centre of the United rebuild and rise to greatness which inspired the world.
World at his feet
Over the next decade, Charlton became one of the best players in the world and was joined at Old Trafford by the fantastic striker Denis Law and the clever winger George Best in the team. Together, the ‘United Trinity’ won everything, as a team and individually. There is a statue of them outside Old Trafford. All three won the Ballon d’Or, Charlton doing so in 1966. Having won the FA Cup with Law in 1963 - thanks to a 3-1 victory over Leicester City - he was then a league title-winner again in 1965 (by this time with Law and Best). In 1966, the Reds fell short in their quest for the European Cup, losing to Partizan Belgrade at the semi-final stage.
For Charlton, though, there was to be a happy ending to the season as he played a key role in helping England to win the World Cup. He was named in the Team of the Tournament and then voted the best player on the planet by winning the Ballon d’Or. The following season, he won a third league title (1966/67) and then, finally, the European Cup in May 1968. It was the ultimate tribute to his friends who died in the Munich Air Disaster 10 years earlier, and fitting that he should be captain on the night, scored twice and was the man to lift the big-handled trophy.
When Charlton left five years later, he was seen as United’s greatest-ever player. He returned to Old Trafford to become a director in 1984 and served in that role until his death in 2023. He could often be found in the dressing room after matches, encouraging the new generation of players, and was loved by everyone at United – a club that he loved with all his heart.
Did You Know?
Sir Bobby’s mother didn’t want him to be a footballer originally, so he started an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer! Charlton is the only United player to win the World Cup, European Cup and Ballon d’Or while at the club. Bobby was a clean footballer: he was never sent off during his career. The South Stand at Old Trafford was named the ‘Sir Bobby Charlton Stand’ in 2016.
Stats
758 appearances
249 goals
106 England caps
49 goals
Trophies: 1 x European Cup, 3 x First Division, 1 x FA Cup, 2 x Charity Shield 1 x World Cup (England).