IT was April 1958, and fans of the Scottish national team were looking forward to the game against England at Hampden. In his review the Glasgow Herald sportswriter Cyril Horne noted that the England striker Derek Kevan would be flanked “by two of the cleverest inside-forwards in football – [Bobby] Charlton and [Johnny] Haynes”.
Charlton, of Manchester United, made his international debut in that game, just two months after surviving the Munich air disaster. England won 4-0. Charlton laid on one goal and scored an outstanding goal against the Scottish goalkeeper, Tommy Younger. “I can still hear the sound of the ball lashing against the net,” he would recall. “After that, all you could hear was the silence.”
Interviewed in 1997 by the Glasgow Herald’s Ian Paul, he was asked if he recalled scoring a memorable goal against Scotland. ‘’Which one?’’ he responded, his tongue possibly in his cheek. “Ah, yes,’’ he continued, ‘’that came when Tom Finney sent in a fine cross and I volleyed it straight into the net. What I still remember about that was the way your keeper, Tommy Younger, came out to congratulate me”.
He added: “I still love going up to Scotland, just as I loved playing up there. The people up there were always kind to me.’’ He is seen, above, with Bob Crampsey, the broadcaster and author; and, main image, on a visit to Renfrew in 1992.
The football world was shocked this week to learn that Sir Bobby, 83, has been diagnosed with dementia. He is widely considered to be England’s finest-ever footballer. He helped England win the 1966 World Cup, and earned a total of 106 caps, scoring 49 goals.
In 17 distinguished years with Manchester United he won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup, playing 758 games and scoring 249 goals.
Read more: Herald Diary
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