Sir Bobby Charlton obituary: Manchester United and England legend remembered

Published

1 year ago

October 22, 2023

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“There has never been a more popular footballer,” former Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby said of Bobby Charlton.

Sir Bobby, an attacking midfielder, was “as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be”, Sir Matt, who managed United for more than two decades, added.

With balance and grace, and a thunderous shot with either foot, he scored spectacular goals, winning the World Cup with England in 1966 and the European Cup with United two years later.

Those triumphs might never have happened, however: In 1958, a plane crash in Munich decimated the “Busby Babes” team, killing eight of Charlton’s young teammates.

Just 20 at the time, he was dragged from the plane by goalkeeper Harry Gregg after suffering head injuries.

It was difficult to process, Sir Bobby writing in his autobiography: “All the time the question came pounding in: ‘Why me, why did I survive?’.”

He and his teammates had won the first division title the year before. Now, many of them were gone.

But he recovered to become United’s leading scorer, with 249 goals, and England’s, too, with 49, his records lasting for 40 years until he was overtaken by Wayne Rooney.

He made 758 appearances for United between 1956 and 1973, playing alongside George Best and Denis Law in the so-called “Trinity”.

He also won three English league titles and one FA Cup with United.

Bobby Charlton was born in Ashington, Northumberland, on 11 October 1937. His father was a coal miner. His older brother Jack initially worked as a miner, too, before also becoming a professional footballer with Leeds United.

Football seems to have run in the family – Sir Bobby’s second cousin, Jackie Milburn, became one of the greatest players in the history of Newcastle United.

After impressing a United scout while playing for East Northumberland Boys on a frozen pitch at Jarrow, the shy 15-year-old quickly impressed at Old Trafford.

Initially signing for the club on New Year’s Day, 1953, he gave up an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer to turn professional in October 1954.

He won the FA Youth Cup in three successive years until 1956, when he made his senior league debut against Charlton Athletic on 6 October, scoring twice in a 4-2 win.

During the 1966 World Cup, he scored a stunning long-range strike in the group-stage win over Mexico and a brace in the semi-final defeat of Eusebio’s Portugal.

A quieter display followed in the final against West Germany, but England triumphed 4-2 after extra-time.

Charlton was named player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball, while he collected the Ballon d’Or and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award in 1966 too.

He made his 106th and final appearance for England in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final defeat to West Germany.

Aged 32, he was substituted after 70 minutes when England were leading 2-1. They went on to lose 3-2 in extra-time.

After leaving United he worked briefly as player-manager at Preston and had a stint in Ireland with Waterford United.

Sir Bobby is survived by his wife Lady Norma and daughters Suzanne and Andrea.

UK

Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

Published

14 mins ago

November 15, 2024

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Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.

Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.

She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”

The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.

In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.

“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”

Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.

UK

Mohamed al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

Published

14 mins ago

November 15, 2024

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Mohamed al Fayed's brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.

Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.

The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.

One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.

Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.

Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.

The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”

The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.

Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.

The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.

A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.

“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”

The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.

One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.

Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

UK

Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Published

14 mins ago

November 15, 2024

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Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.