SIR ROBERT CHARLTON (11 OCTOBER 1937 – 21 OCTOBER 2023)

 

Born in Ashington, Northumberland

Bobby Charlton played up front

For Manchester United and England

One of the greatest players of all time,

Winning the Ballon d'Or in 1966

And finishing runner up in 67 and 68

Renowned for his attacking instincts,

Passing abilities from midfield,

And ferocious long-range shooting

From both left and right foot,

Along with his fitness, and stamina

A true gentleman of the game

Cautioned only twice in his career

Once against Argentina in 1966

And against Chelsea in Division one

His first-team debut was in 1956

The following year United became

The First Division Champions

February the following year

He survived the Munich air disaster

After being rescued by Harry Gregg

He played 606 games, scoring 199 goals

And for England 106 games 49 goals

During his 17 years with United

He won three division 1 titles

A European Cup in 1968, FA Cup in 1963

And two Charity Shields, and a World Cup

He left Manchester United in 1973

Charlton was one of the United Trinity

Along with George Best and Denis Law

Sir Bobby is an Old Trafford Legend

GENTLEMAN GEORGE THE FLYING FULLBACK - GEORGE COHEN

 

George Reginald Cohen MBE (22 October 1939 – 23 December 2022)

 

George Cohen was a one-club player

Playing 459 games at right back for Fulham

He will also be forever immortalized

For winning the World Cup with England in 1966

In which he played in every minute

Of his country's six games,

For which he was inducted into

The English Football Hall of Fame 

England Manager, Sir Alf Ramsey

Unequivocally called Cohen

“England's greatest right-back”,

While Manchester United winger

George Best, claimed he was

“The best full-back I ever played against”.

His life was not all glory however

He had more than his fair share of illness and injury

And personal tragedy in his life  

But he was a true English sporting hero

BACK IN 1966

 

Back in 1966

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

We all began to cry

BACK IN 66

 

Back in 66

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

It made every Scotsman cry

THE SIXTIES

 

The sixties, what a decade

I was only five, when in 1960

The Beatles hit the scene

And the following year

JFK took office as President

In 1962 a very significant appointment,

That of Alf Ramsey as England Manager,

Who brought us the Wingless Wonders.

The reborn Manchester United

Rising phoenix like from the ashes of Munich

Won the FA Cup in 1963.

In 1964 I held hands with Carole Duffy,

A very wonderful event at the time,

1965 saw United win the League title

And the mini skirt first appeared

The latter was less significant when I was 10

Then in 66 England won the world cup

(And yes, the ball did cross the line)

United won the League again the following year

And then fulfilling the dream,

So cruelly crushed 10 years before,

Manchester United won the European cup in 1968.

1969 was famously the year

That Linda McMahon first kissed me

Oh, and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

For me it was a decade of dreams coming true

A time when I thought life just couldn’t get any better

And I was right, because then came the 70s

BACK IN 66

 

Back in 66

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

It made every Scotsman cry

BACK IN 1966

 

Back in 1966

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

We all began to cry

BACK IN 66

Back in 66

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

It made every Scotsman cry

BACK IN 1966

 

Back in 1966

When I was just a boy

I was full of pride

Watching Nobby’s jig of joy

And when Bobby Moore

Was raised shoulder high

Holding the World Cup

We all began to cry

WINGLESS WONDERS

 

 

Wingless wonders they were named
As world cup winners they are famed
Gordon Banks, played in the goal
For Bobby Moore, the captain’s role
Cohen and Wilson at the back
The Charlton brothers, Bob and Jack
Martin Peters and Alan Ball
Nobby Stiles stood ten feet tall
Roger Hunt scores when he can
And Geoff Hurst the hat trick man
Sir Alf Ramsey teamed them up
And in 66 they won the cup

1966

 

Crossed from the wing
By Alan Ball
He picks out Hurst
Who's standing tall
He takes control
A turn and shot
Its hit the bar
Was it in or not?
It crashes down
Onto the line
Has it crossed?
It must this time
It's not a goal
The Germans say
Where's the ref
He's gone away
He even asks
The linesman too
He nods his head
England three - two
I have regrets
About that day
We did not win fare
The Germans say
Nearly forty
Years of doubt
Was the ball in?
Or was the ball out
But if Hunt had only
Knocked it in
We would not have
All the arguing

WINGLESS WONDERS

Wingless wonders they were named

As world cup winners they are famed

Gordon Banks, played in the goal

For Bobby Moore, the captain’s role

Cohen and Wilson at the back

The Charlton brothers, Bob and Jack

Martin Peters and Alan Ball

Nobby Stiles stood ten feet tall

Roger Hunt scores when he can

And Geoff Hurst the hat trick man

Sir Alf Ramsey teamed them up

And in 66 they won the cup