Bobby Charlton is Manchester United through and through. One of the original Busby Babes; he has devoted his career to the club, playing in 754 games over 17 years, and winning everything the game had to offer. He played alongside some of the greats such as Best and Law, suffered devastating defeats and was involved in one of the greatest soccer tragedies of all time. Here
Bobby Charlton is Manchester United through and through. One of the original Busby Babes; he has devoted his career to the club, playing in 754 games over 17 years, and winning everything the game had to offer. He played alongside some of the greats such as Best and Law, suffered devastating defeats and was involved in one of the greatest soccer tragedies of all time. Here, for the very first time, he tells the story of those United years, how he tasted FA Cup victory in the emotional final of 1963, won three First Division championships and in 1968 reached the pinnacle of club success—winning the European Cup. Inevitably, such highs are balanced with no less dramatic lows, such as the 1957 European Cup semi-final, the highly charged 1958 FA Cup loss which followed only weeks after the Munich Air disaster, and the 1969 European Cup defeat by Milan. The legacy that Bobby Charlton gives to United is beyond compare.
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Paperback
,
437 pages
Published
May 29th 2008
by Headline Book Publishing
(first published January 1st 2007)
Sir Bobby Charlton: "Don't you have a camera?"
Me: *stammering* "Er....I have it somewhere...." (searching in panic for my friend who had the bloody cam but nowhere to be seen)
*picture finally taken, thanks to another friend who used his cell phone*
Me: "thanks a lot Sir, an honor to meet you...."
*hurriedly ushered away by the super paranoid/inflexible security officer*
*but….shaking with joy*
That's my once in a lifetime experience meeting with this legend. I
17 January 2006. Man Utd cafe, Jakarta.
Sir Bobby Charlton: "Don't you have a camera?"
Me: *stammering* "Er....I have it somewhere...." (searching in panic for my friend who had the bloody cam but nowhere to be seen)
*picture finally taken, thanks to another friend who used his cell phone*
Me: "thanks a lot Sir, an honor to meet you...."
*hurriedly ushered away by the super paranoid/inflexible security officer*
*but….shaking with joy*
That's my once in a lifetime experience meeting with this legend. I was definitely starstruck and in awe. It's frickin' Bobby Charlton, man! The Munich survivor, one of the Big Three players who helped United won the European Cup, and one of the most renowned legends ever walked on the green pitch of Old Trafford.
That’s why I was so excited when I finally got a hold of this book (I love you, Bookmooch!). It does not disappoint me at all. Compared with the brutal (yet honest and well written) personal account from Roy Keane that I read earlier this year (
Keane: The Autobiography
), this book offers a more diplomatic account on a footballer who had played in every stage of competition, club and country. He seems to be really a nice guy, Sir Bobby. It seems that he had good things to say about everyone – no matter if they just spent a minor time in United. Even the only person he publicly ‘criticized’ in this book for bashing his wife, namely his brother Jack, was still showered with praises.
I love the way he described his apprenticeship under Jimmy Murphy, the right hand of Sir Matt Busby. It’s almost like I was there beside him since he gave quite an extensive explanation on Murphy's teaching.
I also like the historical accounts on how football (and football business e.g. player's salary) evolved in those days. He also made references and comparisons with the today’s system, so it’s more understandable.
Not much funny stuff one can find here, but there were indeed several parts in the book that made me laughed. Like for instance his friendship with the accident-prone Nobby Stiles. Stiles never said good morning to his teammates. Instead, he reported a disaster with this sentence: "You’ll never believe what I did this morning..."
The Munich chapters are haunting. Especially the first chapter. My goodness. It gave me the chills when he recited those horrifying moments in the slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem airport. No one screamed when the crash happened, he recalled. The Old Man was covered with blood, looking ghastly pale and Sir Bobby covered him with his jacket while still suffering from concussion. *shudders*
All in all, this is a must-read autobiography for all enthusiasts of English football, not just ManUtd fans. You can learn so much, not just the stories of other legends like Duncan Edwards, Georgie Best and Denis Law, but you’ll get to see what it's like to be in Bobby Charlton's shoes.
PS: Paul Scholes is his ideal footballer. AMC solidarity? ;p
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My very earliest Manchester United memories go back into the mists of my time. Holding onto my father's hand being led through the crowds at Old Trafford. Passing the Munich memorial, smelling the liniment. Through the spine of the side I first watched, were the survivors from the '58 team.
Harry Gregg in goal. Shay Brennan at full back. Billy Foulkes in central defence. Dennis Viollet in attack, and Bobby Charlton playing on the wing. Through the decade of the sixties, through my early teen year
My very earliest Manchester United memories go back into the mists of my time. Holding onto my father's hand being led through the crowds at Old Trafford. Passing the Munich memorial, smelling the liniment. Through the spine of the side I first watched, were the survivors from the '58 team.
Harry Gregg in goal. Shay Brennan at full back. Billy Foulkes in central defence. Dennis Viollet in attack, and Bobby Charlton playing on the wing. Through the decade of the sixties, through my early teen years, when I could let go of dad's hand, my paper round wages largely financed my following of this team, home and away.
Many of the names mentioned in Bobby's autobiography, even the legends that were in the game before him, I saw play. Sir Stanley Mathews in the red and white stripes of Stoke City. Bert Trautmann in goal for Manchester City. The Spurs double winning side of '62. Alfredo di Stefano and Francisco Gento of Real Madrid. I delivered papers to Charlie Mitten.
So many memories are revived, reading this excellent autobiography. The team of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law were my gods through my early teen years, and many of the great games that Bobby recollects in this book I can recall, because I was there.
Putting my bias aside, the great man has produced a superb memoir of this golden time. Written with the help of sports journalist James Lawton, here is one of the better books in this genre.
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Very hard for a lifelong Liverpool fan to give this five stars but the book deserves it for its insights, honesty and for documenting so vividly the apprenticeship and career of a truly great footballer. Nothing like the cliched, anodyne rubbish that is usually served up as footballing autobiography.
Sir Bobby Charlton, it is his autobiography (which he does in two parts, one United and one England). It was a long awaited release. He goes back through his life, childhood, playing for United and speaks about modern day United and his love of a certain Paul Scholes in particular. It was such an incredible read and interesting to get a personal account of the man who seen it all in the brilliant and devastating times of Manchester United. The part about Munich is incredibly sad. Every United an
Sir Bobby Charlton, it is his autobiography (which he does in two parts, one United and one England). It was a long awaited release. He goes back through his life, childhood, playing for United and speaks about modern day United and his love of a certain Paul Scholes in particular. It was such an incredible read and interesting to get a personal account of the man who seen it all in the brilliant and devastating times of Manchester United. The part about Munich is incredibly sad. Every United and indeed football fan would love this book. Bobby really does tell a great story and he is the very essence of the club itself. It is the way it is written too that makes this so strong, a real read unlike too many football books especially autobiographies.
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Great book, written by one of the true gentlemen of the game. Sir Bobby talks honestly about his life in football both as a player, manager and director - from the high points of the 1966 World Cup victory and the 1968 European Cup win over Benfica (in which he scored twice) - to the horrifying tragedy of the Munich air disaster of 1958, and the real sadness you sense when Sir Bobby talks about the demise of his friend, George Best.
I found this book a little jumpy at times in terms of dates (in
Great book, written by one of the true gentlemen of the game. Sir Bobby talks honestly about his life in football both as a player, manager and director - from the high points of the 1966 World Cup victory and the 1968 European Cup win over Benfica (in which he scored twice) - to the horrifying tragedy of the Munich air disaster of 1958, and the real sadness you sense when Sir Bobby talks about the demise of his friend, George Best.
I found this book a little jumpy at times in terms of dates (in one section it would jump from 1958 to 1974 back to 1958 in the same sentence) but a fantastic read nonetheless. Would certainly recommend to any fan of both Manchester United and England.
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No wonder Sir Bobby is a football "ambassador". He's got well honed political skills after serving on the United board for over a quarter of a century and representing English football on the biggest stages. Therefore, this book is a very "diplimatic" account of life at Old Trafford. The only time he opens up is to defend his wife's honour after comments made in another book by his older brother Jack. That sequence and his vivid and poignant account of the aftermath of the Munich disaster saves
No wonder Sir Bobby is a football "ambassador". He's got well honed political skills after serving on the United board for over a quarter of a century and representing English football on the biggest stages. Therefore, this book is a very "diplimatic" account of life at Old Trafford. The only time he opens up is to defend his wife's honour after comments made in another book by his older brother Jack. That sequence and his vivid and poignant account of the aftermath of the Munich disaster saves this book from being a run-of-the-mill football autobiography.
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Mindegy, hogy szereted-e a labdarúgást vagy a Manchester Unitedot a bevezető és az, ahogyan a müncheni tragédiáról ír ezen a néhány oldalon át nagyon hatásos. Teljesen egyetértek avval az állítással, ami a könyv hátulján olvasható: "They are the most powerful pages ever written in a football book."
Egy jól megírt bevezető. Ennyi kellett ahhoz, hogy felejthetetlenné váljon ez a könyv.
A fantastic football biog in which one of the game's great gentlemen tries to make sense of his survival from the Munich air disaster and uses a natural footballing ability, augmented by hard graft and the outstanding coaching of the legendary Jimmy Murphy, to rebuild Manchester United for The Old Man, Sir Matt Busby. Even Man U-detractors (like me) will like this book.
For anyone who grew up in the sixties glory days of English football this is an essential read. Bobby Charlton is still agreat ambassador for the game and remains one of only two English players to have won a European Cup and World Cup winners medal.
The passages about the Munich air crash are very poignant and excellently written.
A must read for any United supporter. Sir Bobby is a person inseparably connected with this club, a legend and one of the best footballers playing for the Red Devils. His autobiopgraphy is a great inside view of the club's matters and history. Very modest, very honest and with a light humour is a read any football fan can enjoy.
A great read! Epitomizes the spirit of football itself. Sir Bobby Charlton is a great example of a player who ensured the game always stood at the top, not a person. Salute to one of the greats, and the Busby years. Enchanting book, one for anybody who has ever watched, played or discussed football.
Great insight into a footballer's life, particularly a legend who worked with other legends. Definitely for the football fan, even more so a Man United fan. Well written sports book.
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot.
He began to play for
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot.
He began to play for United's first team in 1956, and over the next two seasons gained a regular place in the team, during which time he survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. After helping United to win the Football League in 1965, he won a World Cup medal with England in 1966 and another Football League title with United the following year. In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup, scoring two goals in the final to help his team be the first English side to win the competition. He has scored more goals for England and United than any other player. He had made more appearances for Manchester United than any other player (758), a record superseded by Ryan Giggs at the Champions League Final in Moscow on 21 May 2008. Charlton is considered by many to be one of the greatest English players of all time.
At the time of his retirement from the England team in 1970, he was the nation's most capped player, having turned out 106 times at the highest level. This record has since been eclipsed by Bobby Moore, Peter Shilton and then David Beckham.
He left Manchester United in 1973, becoming player-manager of Preston North End, but decided management was not for him and left after one season. After assuming the post of the director at Wigan Athletic F.C. for some time, he became a member of Manchester United's board of directors in 1984 and remains one as of May 2009. He set goalscoring records for both the England team and Manchester United, with both records remaining intact some 35 years after the end of his playing career. He was knighted in 1994.
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“In the sweep of its appeal, its ability to touch every corner of humanity, football is the only game that needed to be invented.”
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“The eccentric passion of Shankly was underlined for me by my England team-mate Roger Hunt's version of the classic tale of the Liverpool manager's pre-game talk before playing Manchester United. The story has probably been told a thousand times in and out of football, and each time you hear it there are different details, but when Roger told it the occasion was still fresh in his mind and I've always believed it to be the definitive account. It was later on the same day, as Roger and I travelled together to report for England duty, after we had played our bruising match at Anfield. Ian St John had scored the winner, then squared up to Denis Law, with Nobby finally sealing the mood of the afternoon by giving the Kop the 'V' sign. After settling down in our railway carriage, Roger said, 'You may have lost today, but you would have been pleased with yourself before the game. Shanks mentioned you in the team talk. When he says anything positive about the opposition, normally he never singles out players.' According to Roger, Shankly burst into the dressing room in his usual aggressive style and said, 'We're playing Manchester United this afternoon, and really it's an insult that we have to let them on to our field because we are superior to them in every department, but they are in the league so I suppose we have to play them. In goal Dunne is hopeless- he never knows where he is going. At right back Brennan is a straw- any wind will blow him over. Foulkes the centre half kicks the ball anywhere. On the left Tony Dunne is fast but he only has one foot. Crerand couldn't beat a tortoise. It's true David Herd has got a fantastic shot, but if Ronnie Yeats can point him in the right direction he's likely to score for us. So there you are, Manchester United, useless...'
Apparently it was at this point the Liverpool winger Ian Callaghan, who was never known to whisper a single word on such occasions, asked, 'What about Best, Law and Charlton, boss?'
Shankly paused, narrowed his eyes, and said, 'What are you saying to me, Callaghan? I hope you're not saying we cannot play three men.”
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