Comments
There are no comments.
Add Comments
Manchester United great Bobby Charlton said he felt proud as the south stand at Old Trafford was renamed in his honour yesterday. A key member of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup, Charlton scored a club record 249 goals in 758 appearances for United from 1956 to 1973.
The newly renamed stand was unveiled before United’s 1-0 Premier League win at home to Everton yesterday. Charlton, 78, appeared visibly moved as he received a huge ovation from fans when he took the field alongside his wife as the sign above the stand bearing the words the ‘Sir Bobby Charlton Stand’ in big red letters was revealed to the crowd.
“This is a great honour and I am very proud for myself and my family,” said Charlton. “Manchester United has been such an important part of my life and I have so many wonderful memories of this ‘Theatre of Dreams’.”
Widely regarded as one of world football’s best attacking midfielders, Charlton helped United win three domestic league titles, the FA Cup and the club’s first European Cup trophy in 1968. United’s defeat of Portuguese giants Benfica in a final at London’s Wembley stadium was especially poignant for Charlton and then manager Matt Busby as they were both among the survivors from the 1958 Munich air disaster that killed 23 people, including eight United players, as they returned from a European tie.
One of the most respected figures in English football, Charlton also served as a United director after his playing days were over.
He was instrumental in United’s decision to hire and then retain legendary manager Alex Ferguson, who needed several years to win the first of 28 trophies he eventually brought to Old Trafford.
“The great attribute of Bobby—and it’s a great example to anybody who has been successful—is how he has kept his feet on the ground and retained his humility all his life,” Ferguson told MUTV, the club’s in-house television station.
Yesterday’s match also served to mark the 60th anniversary of Charlton’s United debut, which saw him score twice in a 4-2 win over Charlton Athletic.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
