Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria (15/10/2024)

But that does not mean that we fail to admire the skills and achievements of our opponents. Bobby Charlton, who died last year aged 86, was the most successful player ever to represent England. He won everything. With Manchester United he won the Football League Championship, the FA Cup and the European Cup. With England he won the World Cup. What a champion! Bobby Charlton faced Northern Ireland for the first time on 4 October 1958. I was a wee boy in the crowd that rainy afternoon shouting myself hoarse. I do not remember much about the match, but I do remember my elation at Wilbur Cush’s opening goal being crushed when Charlton sent a thunderbolt shot whistling past his Manchester United team-mate Harry Gregg. Ironically just eight months earlier Gregg had hauled the stunned and shocked Charlton from the wreckage of the plane in the aftermath of the Munich air disaster. In the second half England were losing 3-2 when Charlton scored again to save their blushes. Charlton was an out and out centre forward early in his career, but all that changed along with the fortunes of the England team when manager Alf Ramsey decided to move him into midfield. The first experiment in this new formation took place at Windsor Park in 1964. I was on the terraces that afternoon watching England score four in the first half and our lads replying with three in the second. Ramsey famously recalled that game as the one in which Charlton came of age as a midfielder. He told media: “Bobby looked up and became a great player.” Who could argue with this conclusion? Two years later England were crowned world champions. But a new era had also dawned for Northern Ireland that afternoon.

The great team of 1958 was being replaced by younger players of quality. Harry Gregg’s yellow goalkeeper jersey was now occupied by a giant lad from Newry with huge hands called Pat Jennings. Billy Bingham’s number seven jersey was being pulled on by a skinny boy from Cregagh called George Best. Team-mates at Manchester United, Best and Charlton had great respect for each other as players, but they had totally different temperaments. This was demonstrated to me when I spent the summer of 1971 working in London during the college summer holidays. That August I was part of a huge crowd at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground for the visit of Manchester United. The game was a thriller with both teams at their peak. In the first half George was sent off for arguing too vigorously with the referee. I do not excuse him for losing his head, but it is important to realise that our wayward genius received dreadfully rough ‘treatment’ from defenders and that in those days referees tended to be lenient with ‘over-enthusiastic’ tackles. Charlton, ever the cool head, steadied the ship and the 10 men ran out winners by three goals to two. It is surely significant that Charlton retired from football never having received a red card. Bobby Charlton faced Northern Ireland for the last time at Wembley in April 1970. He scored England’s third in a 3-1 win. Bestie scored our goal. In total Bobby faced us 12 times and scored six goals. His recent passing has enabled us old timers to look back with nostalgia to the old days. Will they ever be equalled?

IRISHFA.COM

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