Sir Bobby Charlton
Mike Spiers writes : As an excited schoolboy I was in the crowd at Oxford United’s compact and occasionally intimidating Manor Ground in early September 1972 during Bobby Charlton’s (obituary, October 21) last season with Manchester United for a League Cup tie. Manchester United were past their 1968 European Cup peak but their team still contained the likes of George Best and Denis Law as well as the evergreen Charlton.
Manchester United were losing 2-1 with only a few minutes remaining. Summoning up one last burst of energy Charlton surged forward and let fly with a trademark thunderbolt with his right foot from some 30 yards away.
The Oxford goalkeeper, Roy Burton was rooted to the spot as the ball flew past him. The ball hit the metal stanchion at the back of the net and thumped poor Roy on the back of the head before he had time to turn round to see what had hit him. As far as I am aware there is no footage of that moment but it will be seared on my memory for ever.
Brian Scovell writes : As a sports writer I met Sir Bobby several times and the most amusing occasion was in Sofia. England’s team arrived with the press and the porter opened the door of the hotel and said “Welcome Bobby!” I had the same hair style, balding with a quiff in front and I turned round and said “There he is!”
I had a good relationship with the first England manager Sir Walter Winterbottom and he lauded the Brazilian footballers whom he said “have fast muscle”. I asked him “who of your players have it?” He replied: “Only Bobby.” I was at Wembley for the World Cup in 1966 and the European Cup in 1968 and marvelled at his thunderous shooting, aided by fast muscle.
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John Adams writes: Travelling around Peru in early 1971 I was frequently mobbed by local children in Andean villages shouting “gringo” or “Bobby Charlton”. They seemed to think that I might be a personal friend of his. If it got too much I would say “Nobby Stiles” and they soon went away.
Jane Jackson writes : Helping the nurse eight years ago to input computer flu data at the local GP practice, I heard her say to the person who was next in the queue for their vaccine, what a pity it was that Wayne Rooney had just broken their England goalscoring record. I swivelled round from my desk to see a beaming Bobby Charlton with his sleeve rolled up. There was a certain celestial glow about him even in that stark surgery setting which I will never forget.
Lord Teviot
Lord Teviot
DAVID THORPE/NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
Ronel Lehman writes : When Lord Teviot (obituary, October 28) invited me to lunch at the House of Lords in the early 1990s, it reminded me of school dinners. Charles remonstrated with the waitress who was patiently serving us about whether the vegetables were good for him. She replied, “Oh yes, my Lord” and promptly gave him an extra helping of garden peas.
