Charlton - a colossus with no swagger

Dark Savante · 30 Sep 2007, 03:33 PM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../sfnmot115.xml

Sir Bobby Charlton is part of the national furniture. That famous bald head and those firecracker boots, the cultural history of England would be incomplete without them. He has taken his colossal place, quite extraordinarily, in the great and terrible seminal moments in the history of English football. The Munich air crash, England winning the World Cup, Manchester United's first victory in the European Cup, playing alongside George Best, and yet there is not an ounce of swagger in him.

click link and read on.

Might buy his book meself. He's not often rated as he should be by our own fans as he didn't have the charisma of Law or Best, and he's kind of mentioned in that triumverate as a 'given' rather than a player celebrated as an individual from the three.

I'm not even sure you could say Best was better than Charlton, but rather, different and equally brilliant at what he did. But if you read any poll asking who is the best it's always Edwards and Best, with Charlton hardly considered, which is bizarre if you think about it. I've been fortunte enough to see a fair amount of Charlton's games for club and country and have to say he was incredible at what he did and his technique is so understated that it's unreal.

This paragraph: His United career spanned three decades, 1956-1973, and in all that time he never even pulled a hamstring. "I don't know what it feels like. I once had a swollen ankle after kicking a ball at the same time as a lad called Keith Marsden in a City versus United reserve game, but that was it."

is quite breathtaking. How can you not have a single injury through 17 years of playing the game at the highest level??

Thought I'd post it here beings as I had it saved in my favourites for over a week and forgot about it.

Achtung · 30 Sep 2007, 03:55 PM

Link above doesn't seem to work. Try this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../sfnmot115.xml

Achtung · 30 Sep 2007, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Savante

is quite breathtaking. How can you not have a single injury through 17 years of playing the game at the highest level??

Never booked either I believe, although I guess bookings worked differently prior to the introduction of yellow and red cards. Still an amazing accomplishment.

Dark Savante · 30 Sep 2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achtung

Link above doesn't seem to work. Try this:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../sfnmot115.xml

ta

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achtung

Never booked either I believe, although I guess bookings worked differently prior to the introduction of yellow and red cards. Still an amazing accomplishment.

Back in those days you actually had gentlemen on the pitch. Polite chaps with no cynicism, rudeness or cheating/diving in their game. I don't think you see many of those around anymore. Dissent is rife now.

Players like Matthews and Charlton, even Lineker in the 80's were a different breed of player.

TomClare · 30 Sep 2007, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achtung

Never booked either I believe, although I guess bookings worked differently prior to the introduction of yellow and red cards. Still an amazing accomplishment.

He was booked, but only on a couple of occasions.

sherer · 08 Oct 2007, 10:18 AM

my favourite player and a gent on and off the pitch, although i;m still trying to find out what's going on between him and Jack, read they aren't talking at the moment.

Something i'm trying to find is does anyone have season by season stats for Charlton showing starts and goals ?

sdotsom · 10 Oct 2007, 11:38 PM

For some of the old heads:

I was talking to a few old United fans that run the "pub" I watch footy at on Sundays. They were discussing what they thought Bobby Charlton's best position on the pitch was. I wasn't too aware of this, but apparently Charlton played on the left wing for 3 or 4 years at the beginning of the 60's, and one fella was of the belief that it was his best position.

The other guys, and my position as well, was that his role as a playmaker with Crerand in midfield was the best - the glut of his trophies came at that position. I'm basing my opinion of the few games of his I've been able to download/watch.

Any opinions?