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It was as John Shiels, the chief executive of the Manchester United Foundation, was reflecting in his eulogy that in all the time he worked with Sir Bobby Charlton he never once heard him raise his voice or swear when it happened. The sun, reticent up until then on a November day in the north-west, broke through outside a packed Manchester Cathedral and, reflecting off the pipes of the organ, bathed the great man\u2019s final farewell in light.<\/p>\n
\u200cIt was almost like it was meant to be. The great and the good of the game were there to pay homage to the finest English footballer to have laced up a pair of boots. Manchester United legends such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane – on separate sides of the church of course – were in attendance as well as present-day players like Harry Maguire.<\/p>\n
There were notables from further afield too like Emilio Butragueno, representing Real Madrid. The turnout was a reflection of how much Charlton had given to football as a player and an ambassador. With FA president Prince William there, sitting next to Gareth Southgate, it had the guest list of a state funeral, almost, but there was a personal warmth to the service which made it feel intimate.<\/p>\n
\u200cCharlton\u2019s grandson William Balderston spoke endearingly about being nutmegged in the garden by a World Cup winner and sharing his sledge with his grandad in the snow. He talked about Charlton making up and telling incredible \u201cjelly and custardy\u201d stories that would take up whole afternoons.<\/p>\n
JUST IN: <\/strong> Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson leads fitting tributes to Sir Bobby Charlton<\/strong><\/p>\n Most of all, he talked about his kindness. \u201cWhat I\u2019ve always been more inspired by is not his greatness but his goodness,\u201d he reflected.<\/p>\n Shiels, brandishing a ball inside the cathedral, noted that Charlton would often describe it as the best toy ever invented. He recalled the scenario, well after his career had ended, when Charlton would have one at his feet at one of his soccer schools.<\/p>\n \u200c\u201cHe had a different philosophy to the coaching theory,\u201d he said. \u201cTheoretically it should be accuracy over power to finish; Sir Bobby\u2019s philosophy was that whenever you got near goal, just smash it.\u201d<\/p>\n It seemed to work OK for Charlton – 249 goals for United, 49 for England. David Gill, the former United chief executive, preferred another statistic from Charlton\u2019s incredible career. \u201cOnly two bookings and never sent off. To me that says it all – you can be a superstar and a fierce competitor while still being a gentleman,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/67\/590x\/secondary\/Gareth-Southgate-Sir-Bobby-Charlton-funeral-5064327.jpg?r=1699906293679\")
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