Since his death on Friday, Jack Charlton is being remembered fondly through a multitude of anecdotes told by former teammates, friends and players who he managed.
For one, there was Mark Lawrenson’s tale about Jack not being too happy about a trip to Gibney’s pub in Dublin but to really understand Jack’s, shall we say, occasional quirks, there’s no better storyteller than the man himself.
Sky Sports presenter David Jones has dusted off a 2009 clip from the channel’s Time of Our Lives series, which features Jack recalling his playing days at Leeds United. It’s well established that the former Ireland manager had a fairly frosty relationship with his brother and fellow 1966 World Cup winner Bobby but the older sibling’s story depicts a somewhat more playful relationship between the two – even if that playfulness is slightly one-sided.
The story begins in 1965, when Jack’s Leeds side had just beaten Bobby’s Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. Enjoying a post-match beer in the Leeds dressing room, Jack is told by manager Don Revie that he’s been selected to play for England for the first time. Excited, the then 29-year-old northerner decides that he better go and tell “our kid.” At which point, he marches down the corridor to the Manchester United dressing room, seeks out a not-so-excited Bobby and delivers his news to his “kidda”.
Of course, having just been knocked out of the FA Cup, Bobby struggles to share Jack’s enthusiasm. We’ll let the man himself take up the story in the clip below…
Lovely this from the great Jack Charlton if you haven’t seen it. pic.twitter.com/3mdz30Xvvy
— DAVID JONES (@DavidJonesSky) July 16, 2020
Brotherly love, wha? A well-documented rift between the pair has played out over several years but Jack was on hand to present Bobby with a lifetime achievement award at the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Choking up as he tells of his admiration for his sibling, you might do so as well when you look at the clip below…
This clip of Jack Charlton paying tribute to his brother Bobby at Sports Personality of The Year… and then Bobby’s bowed head in response… is beautiful pic.twitter.com/JyhR1pn005
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) July 11, 2020
“He’s my brother.”
Jack was the oldest of four Charlton boys with Bobby, Gordon and Tommy following him into the family home in Ashington, Northumberland. The three men are expected to pay respects to their older brother when his funeral takes place some time in the coming weeks.
There’s bound to be a few smiles raised as they remember Jack‘s cheeky demeanor.
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