Seventy-six year old Sir Bobby Robson is a true great of the English game. He has had recurrent problems with cancer for many years and in 2008 he told the world that he had terminal lung cancer.
Defeated
He has defeated cancer on four occasions but the fifth time will eventually beat him. He had bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995, and a tumour in his right lung and a brain tumour, both in 2006. As a result of these four illnesses he was left partially paralysed due to a stroke caused by the brain tumour, and also with a partially prosthetic upper jaw after the melanoma was surgically removed. The fifth diagnosis of cancer came in February 2007and it consisted of cancerous nodules in both lungs, and was diagnosed as terminal.
At that point, Sir Bobby Robson decided to devote the remaining years of his life to helping fight the disease. On 25 March 2008 he launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. By November 2008 the Foundation had raised over £1million and the money funded equipment for the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. Many other projects in the North East of England have also benefited from the Foundation.
Foundation
On Sunday last a game of football was played at Newcastle’s St James’ Park in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Thousands of fans attended the game and a large sum of money should have been raised.
The game was a repeat of the famous World Cup semi-final between Robson’s England and Germany in 1990 which Germany won 4-3 on penalties after the game had finished 1-1.
The England side featured many of the players from that 1990 team and squad including Paul Gascoigne, Peter Shilton, Peter Beardsley, David Platt, Des Walker, Mark Wright, John Barnes and Trevor Steven. They were joined by the likes of Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer and a host of celebrities.
The German side was captained by Lothar Matthaus, who led his country to their 1990 World Cup win.
Honour
Before the game started the players formed a guard of honour which gave fans a chance to show their appreciation of Sir Bobby. The wheelchair bound Robson shook the hand of each and every player and received a well deserved standing ovation. who shook the hand of every player.
In the game itself, Germany took a 2-0 lead but England hit back to win 3-2 with goals from Les Ferdinand, Alan Thompson and perhaps fittingly, a penalty from Alan Shearer.
It is always good to see football giving something back to society and it is also good to see Sir Bobby Robson getting the recognition he deserves. He was a very fine manager who as well as managing the English team managed club sides in England, Holland, Portugal and Spain. He won nine major trophies and succeeded wherever he went.
Passion
His passion, enthusiasm and sheer enjoyment of the game of football are legendary and infectious. It is wonderful to see him still getting involved despite his serious condition and still coming across as such a happy and warm man.
The nature of the man was perhaps best summed up when he announced his diagnosis and prognosis back in 2008.
“My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy. I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute.”
Long may Sir Bobby Robson continue to grace the game of football.
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