Old Trafford pays tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester derby

Further tributes were paid to Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Manchester United’s derby with Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday. A minute’s applause was held prior to kick-off with both teams, who were wearing black armbands, joined by a group of former players from each club in the centre of the field. In the Stretford End, supporters unfurled a banner which depicted Charlton holding aloft the European Cup in 1968 alongside a message which read “the finest English footballer the world has ever seen”. Fans in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand held up cards to form a mosaic reading “Sir Bobby”. Charlton, one of the most distinguished players the English game has ever produced and a United great, died last weekend at the age of 86. Charlton’s achievements included winning the World Cup with England and helping United claim the European Cup, as well as setting club and country goalscoring records that stood for decades after his retirement. As they have throughout the week, fans continued to lay flowers and scarves by the United Trinity statue, which depicts Charlton alongside team-mates George Best and Denis Law, outside the ground. The matchday programme featured 28 pages of tributes, including a eulogy from former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The ex-United players involved in the on-field tributes were Brian Kidd, Alex Stepney, Paddy Crerand and John Aston with Mike Summerbee and Tony Book representing City. Read More Aston Villa breeze past Luton to register 12th straight Premier League home win Joao Palhinha’s stunning strike snatches Fulham a point at Brighton ‘That one was for Bill’ – Everton dedicate victory at West Ham to Bill Kenwright