Prince William and Sir Alex Ferguson among thousands paying respect to Sir Bobby Charlton in Manchester
Manchester United called him "one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club" and "a hero to millions".
Monday 13 November 2023 18:48, UK
Crowds applauded Sir Bobby Charlton's hearse as it stopped at Old Trafford - with Manchester United stars past and present gathering for his memorial service.
The football legend and England World Cup winner died aged 86 on 21 October, a few days after falling at his care home.
The Prince of Wales, Sir Alex Ferguson and Gareth Southgate joined current and former players to pay tribute at a service celebrating his life in Manchester Cathedral.
The funeral procession stopped briefly at Old Trafford, where Sir Bobby is immortalised in a statue alongside Denis Law and George Best.
Fans outside the stadium clapped for the club legend, who made 758 appearances and scored 249 goals for the team.
More supporters gathered outside the cathedral to see Sir Bobby's coffin taken into the service.
Former Man United captain Bryan Robson, speaking outside the cathedral, told Sky News that Sir Bobby should be remembered as a "fantastic player and a fantastic person".
Others there included Peter Schmeichel, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Prince William, who is president of the FA, also attended.
However, current Man United manager Erik ten Hag missed the service due to long-standing personal commitments in the Netherlands.
'I'm here because of Bobby'
Sir Alex, who managed Man United to 13 Premier League titles, told Sky News the service for the iconic player was "sombre".
"Personally, for me, I think I'm here because of Bobby Charlton," he said. "Absolutely, no doubt.
"The day we met for the first time and I explained to the board what I wanted to do, Bobby nudged them and said 'that's it'."
Manchester, football and the country say thank you to Bobby
Sir Bobby Charlton's family became used to sharing him with the world during his lifetime.
In saying goodbye, they also welcomed those who revered him.
Inside Manchester Cathedral, those many facets of Sir Bobby's life were on display.
His grandson William Balderston painted a picture of a loving, caring, if competitive, family man, never happier than encouraging and playing sport with youngsters.
John Shiels, representing the Manchester United Foundation, spoke of their travels together and the passion Sir Bobby demonstrated for the lives of the young.
And David Gill, the former Manchester United chief executive, became emotional as he spoke of Sir Bobby's resolve in the face of the tragedy and loss in the Munich air disaster.
"He was a footballer, a superstar but still a gentleman," Gill said.
To see giants from football's distant and recent past alongside royalty - all dwarfed in the 15th century grandeur of the cathedral - was to understand the place Sir Bobby held in the hearts of so many.
The humility, the lack of ego, the generosity of a man so blessed in his football ability was a theme that shone through.
That a Salford-born global superstar in tenor Russell Watson provided the musical glamour with How Great Thou Art was fitting.
"One who was cherished in this city and around the world," said Canon Nigel Ashworth.
To Sir Bobby Charlton, that city, the game of football and a country said goodbye and thank you.
Sir Alex also said Sir Bobby was an "unbelievable" ambassador for football.
Sir Bobby was diagnosed with dementia in November 2020 - the same disease that affected his brother Jack, who died in 2020.
His death last month led to numerous tributes from across the footballing world, both in the UK and around the world.
Manchester United called him "one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club" and "a hero to millions".
He was also one of England's greatest footballers, playing 106 times for his country and scoring 49 goals.
Read more:
One of the great players and forever a gent of English football
Sir Geoff Hurst leads tributes to 'one of the true greats'
Sir Bobby was part of the team that beat West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley.
He was named player of the tournament and won the Ballon d'Or the same year.
The Northumberland-born player was renowned for his humility, discipline and sportsmanship - and was never sent off during his time as an England or Manchester United player.
He won the European Cup, three English league titles as well as the FA Cup.
Early on in his career, he also survived the Munich air disaster that killed 23 people including eight of his teammates.
