Manchester United legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson have paid tribute to Sir Matt Busby, who passed away 20 years ago today.
Sir Matt’s insistence that United should be the first English club to enter the European Cup in the 1956/57 season, against the wishes of the Football League, is one that still resonates for Sir Bobby, who scored twice when the Reds won the trophy for the first time in 1968.
“I can’t believe it is 20 years since Sir Matt Busby passed away” Sir Bobby told ManUtd.com.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about him and what he did for the game.
For all the excitement brought about by the Champions League in its modern format, things might have taken a lot longer to get where they are – and this applies to United as a club as well – had it not been for Sir Matt. “He was the one who saw the way that football was going and he insisted that United and English football had to be involved in it.”
He had to go against the Football League, who said we couldn’t play in it, but he said we could, and just look where it has got us. The best players in the world want to play in the Champions League, and Sir Matt played a huge role in getting it off the ground in the first place.
“That’s just one part of Sir Matt’s great legacy, and he continues to be an enormous figure in the history of this club and this sport. His family still come to the games and he was a truly, truly great man.”
Bryan Robson arrived at Old Trafford in 1981, a decade after Sir Matt retired, but he recalled how the legendary former manager was present in 1993 to see the Reds reclaim the crown of English champions “He was a great man who loved his football. A really nice bloke, but my lasting memory on the football side of things was that he witnessed us winning the title in 1992/93 after so many years.”
That period of time – 26 years – was far too long for Manchester United, a club like ours, to go without winning the title, and to see that smile he had up in the stands when we picked the trophy up, that was a great moment.
ramaboy10
11 years ago
Manchester United legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson have paid tribute to Sir Matt Busby, who passed away 20 years ago today.
Sir Matt’s insistence that United should be the first English club to enter the European Cup in the 1956/57 season, against the wishes of the Football League, is one that still resonates for Sir Bobby, who scored twice when the Reds won the trophy for the first time in 1968.
“I can’t believe it is 20 years since Sir Matt Busby passed away” Sir Bobby told ManUtd.com.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about him and what he did for the game.
For all the excitement brought about by the Champions League in its modern format, things might have taken a lot longer to get where they are – and this applies to United as a club as well – had it not been for Sir Matt. “He was the one who saw the way that football was going and he insisted that United and English football had to be involved in it.”
He had to go against the Football League, who said we couldn’t play in it, but he said we could, and just look where it has got us. The best players in the world want to play in the Champions League, and Sir Matt played a huge role in getting it off the ground in the first place.
“That’s just one part of Sir Matt’s great legacy, and he continues to be an enormous figure in the history of this club and this sport. His family still come to the games and he was a truly, truly great man.”
Bryan Robson arrived at Old Trafford in 1981, a decade after Sir Matt retired, but he recalled how the legendary former manager was present in 1993 to see the Reds reclaim the crown of English champions “He was a great man who loved his football. A really nice bloke, but my lasting memory on the football side of things was that he witnessed us winning the title in 1992/93 after so many years.”
That period of time – 26 years – was far too long for Manchester United, a club like ours, to go without winning the title, and to see that smile he had up in the stands when we picked the trophy up, that was a great moment.