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Bobby Charlton, The Manchester United And England Soccer Great, Dies At 86

Published

11 months ago

2023-10-21

MANCHESTER, England — Bobby Charlton, an English football legend instrumental in his country’s 1966 World Cup victory, was saved from a plane accident that destroyed a Manchester United squad destined for greatness. Charlton has since passed away. At the time, he was 86.

In a statement from Charlton’s family, United stated that he passed away on Saturday while in the company of his loved ones.

Charlton, an exceptionally talented midfielder with a ferocious strike, surpassed Wayne Rooney as the all-time leading scorer for over four decades for Manchester United (249 goals) and England (49 goals).

United stated, “Not only in Manchester or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played in the world, Sir Bobby was a hero to millions.”

“In addition to his exceptional football prowess, his sportsmanship and integrity garnered enormous admiration; Sir Bobby will perpetually be commemorated as a footballing titan.”

Before Charlton’s passing, Alex Ferguson, United’s manager from 1986 to 2013, proclaimed him “the greatest Manchester United player of all time,” which is a statement that goes without stating.

“Bobby Charlton is without any comparison in the annals of English football history,” stated Ferguson.

Additionally, Charlton was esteemed for his modesty, self-control, and fair play. He was never dismissed in 758 appearances for United between 1956 and 1973 and 106 internationals for England between 1958 and 1970.

Charlton, along with George Best and Denis Law, was a member of the renowned “Trinity” that guided Manchester United to the 1968 European Cup following their survival of the 1958 Munich accident that claimed the lives of the renowned “Busby Babes” squad. At United, he won three English league championships and one FA Cup.

“He displayed an unprecedented blend of grace, strength, and accuracy for a footballer,” said Bill Foulkes, a former United defender and fellow survivor of the Munich air disaster.

“What ensued was not only greatness but also an additional quality that I can only describe as beauty.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarded Charlton as a “football legend whose influence pervaded generations.” According to Manchester United legend David Beckham, Charlton was “truly a national hero.” Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of Britain, referred to him as “one of the game’s greatest players.”

Before September 2015, when Wayne Rooney scored his 50th goal for the national team, Charlton held the England scoring record. Charlton, who played every minute for England in the 1966 World Cup, scored three of the team’s four goals. In particular, he distinguished himself in the semifinals against Portugal by securing two goals to propel England to its first major final.

The final result was England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany following extra time.

While Ryan Giggs surpassed Charlton’s record for most appearances for United in 2008, his club scoring streak persisted for an additional nine years. Rooney scored his 250th goal for United in 2017, forty-four years after Charlton last donned the renowned red jersey of England’s most successful club.

Following his retirement in 1973, Charlton entered the coaching profession and established a junior program in which Beckham participated.

Charlton reinstated Ferguson as United’s director in 1984, following brief tenures at Preston, Wigan, and Irish club Waterford. In 1986, he convinced the board to appoint Ferguson, who oversaw the club for nearly 27 years and won 38 trophies.

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, Charlton remains a fixture at Old Trafford, where he is commemorated alongside Best and Law on a statue outside United’s stadium.

Charlton averted the controversies and diversions that harmed Best’s career; his reputation transcended the tribalism of club and international football due to his distinctive style and demeanor.

“In a 2001 magazine interview, I felt he could be a bit aloof,” the late Best stated. “We never engaged in a dispute; rather, we abstained from sharing a pint together.”

Charlton was identified as having been diagnosed with dementia in November 2020. This condition claimed the lives of his sibling Jack (who passed away in 2020 at the age of 85) and another World Cup champion, Nobby Stiles.

Geoff Hurst, who achieved a hat trick in the 1966 final, is the sole surviving member of that England squad due to Charlton’s demise.

“Neither will all of football forget him, nor will we,” Hurst said of Charlton on X, formerly Twitter. “Beyond the realm of sports, he will be sorely missed by the nation as a tremendous colleague and friend.”

Robert Charlton, born in the coal-mining town of Ashington, northeast England, on October 11, 1937, displayed his aptitude at an early age.

“Around the age of five, we realised Bobby was going to be a bit special as a player,” his older brother Jack explained. “Whenever he attempted to kick a tennis ball or football against a wall, the rebound clung to him like a magnet.”

Charlton documented 2007 that his family occasionally subsisted on illicitly procured salmon or rabbit for sustenance, whereas his father, also named Robert, procured and sold coal that had washed up on nearby coastlines to supplement his earnings.

Due to his father’s dedication to his mining colleagues, he could not witness Charlton score both goals in the 1966 World Cup semifinal against Portugal. This was because he wanted to avoid requiring another individual to fill in for him in the mine. Nonetheless, his attendance at the championship match was confirmed when the Charlton brothers hoisted the trophy.

After leaving school at 15, Charlton embarked on his professional debut in Manchester, a distant location, three years later, against Charlton in 1956.

A tragic event occurred in the tightly bound squad of United players, whose bond was established during their arduous training period within two years. While the group was still rejoicing in victory at Red Star Belgrade and securing a spot in the semifinals of the European Cup, their aircraft caught fire during its third attempt to take off in heavy snow following a refueling halt in Germany.

Charlton, remarkably escaping the charred wreckage with only minor head injuries, made his way to assist survivors by sifting through the debris. As soon as Charlton noticed manager Matt Busby sobbing uncontrollably on the smoke-engulfed runway, he raced to assist the mentor who had elevated him to the first team.

However, eight members of the 23-manageable “Busby Babes” team, filled with promising individuals, perished. At 21, Duncan Edwards was regarded as one of the most talented athletes in England.

“At times, the knowledge that I walked away and discovered so much fills me with dreadful ire, regret, melancholy, and guilt,” Charlton wrote in 2007.

Charlton, motivated by an enduring duty to honor the recollections of the Munich victims, resumed competition in less than four weeks and assisted a hastily constructed squad consisting of survivors and substitutes in reaching the FA Cup final of that season.

Busby reconstructed his squad around Charlton, adding the English league championships won in 1957, 1965, and 1967.

Charlton stated, “There was always one great hope: the return to greatness of my beloved club.”

1968 marked the pinnacle of his club tenure, with Manchester United becoming the first English club to win the European Championship. Charlton defeated Benfica 4-1 in extra time, with two goals from the club, including the legendary Eusebio of Portugal.

However, Charlton is best recognized for participating in the World Cup-winning England squad. It continues to be the sole national championship won by England in men’s football.

A dispute arose between Charlton and his brother due to Jack’s public claim that Bobby’s wife caused his estrangement from his mother. Jack, however, presented Bobby with a lifetime achievement trophy at the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award after the two reconciled.

Bobby Charlton stated, “We have had our public disputes, which demonstrates that discord can sometimes disrupt the force of love and blood in any family, but I never lost the sense of awe and gratitude that we were together in 1966 on such a momentous occasion in the history of our country’s sport.”

In the final years of his existence, Charlton was seldom observed in public due to his dementia diagnosis. However, he was never forgotten.

After receiving the diagnosis, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford wrote of Charlton, “From day one, he embodied everything I aspired to be.” “Talented, courteous, professional, and caring.”

Phil Neville, an additional former Manchester United player, stated that Charlton deserved to be considered a football great alongside Pele, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi due to his accomplishments and how he accomplished them.

“He is on par with those other athletes,” Neville said on NBC on Saturday.

His wife, Norma, whom he married in 1961, and his two daughters survived him.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Canadian Man Arrested for TikTok Video That Threatened Trudeau

Published

8 hours ago

2024-09-07

Geoff Thomas

Marshall is facing two counts of uttering threats - CBC Image

A TikTok video that went live earlier this week has led to a Toronto man facing charges of threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Andrew Marshall, 61, is facing two counts of uttering threats.

On Friday afternoon, the Ontario Court of Justice granted him bail with a surety and restrictions after the RCMP charged him on Wednesday.

Following Monday’s upload to TikTok, CBC Toronto conducted its own independent investigation of the video. Marshall vehemently opposes what he perceives as restrictions on free expression in Canada in it.

“I get them taken down all the time— I make videos — or all my comments, that are just simple comments,” Marsh says in the TikTok. “It’s just getting ridiculous, Marshall said.”

According to the CBC more and more people are threatening politicians. The commissioner of the RCMP has hinted that further measures may be necessary to ensure their safety.

In the TikTok video, Marshall explains in great detail how he would brutally assassinate Trudeau and Freeland “if it was up to him.”

Marshall attacks multiple groups throughout the roughly 11-minute TikTok video, including the media, Muslims, migrants, and the police who defend the government.

Among Marshall’s bail terms are the following: he must not communicate with Trudeau or Freeland; he must not use the internet to make social media posts or comments; he must not own any weapons; and he must not apply for a firearms permit.

During the bail hearing, the prosecution provided all of the evidence that is often not published.

Nate Jackson, Marshall’s attorney, stressed his client’s liberties and privileges as a Canadian in an email message.

“He has the right to freedom of speech, the right to reasonable bail and the right to a fair trial,” he said. “Having secured his release from custody, we will continue to defend Mr. Marshall’s Charter rights as his case proceeds.”

Neither Freeland’s nor the prime minister’s office would comment on the allegations, according to the CBC.

TikTok Says Cyberattack Targeted CNN And Other ‘High-Profile Accounts’

TikTok Says Cyberattack Targeted CNN And Other ‘High-Profile Accounts’

News

Canada’s Unemployment Rate Hits its Highest Point Since 2017

Published

8 hours ago

2024-09-07

Geoff Thomas

Canada's unemployment rate rose to 6.6 per cent in August - FIle Image

As the job market remains dismal, the national unemployment rate in Canada has risen to its highest point since 2017. This has led some analysts to question whether the Bank of Canada should be reducing interest rates more quickly.

In spite of a net gain of 22,000 jobs, Statistics Canada reported on Friday that the unemployment rate increased to 6.6% from 6.4% the previous month. The rise was due to an uptick in part-time employment and a fall in full-time employment.

Outside of the pandemic years, the national unemployment rate has reached its highest position since May 2017, according to StatCan.

Rapid population expansion in Canada has increased the overall labour pool, but the country’s unemployment rate has persisted in rising.

The summer job market was especially tough for students, according to StatCan. Not including the pandemic, the unemployment rate among students going back to school in the autumn was 16.7 percent, which is the highest level since 2012.

Two days after the Bank of Canada dropped interest rates for the third time in a row, reducing borrowing costs to alleviate economic pressure, the most recent reading of the Canadian job market follows suit.

According to TD Bank economist Leslie Preston, who wrote a note on Friday, the central bank is “giving the OK” to keep dropping rates due to the bad August jobs report. Preston predicts two more quarter-point decreases at the remaining decisions this year.

According to CIBC senior economist Andrew Grantham, there are indications that the labour market is quickly contracting more than initially thought, since the unemployment rate is nearly two percentage points greater than the record low of 4.9% in June 2022.

“Due to this, we believe the Bank should be contemplating a quicker rate of reductions in order to bring interest rates to less restrictive levels,” he informed clients in a letter on Friday morning.

Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years

Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years

News

US Job Growth Falls Short of Expectations: Economy Struggles Under High Interest Rates

Published

1 day ago

2024-09-06

Salman Ahmad

US Job Growth Falls Short of Expectations: Economy Struggles Under High Interest Rates

Last month, job growth in the United States was weaker than predicted, prompting concerns that the world’s largest economy is beginning to struggle under the weight of increased interest rates.

The Labour Department said that employers added 142,000 jobs in August, which was less than the nearly 160,000 economists predicted. It also stated that job gains over the preceding two months were weaker than expected.

However, the jobless rate went down to 4.2%, down from 4.3% in July.

The report is one of the most important indicators of the US economy and arrives at a vital time, as voters consider presidential candidates for the November election and the US central bank contemplates its first interest rate decrease in four years.

Analysts said the latest statistics kept the Federal Reserve on pace for a rate drop at its meeting this month, but did little to answer worries about the trajectory of the US economy or how much of a cut it should make.

“There has rarely been such a make-or-break number; unfortunately, today’s jobs report does not completely resolve the recession debate,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.

Soaring prices in 2022 caused the Federal Reserve to hike its key lending rate to 5.3%, a nearly 20-year high.

Faced with increased borrowing costs for homes, vehicles, and other debt, the economy has slowed, helping to alleviate pressures that were boosting inflation but exacerbating market concerns.

As inflation has fallen to 2.9% in July, the Fed is under pressure to decrease interest rates to prevent additional economic deceleration.

Although job increases in August fell short of expectations, they were greater than in July, when a slowdown aroused anxieties and triggered several days of stock market volatility.

Last month, construction and health-care firms hired the most, while manufacturing and retailers laid off employees.

Ms Shah stated that the data in Friday’s report was mixed, but provided enough concerning indicators that the Fed should make a larger cut.

“On balance, with inflation pressures subdued, there is no reason for the Fed not to err on the side of caution and frontload rate cuts,” she told reporters.

Others, however, felt the advances were just steady enough to warrant a 0.25 percentage point decrease, as markets had long projected – though this could signal more cuts than expected in the coming months.

Paul Ashworth, Capital Economics’ senior North America economist, predicted that the Fed’s decision will be “close run.”

“The labour market is clearly experiencing a marked slowdown,” he said, adding that the new statistics were “overall still consistent with an economy experiencing a soft landing rather than plummeting into recession”.

Concerns about the economy are a major issue in the US election.

According to polls, a majority of Americans feel the US is in a recession, despite healthy 2.5% growth last year.

Donald Trump has declared that the economy is headed for a “crash,” and his team instantly latched on the latest data to criticise Vice President Kamala Harris, publishing a press release titled “warning lights flash as Kamala’s economy continues to weaken.”

Democrats have defended their performance, claiming that the United States survived the pandemic and inflation better than many other countries.

They believe the slowdown is a sign that the economy is returning to a more sustainable rate of growth following the post-pandemic boom.

“Although hiring has slowed, the US job market continues to generate solid job gains and wage growth that is consistently beating inflation,” the White House Council of Economic Advisors stated in a blog.