{"id":299217,"date":"2023-11-13T10:25:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T10:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=299217"},"modified":"2023-11-13T10:25:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T10:25:05","slug":"how-bobby-charlton-ended-up-playing-four-games-for-an-irish-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/how-bobby-charlton-ended-up-playing-four-games-for-an-irish-club\/","title":{"rendered":"How Bobby Charlton ended up playing four games for an Irish club"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>How Bobby Charlton ended up playing four games for a little-known Irish club just three years after leaving Manchester United<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Charlton was 38 and disillusioned with coaching when he arrived at Waterford<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Connections between Man United and Irish club made the shock move possible<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>DOMINIC KING: I don&#8217;t understand what football is anymore &#8211; It&#8217;s All Coming Up\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When the eulogies are read out at Sir Bobby Charlton&#8217;s memorial service on Monday afternoon, mention may be made that he once played for Waterford.<\/p>\n<p>It might raise a few eyebrows. Everyone knows Charlton as a legend for England and Manchester United, not to mention a perfect gentleman on and off the field who achieved global renown.<\/p>\n<p>But how did Charlton come to play four matches for a League of Ireland outfit during the twilight of his career?<\/p>\n<p>The reality is that in 1976, when he crossed the Irish Sea, Charlton &#8211; then aged 38 &#8211; was at something of a crossroads in his footballing life.<\/p>\n<p>The glory days that saw him inspire England to World Cup glory in 1966 and United to the European Cup two years later had long since passed.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730565-12742635-bOBBY-a-2_1699866860409.jpg\" height=\"500\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Bobby Charlton played four matches for League of Ireland club Waterford towards the end of his illustrious career in 1976<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730559-12742635-image-a-3_1699866890749.jpg\" height=\"439\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>A memorial service for Charlton will be held on Monday following his death at the age of 86<\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>In 1973, he&#8217;d become the manager of Preston North End, figuring it was his natural next step in the game after the conclusion of his 20-year association with United.<\/p>\n<p>But after his first season ended with relegation, Charlton actually laced up his boots and started playing again. Eight goals in 38 third division outings for Preston in 1974-75 suggested an enduring class.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730561-12742635-image-a-7_1699866966839.jpg\" height=\"463\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>Charlton may have been in his late 30s but he still made a big impact playing in Ireland<\/p>\n<p>However, coaching was emphatically not for him and though he worked as a BBC pundit, the flame of being a footballer still burned within him.<\/p>\n<p>The League of Ireland was an attractive destination at the time for older players seeking to prolong their career and earn a quick buck too.<\/p>\n<p>Charlton&#8217;s former United team-mate George Best had turned out three times for Cork Celtic in the 1975-76 season but the old spark was missing. Geoff Hurst also made a trio of appearances for the club.<\/p>\n<p>As explained in a BBC Northern Ireland piece, Waterford chairman Joe Delaney saw the stars heading to Cork Celtic and wondered if his club might get in on the action.<\/p>\n<p>All it took was a guaranteed share of gate receipts, which would of course be swollen by the star&#8217;s mere presence on the teamsheet.<\/p>\n<p>Another connection was Shay Brennan, Charlton&#8217;s former United team-mate and close friend, who&#8217;d managed Waterford until 1974.<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, Charlton had also played against the Irish side for United when they were paired together on the first round of the 1968-69 European Cup.<\/p>\n<p>A crowd of 48,886 crammed into Lansdowne Road to see the reigning European champions win 3-1 courtesy of a Denis Law hat-trick.<\/p>\n<p>In the return leg at Old Trafford, Charlton rounded off the scoring as United won 7-1.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730771-12742635-image-a-8_1699867306129.jpg\" height=\"463\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Charlton lifts the European Cup following United&#8217;s famous 4-1 Wembley win over Benfica\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730763-12742635-image-a-9_1699867398430.jpg\" height=\"473\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Matt Busby&#8217;s United took on Waterford as reigning European champions in 1968<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77731207-12742635-The_programme_cover_from_United_s_visit_to_Waterford_played_at_L-a-29_1699868095025.jpg\" height=\"838\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The programme cover from United&#8217;s visit to Waterford, played at Lansdowne Road, in 1968<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77731245-12742635-Charlton_lined_up_for_United_in_both_legs_of_the_1968_European_C-a-32_1699868176899.jpg\" height=\"496\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Charlton lined up for United in both legs of the 1968 European Cup tie with Waterford<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77731209-12742635-image-a-30_1699868102215.jpg\" height=\"845\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The editorial from the programme speaks about how Waterford strove to meet fan demand<\/p>\n<p>Bonds were formed between the two clubs, with Sir Matt Busby subsequently sending a team to Waterford&#8217;s Kilcohan Park for a friendly.<\/p>\n<p>It made the prospect of Charlton turning out in Waterford&#8217;s blue colours a possibility and the opportunity arose in 1976.<\/p>\n<p>Waterford legend Alfie Hale told the BBC: &#8216;It&#8217;s like Frank Sinatra walks in the door and you can&#8217;t believe it &#8211; but if he walks in the door for a second time, you do believe it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;But there&#8217;s no doubt seeing Bobby Charlton, for those who didn&#8217;t get a chance first time round, that was a huge thing &#8211; a Sinatra moment.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The Charlton effect was instant as 6,000 people crammed into Kilcohan Park for his Waterford debut against St Patrick&#8217;s Athletic &#8211; three times their usual gate.<\/p>\n<p>Even at 38, Charlton was fit enough to be the best player on the park and he&#8217;d set up a goal in a 3-2 Waterford win. He then scored the following week in a 3-1 victory over Finn Harps.<\/p>\n<p>But while Charlton&#8217;s presence boosted Waterford&#8217;s coffers, the teams they visited were less keen to hand over the gate money.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77730459-12742635-image-a-22_1699867788693.jpg\" height=\"490\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Bobby (left) pictured with his brother Jack (right), who would later manager Ireland, in 1958<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/13\/09\/77731179-12742635-image-a-25_1699867953536.jpg\" height=\"437\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Jack Charlton famously led the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup last eight at Italia &#8217;90<\/p>\n<p>In his third game, Bohemians were unhappy about uncertainty over whether Charlton would make the starting XI &#8211; meaning the crowd was less than might be expected.<\/p>\n<p>A row followed, with Bohemians blaming Waterford for the sparse crowd. It wasn&#8217;t quite what Charlton expected.<\/p>\n<p>He&#8217;d play just once more, a 3-0 defeat away to Finn Harps in the Irish Cup, and that was that.<\/p>\n<p>The late 1970s would see Charlton play a handful of games in Australia in his early 40s before finally hanging up his boots for good.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s fair to say his brother Jack, who famously managed the Republic of Ireland to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals, is more fondly remembered in the country.<\/p>\n<p>But those few thousand who watched Bobby grace the pitches of the League of Ireland surely never forgot it.<\/p>\n<h3>IT&#8217;S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><span>It&#8217;s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/08\/02\/636x90_facebook_ad_sport.png\" width=\"636\" height=\"90\"><br \/>\nSource: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12742635\/How-Bobby-Charlton-ended-playing-four-games-little-known-Irish-club-just-three-years-leaving-Manchester-United.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Bobby Charlton ended up playing four games for a little-known Irish club just three years after leaving Manchester United <span class=\"more-text\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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