England football hero Sir Bobby Charlton is to receive an honorary degree from the University of Bath later this month. We were granted the chance to ask him about football and his global humanitarian work…
This summer sees celebrations of one of our country’s finest sporting moments – the day in 1966 when England won the football World Cup. By coincidence, one of the heroes of that hour, Manchester United and England player Bobby Charlton will be visiting Bath this month, to receive his honorary degree from the University of Bath.
Sir Bobby, now 78, is not being fêted in Bath for his long and illustrious football career, but for his humanitarian work tackling the worldwide issue of landmines, which kill and maim so many innocent people. He founded the charity, Find A Better Way, after visiting Bosnia and Cambodia as an ambassador for sport.
Sir Bobby’s charity, FABW, aims to find an effective method of detecting landmines hidden underground. As part of its work a £100,000 research grant was offered to Dr Manuchehr Soleimani at the University of Bath to develop technology which will be able to detect buried landmines of all kinds, using a faster and more effective methods.
We were granted five minutes of Sir Bobby’s time ahead of his visit to Bath:
You’re about to publish your memoir about your 1966 World Cup story. Firstly, are the memories of that day still as vivid as ever – what moments do you always think about?
I remember so many things, but sometimes it is the small unexpected moments that I think back on the most. One of my favourites was when the firemen at Hendon Fire Station stood along the road clapping our coach as it passed on our way to the final at Wembley.
Will there be stories – or your views – in the book that we won’t have heard before, bringing a fresh aspect to a well-loved story?
This is the first book I’ve ever written about the World Cup ’66 so hopefully there will be something new and interesting in it for everyone to enjoy.
Sir Bobby Charlton (far right) with the England football team after winning the 1966 World Cup.
You’re coming to Bath to receive an honorary degree for your work with your charity Find A Better Way. Do you think that with support from people like you campaigning that we can win the global battle to eradicate landmines? If not, then what’s the best case we can hope for?
Hopefully, yes. It is going to be a very long process, and there is still a long way to go, but present-day work is very promising. Just removing all the landmines in the ground today is expected to take up to 1,000 years with the currently available technology, and it was that realisation that led to me founding the charity.
There are an estimated 110 million landmines situated in 70 countries. We fund research into faster, safer, and more effective landmine detection technology, mine-avoidance education for children and families living among landmines, and humanitarian research into improved prosthesis, and regenerative medicine for landmine victims. My thanks go to all on board.
You have many things in your life to be proud of – including recently seeing a stand at Old Trafford bearing your name and more than 30 years of your soccer school training young players – do you set yourself new ambitions or have you learned the elusive art of being content?
At the age of 78, I hope to have found the art of contentment, but it remains my ongoing wish for Find A Better Way to succeed. If we can make the removal of landmines faster, cheaper, and safer it will be an enormous benefit to the entire world. Knowing that keeps me motivated.
Do you think Leicester City’s unexpected triumph has opened up the game to see more underdogs come through, to make the Premiership more interesting?
Congratulations to Leicester City on their success. I am looking forward to next season to see if any team can produce a repeat performance.
Finally, what do you think of England’s chances in the upcoming European Championships?
I live in hope like the rest of the footballing nation, but I especially hope for a better result than the last championship.
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