Sir Bobby Robson: The gentleman of British sport
Sir Bobby Robson was known throughout the world for being a gentleman of British sport.
He was loved for his enthusiasm for the beautiful game and his willingness to share the knowledge he gained over a lifelong love affair with football.
Five times he fought cancer, and after his last diagnosis he devoted his time to raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which kitted out a state-of-the art centre in his beloved Newcastle to fight the disease.
Such was the public's regard for Sir Bobby that the £500,000 needed was raised in just seven weeks. Fans from around the world contributed to what Sir Bobby hoped would be his most lasting legacy. By his 76th birthday, the total was well over £1.2 million.
His exploits as an England manager, whose 1990 side were the width of a post away from a place in the World Cup final, meant he was the country's most successful national boss since Sir Alf Ramsey.
Before that, his passion and expertise nurtured Ipswich Town into a European force, and after England, the 1990s saw him win trophies in Holland, Portugal and Spain, capturing the hearts of millions more devotees along the way.
His comic slips of the tongue, and occasional inability to remember players' names correctly, endeared him even more to fans.
Robert William Robson, the son of a County Durham miner, was born in Sacriston on February 18 1933 and grew up in nearby Langley Park, a pit village on the outskirts of Durham City.
He came under football's spell as a youngster, travelling with his father Philip and brother Ronnie 20 miles on the bus to watch the Newcastle United team of the 1940s, which included the great Jackie Milburn.
His own skills with a ball meant he could give up a career underground. Robson, whose father was a miner, had taken an apprenticeship as a pit electrician, but signed forms with Fulham, aged 17.
Through the 1950s and early 1960s he was a top player with the London club and with West Bromwich Albion.
