Sir Bobby Robson Day

Great news from the FA on a special day for Sir Bobby...

Well chuffed.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jan/15/fa-national-football-day-bobby-robson

Sir Bobby Robson is to be commemorated with a National Football Day named in his honour. The event, to be announced on Wednesday as part of the Football Association's 150th anniversary celebrations, will be held on 10 August to coincide with the start of the 2013-14 season, four days before England play Scotland at Wembley.

Senior figures at the FA have been consulting with Robson's widow, Elsie, and intend to involve around 150 different clubs at all levels, with the idea being to promote grassroots football.

A similar event was held on the day of England's opening World Cup match against the USA in 2010 but this time the FA will name it "Sir Bobby Robson Day" to mark his popularity and commitment to the sport.

"I'm thrilled that the FA is involving my family," Elsie said. "Bob launched his cancer charity [the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation] in 2008 and right from the start the FA has been on hand to support us. He'd have loved this and I think it's very fitting as it will be a day celebrating and encouraging grassroots football. Bob never lost his own boyish enthusiasm for the game no matter what was happening off the field."

Robson died in 2009, aged 76, after a long battle against cancer, having been in football for more than 60 years. There are statues of him outside St James' Park and Portman Road, marking his time at Newcastle United and Ipswich Town, and the FA wanted to do something in honour of the man who took the national team to the World Cup semi-finals of Italia 90 as well as the quarter-finals four years earlier in Mexico.

"Bob just didn't feel he could turn his country down when he was approached," Elsie said. "For him, it was a huge honour to be asked and he never took the role for granted. Every game and every result meant the world to him and I think it's that passion and commitment which people remember so fondly now.

"He was at the helm of the national side for eight years – and they were eight very challenging years. He missed the week-in week-out of club football, the kind of adrenalin that comes with that, but it really was the pinnacle of his career. He was so close to success in Mexico and Italy and he loved working with the England players."

 

Excellent

Good decision!

 

Great news!

 

Great news

 

Nice touch and very deserved.

 

So well loved & respected through out the country

 

The reason why people travelled from near and far to pay their last respects to him, people from abroad too.

 

can only echo what everyone else has said, well deserved for a great man whoever you support

 

Great news. England will never find a manager as good or better than SBR.

 

Yeah he's a legend. But let's not forget we all turned our backs on him when he got us too a 5th placed finish ! After spending nout the summer before. I remember him doing the lap of honour on the last game of the season infront of an almost empty stadium. We should all hang our heads in shame

 

The kind of thing that Pards wouldn't dream of doing.