BOBBY Charlton and his sweetheart Norma Ball enjoyed an incredible 64-year love story that began when meeting at a Manchester ice rink.
They met the year after England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby, whose death aged 86 has prompted worldwide tributes, survived the Munich air disaster.
The couple married in 1961 and raised two daughters Suzanne, who became a BBC weather presenter, and Andrea.
Suzanne’s son Robert was named after his iconic granddad.
It was Lady Charlton who announced in 2020, with his approval, that Sir Bobby had been diagnosed with dementia.
Norma said they hoped the announcement could “help others” who were suffering and their loved ones.
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Both Bobby and Norma, née Ball, were by nature private people – despite his status as a footballing golden boy and a global superstar.
But the strength of their loving bond was clear to all who knew them, even playing a part in a family fall-out.
Norma was there watching at Wembley Stadium when Bobby and his team-mates won the World Cup on July 30 1966.
Days earlier he hit the two unstoppable shots against Portugal which clinched the Three Lions’ place in the final, where they beat West Germany 4-2.
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She also accompanied him to Buckingham Palace in July 1994 when he received his knighthood.
Sir Bobby rarely spoke about his long rift with older brother Jack, who was also part of that World Cup-winning side.
But he did talk about it in 2007, revealing there was tension between his wife and his mother Cissie as well as Jack.
And he revealed how when it came to a choice, he sided with his wife.
Sir Bobby also accused Jack of making “absolutely disgraceful” statements about Norma.
He said: “My wife is a very strong character and does not suffer fools gladly.
“I am not suggesting my mother was a fool – there was a clash and it just never went away really.”
He was responding after Jack claimed Sir Bobby failed to visit their mother before her death and appeared to blame Norma for falling out with her.
But Sir Bobby insisted his wife had tried in vain to make peace with Cissie, leaving him with an agonising choice to make.
He told The Times: “We stopped seeing each other – at the end of the day you have to have your priorities and mine was my wife.
“I suppose if I’d made a major effort, maybe I could have changed things – but it wouldn’t have changed anything at all.”
Jack died aged 85 in July 2020, having also suffered from dementia.
Bobby was angry about newspaper interviews in which Jack criticised Norma, describing her as “hoity-toity”.
The younger brother accused ex-Leeds United defender Jack of making “a big mistake”, adding: “I don’t understand why he did it.
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“He couldn’t possibly have known her and said what he said – I was astonished.
“I made my mind up that I would protect my wife whatever happens and that’s the way I saw it.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
