Thousands mourn Sir Bobby Charlton at Old Trafford funeral cortege

Thousands of fans greeted the funeral procession of Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton at Old Trafford on Monday as it passed the stadium to Manchester Cathedral for a private ceremony.

Charlton, a World Cup winner with England and one of United’s greatest players, died on October 21 aged 86.

Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, former players Andy Cole and Paul Scholes, England manager Gareth Southgate and Prince William were among the first to arrive among around 1,000 guests at the cathedral for the service.

A crowd of fans, a dozen in places, braved the windy weather to applaud as the procession made its way to the Trinity statue of Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, where a ring of hundreds of bouquets and scarves continues encircling the base of the statue. to grow.

Charlton was a key figure in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, playing alongside his brother Jack. He made 758 appearances for United, scoring 249 goals.

Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton and Luke Shaw were among current United players due to attend the private service, many of whom were absent due to international duties. United manager Erik ten Hag was unable to attend due to a commitment in the Netherlands.

The ceremony was to include tributes and eulogies from United chief executive David Gill, former Manchester United Foundation chief executive John Shiels, as well as a personal tribute from Charlton’s family.

The anthems were to include “Abide With Me”, which is traditionally sung before the FA Cup final.