Ｂ・チャールトン氏に最後の別れ　葬儀にファーガソン氏ら多数参列

【マンチェスターＡＦＰ＝時事】サッカー元イングランド代表で、同国プレミアリーグのマンチェスター・ユナイテッドで活躍したボビー・チャールトン氏の葬儀が１３日、英マンチェスターで執り行われ、同クラブのアレックス・ファーガソン元監督やウィリアム英皇太子らが参列した。（写真は、サッカーイングランドプレミアリーグ、マンチェスター・ユナイテッドの本拠地オールド・トラフォードを通り過ぎる元イングランド代表ボビー・チャールトン氏のひつぎを乗せた車）
　母国開催となった１９６６年のＷ杯で優勝に貢献するなどし、イングランド史上最高の選手の一人とされるチャールトン氏は、介護福祉施設での転倒が原因で、１０月２１日に８６歳で亡くなった。
　会場のマンチェスター大聖堂へ向かう葬列がユナイテッドの本拠地オールド・トラフォードを通り過ぎる際には、沿道に集まった大勢の人々が温かい拍手を送ったり横断幕を掲げたりし、チャールトン氏に最後の別れを告げた。
　葬儀にはファーガソン氏やイングランド代表のギャレス・サウスゲイト監督、イングランドサッカー協会の総裁を務めるウィリアム皇太子、現役や引退した選手ら約１０００人が参列した。
　ファーガソン氏は、自身のユナイテッド監督就任時に重要な役割を果たしたチャールトン氏について、「素晴らしく、謙虚な人物だった。ボビー・チャールトン氏がいたおかげで、私はマンチェスター・ユナイテッドにいられた」と感謝。ユナイテッドに数々のトロフィーをもたらした２６年間にわたる在任期間中も「頼りになる」存在だったと話した。
　チャールトン氏は１９５６年にデビューしたユナイテッドで、公式戦７５８試合に出場して２４９ゴールを積み重ねた。二つの記録はそれぞれライアン・ギグスとウェイン・ルーニーに抜かれるまで、長年クラブの最多記録だった。ユナイテッドではリーグ優勝３回とＦＡカップ制覇１回を経験。イングランド代表では通算１０６試合に出場して４９ゴールを決めた。
　１９５８年にはユナイテッドのチームメート８人が犠牲になった飛行機事故「ミュンヘンの悲劇」で生き残り、１９６６年にバロンドール（当時の欧州最優秀選手賞）に輝くと、事故から１０年後の１９６８年には、ユナイテッドでイングランド勢初のヨーロッパチャンピオンズカップ優勝に貢献した。
　引退後の１９８４年には取締役としてユナイテッドに復帰し、晩年まで大きな影響力を保持していた。２０２０年に認知症と診断されたことが公表され、その後は試合に姿を現すことはなかった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/11/14-17:36）

Thousands of people lined the streets of Manchester on Monday to pay their final respects to Manchester United and England great Bobby Charlton, with Alex Ferguson and Prince William among the mourners.
The 1966 World Cup winner, widely regarded as one of England's greatest players, died on October 21 at the age of 86 after a fall at his care home.
Crowds clapped warmly and held banners as the funeral cortege drove past United's Old Trafford ground on its way to a private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral to celebrate Charlton's life.
The hearse passed the famous United Trinity statue immortalising Charlton, Denis Law and George Best as members of the club's under-18 and under-21 squads formed a guard of honour.
High on the glass wall of the East Stand were two huge black and white photographs, one of Charlton in his playing days and the other showing him as an elder statesman, flanking the words Sir Bobby Charlton, 1937-2023. Forever Loved.
Around 1,000 guests including former United manager Ferguson, England boss Gareth Southgate and Prince William, the Football Association president, arrived for the service, along with current and former players.
Former United captain Bryan Robson, speaking before the service, told the BBC: For a player to win the World Cup, win the Champions League and have such a long and successful career you've got to be a fantastic player to be able to achieve that.
But Sir Bob wasn't just a great player, he was a great person and had time for everybody.
Former teammate Alex Stepney said Charlton remained humble despite his success.
It was about winning and that was what Bobby Charlton was all about, he said. A humble guy, a great family man. It never went to his head.
- 'Legend' and 'icon' -
Former United chief executive David Gill gave a eulogy during the service, describing Charlton as a legend, an icon and a very dear and loyal, much-loved colleague and friend.
Football is a tribal sport but Bobby was universally admired, he said.
The funeral ended with the chiming of bells as Charlton's coffin, covered in white flowers, was carried out by pallbearers.
Ferguson described Charlton, who played a key part in his appointment as manager at Old Trafford, as a tower of strength during his trophy-laden 26-year spell as manager.
It was a sombre occasion. The speakers were fantastic, especially his grandson, he told the BBC. He was magnificent. It's not easy to go up and speak.
Bobby Charlton was a wonderful, humble man and I was at Manchester United because of Bobby Charlton.
Former England captain Gary Lineker said the service was emotive and meaningful, describing Charlton as more than just a footballer in many ways.
He was synonymous with the word 'football', he said. You could go anywhere in the world, even places where they didn't speak English and they'd say one thing to you and that was 'Bobby Charlton' and that shows his fame but it also shows how much respect and love he has around the world.
Charlton was a key member of England's victorious 1966 World Cup team, alongside his late brother Jack. He won 106 caps for England, scoring 49 goals.
He also enjoyed great success at club level with United, who became the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968, a decade after he survived an air crash in Munich, which killed eight of his teammates.
He played 758 games and scored 249 goals for United between 1956 and 1973. Both were long-standing club records until they were broken by Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney.
Charlton, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1966, returned to the club with which he had made his name as a director in 1984 and remained a major figure at Old Trafford until his later years.
In 2020, it was announced he had been diagnosed with dementia and as the disease took hold he stopped attending matches.