GROWING up in Sacriston, County Durham, a schoolboy by the name of Robert William Robson would frequently be seen in the backstreets kicking lumps of coal around pretending he was Newcastle United legend Albert Stubbins.

The son of a pit-man, the youngster had a seemingly endless supply in the Robson family coalhouse that he could pinch and use as a football to hone the early skills he had developed.

Those early years were special to him and will never be forgotten and, as he matured, the talents of a bright young boy, performing consistently for Langley Park Juniors, became so good that the Newcastle fanatic became a professional footballer for London club Fulham.

"Fulham! It's like Alan Shearer starting at Southampton, I started at Fulham. Tell me why that happens? Two Newcastle supporters who could obviously play football had to move away. It doesn't make any sense," said Robson, now more affectionately and warmly referred to as Sir Bobby.

It took Robson 49 years in football, when his playing days were followed by time managing many of Europe's top clubs and an eight-year reign as England coach, before he finally landed the job that he had always dreamed about.

In September 1999 he took over from Ruud Gullit at St James' Park, transformed Newcastle from relegation fodder into Champions League hopefuls and the Tyneside faithful will always remember him for that.

Yesterday, when the City Council presented him with the highest honour of becoming an Honorary Freeman of Newcastle, in his acceptance speech Robson described how long he had waited for his chance to take charge at Newcastle, the club he went to watch win the FA Cup in 1955 by defeating Manchester City at Wembley.

The ticket stub from that day was held aloft on the stand at the Civic Centre as he reflected on a glorious career that led to him enjoying 'one of the proudest moments of my life' yesterday.

No matter where he has roamed during his life, in which he has battled and successfully fought against cancer after being told he had five months to live in 1995, he has commanded respect.

And there was no shortage of tributes last night for Robson from those who have had the privilege of working with a man who is still looking for a route back into football management at the age of 72.

As he sat before a gathered crowd, a big screen looked back on an illustrious career: Diego Maradona's infamous hand of God that knocked England out of the World Cup in 1986, the incredible tracksuit he wore during his time with Jose Mourinho at Barcelona and, of course, those tears of Gazza at the 1990 World Cup.

Under Robson, England went so close to winning their first World Cup since 1966 and Paul Gascoigne had no intentions of missing his mentor's big day in Newcastle yesterday.

Despite having a neck operation on Tuesday, Gascoigne said: "It is great being in his company. Nothing fazes him. I had the operation and the first thing I said when I woke up on Wednesday was I am going to get on the train and get to this. I would not have missed it for anything.

"I am in awe of the man. He is fantastic. When he was manager of England and I was an Under-21, he used to come in and give me a bollocking if I had played badly and say 'If you want to play for my team, then you have got to improve', which I did, I improved and I got to play for him, and it was fantastic.

"The guy has achieved so much and come through a hell of a lot as well. I'm in awe of the man, and when he mentioned me in his speech, I had a lump in my throat.

"He has been knighted, he has been given the freedom of the city, and every club he has been to, he has taken them from nowhere to the highest you can take them and done it through many, many clubs."

His captain at Newcastle, Alan Shearer, due to retire at the end of the season, was in attendance and took time out to reflect on Robson's achievements.

"In Bobby's speech he puts what he has received here on a par with his knighthood and that shows what it means to him," said Sshearer. "To get an award like this in the city, it doesn't get any bigger for someone from the area and I know he thinks it's a great honour."

It is not only Englishmen that have warmed to Robson over the years. At Ipswich, when they won the FA Cup and UEFA Cup, he had no reservations in bringing foreigners across the water when it was largely unheard of.

Real Madrid's Brazilian Ronaldo and Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy are just two of the biggest names to have worked and respected Robson the coach, who also had spells at PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Barcelona.

At Newcastle he had his run-ins with the flamboyant winger Laurent Robert over his lack of workrate. Yet the Frenchman was one of those at the Honorary Freedom of Newcastle ceremony yesterday.

"Bobby Robson is a grandfather to me. He is a very good man and I went to Newcastle because Mr Robson contacted me and liked me. He is a great man and I love him. He knows everything about football, he knows my family and he knows how to understand me. He is really important for a footballer," said Robert.

"For me he is the best manager in Europe. Mr Robson will forever stay in my heart, he is a very good man."

For most, his acrimonious departure from Newcastle in August would and should have been the end of the septuagenarian's days in football. But those who know him know better.

When asked if he had any plans for the future, his response epitomised everything about him.

"To live every day, to continue my life and live the life I want to live," he said.