THE son of Sir Bobby Robson has spoken of the family’s pride at the footballing icon’s enduring legacy, as proved by the success of the foundation set up in his name.

Andrew Robson, speaking as the anniversary of his father’s death approaches, said: “The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has raised more than £2.4m in two years and is still going strong.

“The money that has been raised is the true legacy that he has left behind and, as a family, we are proud to continue raising money and attending all kinds of functions.

“I think the fact that we have Alan Shearer and Steven Gill as patrons in the North-East and Mick Mills in Suffolk is a reflection of the region the charity covers.

“We have had more than 500 patients treated at the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre in more than one-and-ahalf years – and that continues.

“The centre continues under Professor Ruth Plummer to try and find a cure to cancer and some of the work they are doing is pioneering in the world.”

Mr Robson said he and his family – especially his mother Lady Elsie – had come to terms with Sir Bobby’s death very quickly and were coping well.

He said: “We are coming up to a year since he died. I can still clearly remember the phone call I got very early that morning.

“I happened to be away, but knew my father was in very poor health.

“It came as as a shock. I shed a tear and made immediate plans to travel back to County Durham.”

Mr Robson, a company director from Tynemouth, said: “I think the memorial service at Durham Cathedral was a very emotional occasion, but it was a fitting sendoff to him.”

“He achieved the two things he wanted to do last summer. One was to attend his annual golf tournament in Portugal on the first Saturday in July and the other was the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy Match, where clearly he was very weak.

“He was absolutely determined to be there.”

Equally moving were the tributes from football fans who left thousands of shirts and scarves with messages at St James’ Park in Newcastle and Ipswich Town Football Club.

Mr Robson said his brothers Mark and Paul travelled to Kenya and Liberia, respectively, to distribute the football kit to impoverished communities, leaving hundreds of people wearing the black and white strip of the Magpies.