JACK CHARLTON was a lot of things. World Cup winner, North-East sporting legend, honorary Irishman.
However, before he died at the age of 85, one of English football’s greatest figures was not a knight of the realm. That seems a staggering oversight.
In fact, only two members of England’s World Cup-winning team from 1966 have received knighthoods – Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst – along with the side’s manger, Alf Ramsey.
The younger of the two Charlton brothers was awarded an OBE in 1974, but despite having played an integral role in the greatest moment in English sport, not to mention his decades of charitable work towards the end of his life, he was never afforded the ultimate honour of a knighthood.
Sadly, Charlton is one of six members of England’s 1966 side that have now passed away. Two of the survivors are Sirs, but George Cohen, Nobby Stiles and Roger Hunt are not.
It is time to put that right, and also to award posthumous knighthoods to the World Cup heroes like Charlton who are no longer with us.
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