Death of England legend Jack Charlton
ENGLAND World Cup legend Jack Charlton, who visited WA in 1975 as a manager when he brought his Middlesbrough side to Perth to play the State team, has died. He was 85.
He was part of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup and managed the Republic of Ireland national team from 1986 to 1996 achieving two World Cup finals spots and one European Championship appearance.
Charlton spent his entire club career with Leeds United from 1950 to 1973, helping the club to the Second Division title (1963–64), First Division title (1968–69), FA Cup (1972), League Cup (1968), Charity Shield (1969), Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1968 and 1971).
He was the elder brother of former Manchester United forward Bobby Charlton, who was also a teammate in England's World Cup final victory.
After retiring as a player the outspoken Charlton went into management on his 38th birthday and led Middlesbrough to the Second Division title in 1973–74, winning the Manager of the Year award in his first season. He was the first manager from outside the top league to win the award. He kept Boro as a stable top-flight club before he resigned in April 1977. John Neal succeeded him and was in charge when Boro returned to WA in June, 1977, beating the State side 3-1 this time.
Charlton became boss of Sheffield Wednesday in October 1977, and led the club to promotion out of the Third Division in 1979–80. He left the Owls in May 1983, and went on to serve Middlesbrough as caretaker-manager at the end of the 1983–84 season. He worked as Newcastle United manager for the 1984–85 season.
He took charge of the Irish national team in February 1986, and led them to their first World Cup finals in 1990, where they reached the quarter-finals. He resigned in January 1996 and went into retirement. Charlton made an emotional return to Ireland in 2015 when he was a guest at the Republic's friendly international against England in Dublin when he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
He was awarded honorary Irish citizenship and a life-size statue of him was erected at Cork Airport, depicting him wearing fishing gear and holding a salmon — recalling Charlton's favourite pastime of fishing. "I am as much Irish as I am English," said Charlton, who was given the freedom of Dublin.
When Boro came to Australia in 1975 they had just finished seventh in the English Fist Divsion - their first season after promotion - and Charlton had boosted his side by signing his former Leeds team-mate and England international Terry Cooper.
Cooper was in the side that faced WA at Perry Lakes Stadium on May 4, 1975, along with Northern Ireland keeper Jim Platt, Scottish internationals Graeme Souness and Bobby Murdoch, and England under-23 internationals David Armstrong, Willie Maddren and David Mills.
It was Mills who got Boro's goal in the 1-1 draw. He went on to become England's first half million pound footballer in 1979, when West Brom manager Ron Atkinson broke the transfer record to sign the forward who had played over 300 games for Middlesbrough.
The visitors were captained by big centre-half Stuart Boam, who had skippered the side to the Second Divison crown in 1974.
Boro were happy to draw 1-1. Ray Ilott, who got WA's goal, should have had a hat-trick, according to the report in the 1976 Yearbook. Jim Platt made a couple of good saves from Ilott, who also had what appeared a legitimate goal from a 30-metre strike disallowed.
The WA squad that day was:
Tony Witschge, David Jones, Denis Barstow, Steve Stacey, Sauro Iozzelli, Bob Taylor, Dave Brooks, Stephen Sceats, Aldo Trinca, George McMillan, Ken Morton, Ray Ilott, Nick MacCallum, Gary Marocchi, Dave O'Callaghan, Bert Kirkpatrick, Steve Pateman. Alan Vest was the coach.
PICTURED: Charlton with Bobby Moore and the World Cup; Charlton's 1974 promotion-winning Boro side; Charlton celebrating with Boro players; Boro captain Stuart Boam and WA's Denis Barstow before the 1975 game; Charlton's 2015 return to Dublin.
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