IT'S not every day that one of the all-time greats comes to kick a ball around in your backyard.
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As football fans around the world paused yesterday to pay their respects after the death of former England and Manchester United icon Sir Bobby Charlton, at the age of 86, Novocastrians of a certain vintage remembered his one-off appearance for the city's inaugural national-league team, KB United, in a match at what was then known as the International Sports Centre.
It was in 1978, during KB's first year in the top-flight competition, and Charlton had effectively been in retirement for three years.
But in a promotional masterstroke, major sponsor Tooth's Brewery paid for the 41-year-old to fly Down Under, appear at a series of coaching clinics, and play in a competition match against Marconi.
The home team won 1-0, after a goal from Neil Endacott, and the bumper crowd headed home in high spirits.
By all accounts, the hype and excitement generated by Charlton's appearance has been revisited only once since in Newcastle, when superstar David Beckham and the LA Galaxy played a friendly match against the Jets in 2011.
KB defender Curran, who played 34 times for the Socceroos, including their 1974 World Cup campaign, said lining up alongside Charlton was one of his career highlights.
"He was such a wonderful man and a great player," Curran said.
"I just have so much admiration for him. He was one of nature's gentlemen."
Those sentiments were shared by Ray Baartz, one of Curran's teammates for Adamstown Rosebud, Australia and during their time together in in the youth team and reserves at Manchester United.
Baartz had been forced into a premature retirement before Charlton's guest stint Down Under, but he met the great man at Sydney airport and chaperoned him during his time in Newcastle.
Baartz had previously trained alongside Charlton at Old Trafford and played against him for NSW when Manchester United toured Australia in 1967, and still regards him as the greatest player he's ever seen.
That's high praise, when you consider Baartz also played for the Socceroos against Brazilian club Santos in 1972, whose team happened to include three-time World Cup winner Pele.
But the statistics back it up. During an illustrious career, Charlton won three league titles, the European Cup and an FA Cup during his 20 years with United. He was also an instrumental figure in the only England team to win a World Cup, in 1966.
He played 758 times for United, scoring 249 goals. He delivered 49 goals in 106 internationals for England. All, at the time, were records.
"He, to me, was the best of all time," Baartz said. "He was my favourite, anyway, of all the players I've seen. And the thing was that he was just as good a person off the park. When he came out to play for us, nothing was too much trouble."
And Charlton upheld his reputation during his one game for Newcastle.
"I can't remember much of the game, but I know that Bobby put in 100 per cent effort," Baartz said. "He didn't just stroll around, and he was still a quality player."
