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Nobby should be allowed to keep his medals
It was announced on the news recently that Nobby Styles, the former Manchester United and England player, is to put his collection of medals up for auction.
Now Nobby is certainly one of a rare breed because he, along with Sir Bobby Charlton, are the only two players who can boast that they have not only a World Cup winner’s medal with England but a European Cup winner’s medal with United. He suffered a stroke a short while ago and has decided to auction his memorabilia so that his family can have something in financial terms from him before he passes away.
Helping hand from current footballing superstars
Now call me a romantic if you like but wouldn’t it be nice if some benefactor decided to buy his mementoes and gave them back for him to enjoy for the rest of his life – and then present them to Manchester United to keep in their trophy cabinets as a tribute to the contribution he made to their football Perhaps a Beckham, Rooney or Terry might use some of their spare change to give Nobby a helping hand and let him enjoy his silverware during the rest of his days. Indeed, if I had won the recent £113 million jackpot on the roll-over European Lottery I would have considered it money well spent to help Nobby.
Modest and unassuming
I was lucky enough to meet Mr Styles a few years ago when he spoke at the Haverfordwest County Dinner and I was honoured to sit alongside a real footballer who was so small I couldn’t believe it – and he still had those huge glasses and false teeth! He was modest and unassuming, ready to laugh at himself and admitting that players like him, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harries (Chelsea), Norman ‘Bite Your Legs’ Hunter (Leeds), Dave Mackay (Spurs) and big Jack Charlton (Leeds) wouldn’t stay long on the pitch under today’s rules
Present-day posers
What a change from most of the top players of today, who live in their own little bubbles of self-deceit. He was like a lot of others from that era who graced a game they loved and brought only good things for young players to emulate. So I’ve picked my squad of 14 British players from that time before and just after England won the World Cup – and let’s see if you youngsters of today can come up with such a gifted bunch from our current batch of preening ‘super-stars’!
Gordon Banks, Jimmy Armfield, Jack Charlton, Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson, Alan Ball, Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, Dennis Law, John Charles, Tom Finney, Jimmy Greaves, Geoff Hurst, John White.
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