A permanent tribute to a football legend of the North East, England and Ireland has been unveiled in his home town in Northumberland, today.
The specially commissioned statue of the late Jack Charlton was revealed to a large crowd in Hirst Park, Ashington, where the England World Cup winner and brother Bobby honed their skills in their younger days.
It was following his death, in July 2020, at the age of 85, that the statue project was launched by Ashington Town Council, with the commission produced by celebrated sculptor Douglas Jennings.
Today’s ceremony was the culmination, observed by Big Jack’s widow Pat, and another of his brothers, Tom, plus other guests including ex-Newcastle chairman Sir John Hall, ex-footballers Eddie Gray, representing Leeds United, Bob Moncur, on behalf of Newcastle, plus ex-Newcastle and Sunderland striker Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson.
Read more: Statue of football legend Jack Charlton to be unveiled in Ashington
Charlton's proud widow said her husband would have been delighted to have known a statue of him would be created to stand permanently in the small former mining town where he spent his formative years, until he was signed by Leeds, at the age of 16.
“Jack would have been chuffed to bits to think that you thought so much about him,” she told the onlookers in Hirst Park.
She added: “He played away a lot with his career, but he’s come home, at last.”
Having spent his entire club career at Leeds, racking up 600 appearances, with 35 caps for England, Charlton went on to manage at Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle, before successfully taking the role with the Republic of Ireland national team, leading them to the World Cup quarter-final in 1990, as well as appearances in the 1988 European Championship and the 1994 World Cup finals tournaments.
He spent much of his later life back in Northumberland, and was a familiar face in Ashington, where he was said to be happy to stop and chat to passers-by.
One of them was town councillor Liam Lavery, the driving force behind the statue.
He said: “He deserves everything for the incredible man he was.
“You could tell he loved everyone and you can tell with the turn-out here that Ashington loves Jack, as well.
“There must be something in the water to produce these icons,” referring to other famous sons of Ashington, Jack’s brother Bobby, their uncle, Newcastle United legend Jackie Milburn, and Jimmy Adamson, a member of the Burnley team that won the Football League Championship in 1960.
The statue is part of a project which aims to honour all four in due course.
Read next:
Jack Charlton: A World Cup hero with England and Ireland
LIVE UPDATES: Funeral for World Cup hero Jack Charlton
Remembering Jack Charlton's Middlesbrough days
If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here