THERE have been times when we have felt compelled to question the justification for honours handed out to certain individuals.

But no one will disagree that Sir Bobby Robson sounds just right.

It is a reward which will not be questioned even in the passionately divided world of football, where supporters normally find it impossible to bury their rivalries.

Sunderland supporters and Newcastle supporters will find common ground today and applaud a sporting gentleman. Football fans across the country will join in - and so will many who do not count the game among their particular interests.

That is the mark of the man - a man whose honesty, humility and decency are so clear.

Of course, it is in recognition of a remarkable career that he has been knighted - a career which took him around the world but brought him back to his beloved North-East with a sense of inevitability.

But it is the fact that he is so widely acknowledged as a thoroughly nice man that will make today's news so easy to digest for millions.

If Mick Jagger - that other new knight - is Jumping Jack Flash, there couldn't be a greater contrast to our Bobby, with his feet firmly on the ground.

Let's not forget he was a goal-post away from the World Cup final as England's coach in 1990.

And if England take another step towards the 2002 final when they play Denmark today, nothing will make Sir Bobby Robson happier.