Man Utd legend Bobby Charlton’s legacy continues as ‘huge donation’ launches academy

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Sir Bobby Charlton sadly passed away 12 months ago but the Manchester United legend’s impact is still being felt in the city and beyond after he financed a football academy in the North West

He dedicated his life off the pitch to helping children in war-torn countries – and now Bobby Charlton’s legacy is being felt closer to home.

The England and Manchester United legend left thousands to good causes when he passed away a year ago aged 86. And a large sum helped to launch Street Reds – a football academy for hard-up kids in Manchester.

The sessions are free and take place in neighbourhoods across the city including Moss Side, where many youngsters are refugees. We went along to a training session to see how Sir Bobby ’s legacy is helping transform their lives.

Head coach Mike Dugdale said: “We had a huge donation [from Sir Bobby] that allows this to happen, and the turnout every week is brilliant. What’s great is we have a lot of kids who are 14 and over which is a critical age – we get them off the streets and engaged in football.

“The primary purpose is football engagement and getting kids onto the pitch – but we do see some special players who we can signpost to the academies.”

The initiative launched in August this year and is a reincarnation of Sir Bobby’s own soccer school, where David Beckham was spotted aged 11 in 1986. Many Street Reds members Street Reds hope to follow in his footsteps – dreaming of glittering careers at United and Man City.

Among them is Abdirahman Mohammed, 16, who has been attending the sessions for two years and now helps teach the younger children.

He told us: “I help coach the goalkeepers [and] I really enjoy it, you see some outstanding young players here. I’d love to carry on doing it as I get older, and maybe even coach at United.”

Ciaran Barret, 11, has similar ambitions, telling us: “I want to be a left winger, I love dribbling.”

His pal Rylan Webster, also 11, added: “It’s amazing coming here, we all love it.”

The free training sessions for girls and boys take place twice a week and are taught by coaches from the Manchester United Foundation. Youngsters train in different age groups but also come together to share skills.

The aim is to provide young people with a safe space to develop their football skills and build friendships.

Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation’s Chair, Stephen Cross, said: “We believe that Sir Bobby would be immensely proud to see this reincarnation of his concept, which is now pointed towards helping victims of conflict.

“It is a very natural intersection of the elements, and we are delighted to team up with Manchester United Foundation to bring this to a reality.”

Sir Bobby, a jewel in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side, is widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. He made 606 appearances for Manchester United.

He founded his charity foundation in 2011 to support people affected by war and conflict. The charity helps families rebuild their lives through humanitarian and educational programmes.

To find out more about Sir Bobby’s Street Reds, visit Sir Bobby’s Street Reds launches in Moss Side – The Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation

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