Even at 69, Jack is still acting the lad

THE handshake is warm, the smile is broad, he’s back among old friends - and, of course, he still manages to get the names mixed up.

(And even the days of the week. “The day after tomorrow,” he frowns at one point, “what do you call it? Aye, Thursday.”)

Jack Charlton is in town for the launch of a book by Frank Gillespie, the owner of the Blackthorn Bar in Boston, which became a home from home for Irish emigrants, international footballers and entertainment celebrities throughout the 90s.