Tearful fans flock to remember Bobby Robson

Tearful football fans flocked to Newcastle United’s St James’s Park stadium today to pay their respects to Bobby Robson following his death yesterday at the age of 76.

Hundreds braved rain to lay flowers and sign a book of remembrance at the stadium.

The first tier of the John Hall Stand was covered with shirts, scarves, flags, banners and flowers laid by grieving fans.

Families stood tearfully as a steady procession of well-wishers added to the colourful pitchside tribute.

They spoke movingly of the way in which Bobby Robson had affected their lives and their love for a man who many hailed as ’a legend’ and who had been an inspiration to them.

One fan, Kevin Gregg, 47, a security guard from Blakelaw, was with Robson when he visited St James’s Park for his charity match on Sunday.

The married father-of-three said: “I walked beside Sir Bobby as they pushed him round the ground in his wheelchair.

“He looked so very weak he should not really have been there, but knowing the man there would have been no stopping him.

“He had this little green cushion he used for supporting his left arm and shoulder and he didn’t like people to see it, but I saw that his blanket had slipped so I moved it back into place to cover over the cushion and he looked at me and smiled and it struck me just what a brave, great man he was.

“It was so emotional.

“There were people in the crowd – men, women and children – and they were all openly crying.

“It is devastating that he’s gone, it’s like losing your granddad.

“He deserves all of this and more, I think they should rename St James’s Park after him. He should at least have a stand named after him. As a fan, I would love to come to the Sir Bobby Robson stadium on a match day.

“I worked at St James’s Park when he was the boss here.

“He always had time for everybody no matter who you were.

“When he was on his way out to his car, he would always stop and sign autographs even if it was raining, even if he had his hands full. He would just put everything down and be there for people, he was a gentleman.”

Father-of-five Ian Runciman, 47, who works for the Ministry of Defence at RAF Boulmer, and his son Ewan, nine, tied a Berwick FC scarf to the stand.

He said: “We’ve come down from Amble to pay our respects. It is the least we could do.

“I just wanted to pay tribute to a pure football man.

“Sir Bobby, when he was at Newcastle, came to watch Berwick play Albion Rovers and the crowd gave him a great reception.

“There are not many Premiership football managers who would take the time to do something like that.

“People loved him because he was such a nice guy.

“He was approachable and like one of the supporters.

“He was one of us.”

Robson’s former neighbour Carol James, 51, a married mother-of-three and a kitchen assistant at Sacriston Juniors Primary School, remembered playing football in the street with Robson as a child.

She said: “I grew up on the same street in Langley Park as Sir Bobby and all the kids loved him.

“We all knew when he was back because he had a special car with special suspension and all the kids would chase it down the street.

“Then he’d get out and have a kick-about with us all.”

She said Robson delighted the village by bringing the 1978 FA Cup back to Langley Park and displaying it in the local Spa supermarket window.

She added: “When England beat Cameroon at Italia 90 we were all at the pub and the place went wild.

“Then the whole pub marched round to Sir Bobby’s father’s bungalow and knocked on the door.

“When he answered we were all on our knees bowing to him.

“He had tears in his eyes he was so proud.”

Neil Barrass, 31, a father-of-three who works as a slater, travelled down from Glasgow with his wife Samantha and younger daughters Megan, nine and Morgan, six, to lay flowers.

He said: “I was at the charity match on Sunday and when I saw Sir Bobby then I was shocked to see him looking so frail.

“I’m so, so upset that he’s gone.

“He was a man that had everybody’s respect and I think people today could learn something from that.

“He gave people respect and that’s why they respected him back.

“Even Alan Shearer looked up to him.

“I think if more people were like Sir Bobby Robson the world would not be in the state it is in today.”