Sir Bobby Robson

My eyes started to water the second I read about the passing of Sir Bobby Robson this morning. Yeah, I got to shake his hand once when he was handing out medals and awards at a tournament I played in. Not sure if he actually saw me play. However, even without that moment, I’m sure I would have reacted the same way.

Sir Bobby was and always will be Ipswich Town. Yeah, he went on to manage England, PSV, Sporting, Porto, Barcelona and Newcastle…but he will always be an Ipswich great.

I still remember winning the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup. Heck, should have won the treble in 1981, but even back then Town were a small club without the money of the big clubs and the small squad wasn’t enough at the end of the season.

No, Sir Bobby was just a great guy. Everyone knew it. He was that uncle that everyone loved. He always had a smile on his face and had a great sense of humor.

Growing up in Suffolk and going to games I was still young do in order to get a good spot on the Churchmans terrace we’d get there early. A program was always bought and the first think I would read was the managers notes to pass the hour or so until 3PM. It was as if he was giving me his own personal pre-match scouting report.

Already today I’ve seen hundreds of tributes to the great man, who was so instrumental in leading my club, a small club from a small town in rural Suffolk, to become one of the best clubs in Europe.

I wasn’t quite a teen when Robson left Portman Road to take on the one job when he said could get him to leave Suffolk, as England manager.

Looking back, I don’t think I felt the sense of loss that I do now. Had I known then that it would be another 20 years before Ipswich played in Europe again or that in the next 30 years we’d only finish in the top 5 of top level in England once in the next 30 years, I might have then realized what he brought to the club and what was lost when he left.

I just recently visited my mother.  She had found a stash of my old Ipswich Town match programs from the late 70’s.  I think I’ll read a few manager’s notes tonight.

A manager and an even better man. Rest In Peace Sir Bobby. You are already missed.

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