Bobby Charlton (1956-1973, Manchester United)

George Best was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, he is a founding inductee.

Sir Robert Charlton CBE (11 October 1937 – 21 October 2023) was an English midfielder regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Born in Ashington, Northumberland, he signed for Manchester United as a 15-year-old in January 1953 after being spotted playing for East Northumberland Schools, turning professional in October 1954. He made his First Division debut against Charlton Athletic on 6 October 1956, scoring twice in a 4-2 win.

Charlton was one of the Busby Babes who won the First Division title in 1956-57, and survived the Munich Air Disaster of 6 February 1958 in which eight of his teammates lost their lives.

He went on to help United win the FA Cup in 1963 and the First Division in 1965 and 1967, before captaining the side to European Cup glory at Wembley on 29 May 1968, scoring twice in the 4-1 victory over Benfica to become the first English club to win the competition. He made 758 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 249 goals, both longstanding club records.

At the international level, Charlton won 106 caps for England, scoring 49 goals, both England records at the time of his retirement in 1970.

He was a key member of the England side that won the 1966 World Cup on home soil, and he won the Ballon d’Or and the FWA Footballer of the Year award that same year.

He was selected for four World Cups in 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970.

He was knighted in 1994.

Bobby Charlton – Rookie Cards and Significant Others

All of Bobby Charlton’s earliest cards date from 1958, the year of the Munich Air Disaster and the point at which he established himself as a first-team regular at Manchester United.

The volume and variety of issues from this single year is remarkable and reflects the level of interest he had already generated among collectors and card manufacturers.

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The A&BC Gum Footballers card (#3, commonly catalogued as a 1958–59 issue) is widely regarded as Charlton’s key rookie, including recognised back-colour variations (often referenced as blue-back and red-back).

The 1958 Soirée (Mauritius) issue is extremely scarce, with very few examples appearing publicly.

The Master Vending (Cardmaster Football Tips) card exists in more than one recognised variety, including grey-back/no-address and cream-back types.

Further late-1950s issues include D.C. Thomson (Hotspur) Stars of Sport & Entertainment, a Norwegian newspaper issue,

Cadet Sweets Footballers (#25; catalogued in multiple late-1950s lines), and Chix Confectionery Footballers (#23, sometimes catalogued as 1960).

His most significant later cards come from the period surrounding the 1966 World Cup and 1968 European Cup triumph.

The 1967–68 Barratt & Co. Famous Footballers Series A15 (#28) is among the most collected of his domestic club-era cards, and he also appears in a 1968–69 Panini Calciatori/Valida trade card issue.

Overall, his card history spans from the late 1950s through to the end of his Manchester United playing career in 1973, making a full Manchester United-era run a rewarding long-term project for British football card collectors.

See the 2002 Hall of Fame Inductees or browse the full list.