Newcastle honour Robson with statue at St James' Park
Reuters - Sunday 06 May 2012, 11:57
By Mike Collett
LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - A statue of former Newcastle
United manager Bobby Robson was unveiled at St James' Park on
Sunday close to where he used to queue to get into the ground
with his father when he was a young supporter of the club.
It is the second statute to Robson's memory in England after
one was erected at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground in 2002 to
honour his achievements with that club.
Robson, who was Newcastle's manager from 1999 until 2004,
died aged 76 in 2009 and the 2.73-metre statue was unveiled by
his widow Elsie with current manager Alan Pardew and many former
players at the ceremony.
"It is very fitting that there will be a tribute to Bob
outside Newcastle United's ground. This is where his love of
football began," Elsie Robson said.
"As a boy he's come here with his dad and he likely queued
to get into the ground where the statue is sited. My husband's
career took him all over the world but he was always a Newcastle
fan at heart."
Newcastle have the chance of finishing in the top four of
the Premier League for the first time since Robson managed the
club and they finish their league campaign with a home match
against Manchester City on Sunday and at Everton next week.
Robson, who was knighted in 2002, also coached England,
Fulham, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)