11 October: Bobby Charlton, the Munich survivor
Bobby Charlton
«Sir Bobby»
- English Schools' Football Association 1953 · 5 goals
- Manchester United Football Club 1953-1956
- Manchester United Football Club 1956-1973 · 199 goals
- Preston North End Football Club 1974-1975 · 8 goals
- Waterford United Football Club 1976 · 1 goals
- Melbourne Victory Football Club 1976 · 7 goals
Ashington and the Busby Babes
He was born into a mining family in the north of England, the nephew of footballers and brother of Jack Charlton, who would also become a world champion. At fifteen he was signed by Matt Busby's Manchester United and he made his debut in 1956, in that team of youngsters who were winning the league.
6 February 1958
The plane bringing United back from Belgrade crashed on take-off in Munich after a refuelling stop. Twenty-three people died, eight of them players. Charlton was thrown from the plane still strapped into his seat and survived with minor injuries. He was twenty.
That accident marked him forever. He himself said that from then on he played every game thinking also of those who did not come back.
1966 and 1968
At the 1966 World Cup, at home, he was the leader of Alf Ramsey's team. He scored both goals in the semi-final against Portugal, and England beat West Germany in the final at Wembley. In December he received the Ballon d'Or.
Two years later, in 1968 and also at Wembley, United beat Eusébio's Benfica 4-1 after extra time in the European Cup final. Charlton scored twice, one of them a header, something very rare for him. Busby and Charlton, the two Munich survivors, embraced in tears at the end. His England scoring record was broken by Wayne Rooney, born on 24 October.
🔴⚪ Sporting Gijón players born this day
They played for Sporting Gijón and were born on this same day. There is only their data here: we would rather name them than leave them out, and rather give the bare facts than invent a story.
Ricardo Alós 🔴⚪
- Valencia Club de Fútbol Mestalla 1951-1956
- Real Sporting de Gijón 1956-1957 · 46 goals
- Valencia Club de Fútbol 1957-1960 · 24 goals
- Real Murcia Club de Fútbol 1960-1963
- Ontinyent Club de Futbol 1963-1964
Another 54 internationally known footballers were born on this day. We do not list them for the sake of it: only those with a story to tell make it here.
📅 The almanac: pick any date
Every day of the year has its story. Highlighted days are already out: click to see who was born or what happened on that date. The faded ones go live on their day, at midnight (Spain time). 25 published.
Football almanac · Elopi23
January
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February
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July
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August
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September14 ★
- 11 September: Ruud Gullit
- 1111 September: Franz Beckenbauer
- 1818 September: Ronaldo
- 2020 September: Henrik Larsson
- 2121 September: Sándor Kocsis
- 2222 September: Thiago Silva
- 2323 September: Quini
- 2424 September: Marco Tardelli
- 2525 September: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
- 2626 September: Michael Ballack
- 2727 September: Francesco Totti
- 2828 September: Javi Poves
- 2929 September: Andriy Shevchenko
- 3030 September: Frank Rijkaard
October11 ★
- 11 October: George Weah
- 22 October: Alisson Becker · Roberto Firmino
- 33 October: Zlatan Ibrahimović
- 44 October: Jorge Valdano
- 55 October: Kopa, Rial, Di Stéfano, Puskás and Gento
- 66 October: Bruce Grobbelaar
- 77 October: Diego Costa
- 88 October: Zvonimir Boban
- 99 October: Gheorghe Popescu
- 1010 October: Tony Adams
- 1111 October: Bobby Charlton
November
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December
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★ published · ✎ written, waiting for their day · the red circle is today
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Dates, clubs, individual awards and photos come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, under free licences, and update themselves. Ages are not written anywhere: they are calculated the moment you open the page, so this page always shows the right age, this year and twenty years from now. If any of these players signs for another club or wins an award, their profile picks it up on its own. What is written by hand is the story and the judgement: who the day belongs to, and why.