Thank you, Sir Bobby Robson

Speaking of foreign shores, Sir Bobby, you are only the second manager after Brian Clough who has stamped a name for English managers outside Merry Olde England. You achieved success in some of Europe’s harshest theatres of war: at PSV Eindhoven, where you won two Eredivisie titles, at Porto, where you won the league twice and added to it a cup triumph, at mighty, mighty Barcelona, where you won the King’s Cup, the Super Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup.

And you did all of this while sticking to your principles. Sad it may be that you were only acknowledged for it after you left this world, but the fact that you were conferred the FIFA Fair Play Award in 2009 for being a thorough gentleman and showing your opponents the respect they were worthy of means you will be remembered fondly for evermore by the footballing fraternity.

You won titles throughout Europe, Sir Bobby, and you did it while caring for your players, by understanding them, by showing as much enthusiasm in the dugout as they did on the pitch, and by putting in as much hard work off the training ground as they did on it.

For all this and more, Sir Bobby, I thank you.

But your greatest fight was not on the football pitch, was it? It was a fight that you fought with yourself on five different occasions and emerged victorious four times.

You beat cancer, Sir Bobby. And then it came back, and you beat it again, and again, and again. You defeated bowel cancer in ’92, overcame melanoma in ’95, a lung tumour was banished in 2006, and even when that horrible disease threatened to attack your brain at the same time, you defied it, and like the gladiator you are, fought it head on with a smile on your face and the steely glint of resolve in your eye.

“Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die, not so much for what he did in his career, for one victory more or less, but for what he knew to give to those who had, like me, the good fortune to know him and walk by his side. My thoughts and embraces go to all his loved ones.”

- Jose Mourinho

But alas, Sir Bobby, cancer is not a disease that is merciful. Cancer reappeared in your lungs in 2007, and you knew then, sir, that your race was run.

But even then, even then, sir, you did not give up fighting the good fight. With your last breath, you vowed to fight till the very end. Your foundation, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, has now totalled more than £5 million to aid in the fight against cancer. Alan Shearer, Niall Quinn and so many others have answered your call to fighting this dreaded disease, and they and many more will continue to battle on.

The footballing world mourns your passing, Sir Bobby, but they have ensured that you will never be forgotten. Outside Ipswich Town in a statue of you, forever meant to honour your deeds for the club. There is another one at St. James’ Park in Newcastle. You’re a member of the English Football Hall of Fame (but you already know that) and whenever players of Ipswich Town do take to the field, they will do so knowing that the North Stand of the club has been renamed in your honour.

The same honour with which you were bestowed the title of honorary president at the club in 2006.

For all of your contributions and more, I really wish there was more I could do. But words, such a far cry from the actions you performed, are all I can offer. What you have done has gone down in the annals of the game and will live long in the memory of all those who love the beautiful game of football.

Because there’s only one Bobby Robson.