Mick McCarthy says he has fond memories of legendary Blues boss Sir Bobby Robson. The FA are honouring the man who brought the FA and UEFA Cups to Portman Road by naming today the Sir Bobby Robson National Football Day.

McCarthy said: “He is an iconic figure in football and certainly at this football club but also in football around the world because he’s had success around the world.

“I always found him to be a lovely man. I’d like to be able to say I was a friend of his. I got on very well with him and just respected him.

“I saw more of him when I played in his golf day and I saw what a wonderful man he was when he was struggling with illness and having difficulty.

“But he was at every function, he was there at 9am in the morning and he was still there at one o’clock in the evening, still with a smile on his face and a word for everybody. So that’s him as a person, and as a football man he was fantastic.”

He says Robson’s enthusiasm for the game still remained: “He’d talk about football, footballers, old games, new games, things that are going on. He wasn’t just living in the past, he was still innovative, thinking about going forward as well.

“I think that’s always a sign of somebody that’s enthused by football, they’re not just stuck in the past, they’re actually looking at what can be done to change it, to improve it.

“Still looking at ways of beating teams. That was him. He was a really lovely man and a gentlemen whenever I came across him.”

He added: “He was just a really fair and honest man, and a sporting man. I don’t know anybody who’s got a bad word for him.

“One of his best buddies, Charlie Woods, is just around the corner. He was at Newcastle when I was at Sunderland, so we saw quite a bit of him then.

“I don’t know anybody that’s got a bad word for him and anybody that has, it would be their problem, there’ll be something wrong with them, not Bobby.”

McCarthy dismisses suggestions that Town’s history under Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey, who took over at Portman Road 58 years ago this week, has been a millstone for him and the other managers who have succeeded them.

“I don’t get involved in all that,” he said. “Why would I bother getting involved in all that? It’s like at Wolves with all the history there. Did that bother me? No.

“It was the same at Sunderland, having won the cup with Bob Stokoe. So what? All you can do is do what you can do.

“We won the league at Sunderland and we won it at Wolves. That’s not suggesting for one minute that we’re going to do that here. I respect the history and I respect the people who have been here, but no.

“I always remember at Celtic they were reeling off the names, Billy McNeill and all these, Bobby Lennox.

“I said ‘Well, bring them in, we’ll play them!’. And they said ‘But they’re 60 now!’. I said, ‘Well shut up then!’ and somebody else said ‘They still might beat you!’.

“That was the conversation, I sort of put them in their place and they put me in my place when they said they still might beat us at 60!

“I respected that Celtic had won the European Cup and all that, but I wasn’t living in that era. I just feel privileged that I’m at a club where Bobby had such great success, genuinely.”

Photo: Action Images

stevelincsexile added 07:02 - Aug 10 Yes a lovely man. I met him once after we had beaten Man Utd 6-0. He spent 5 mins telling me how we could have played better a star.
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stevelincsexile added 07:02 - Aug 10 Yes a lovely man. I met him once after we had beaten Man Utd 6-0. He spent 5 mins telling me how we could have played better a star.
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distractored added 07:03 - Aug 10 Do well MM and we'll put up a statue of you to go with the other two.
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BillBlue added 08:25 - Aug 10 I bumped into Bobby the morning after he had been surprisingly sacked by a certain Portugese club, who should remain nameless, and that the day after he had won their Chmpionship and made them runners up in the Europeon Championship (whatever it was called in those days) and he was, obviously, very upset. I said to him, "Come back to us Bobby, we need you" and his reply will always be there "I'd love to and they have my telephone number". I got to the office and immediately called the Club but, again unfortunately, Bobby was appointed Manager at Porto that same day and the rest is history. I don't know if the club made the attempt but I always think of it as a near miss. You were a lovely person Bobby.

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muccletonjoe added 08:40 - Aug 10 Bobby Robson was manager when I started supporting this great club. I was always struck by his enthusiasm and sheer brilliance at spotting potential at such a young age. A one off. No doubt about that
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marcusevans added 09:06 - Aug 10 At 14 years old I used to just turn up at training sessions and fetch balls that went over the fence into the car park. I was sometimes 'a bit in the way' as I ventured onto the training pitch but Sir Bobby was only concerned for my safety. Never a bad word, just a lovely lovely man.
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yorksblue added 11:08 - Aug 10 Great man and a great team in a great era. Wood be nice to have some of that back at PR. Stevelincsexile Remember that game well. Getting beaten up by 2 Man U fans outside station and getting a cheque for £37(weeks wages) in compensation the following week. Unconscious fans being brought into casualty, having been thrown out of moving trains. Can you understand why I despise Man U fans? How times have changed eh!

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osborne1nil added 11:20 - Aug 10 On and off the pitch Sir Bobby was respected. The word 'legend' often gets used for people or players but with Bobby, legend doesn't quiet seem enough. His time with Ipswich, England and to football in general should never be forgotten and for once the FA have got it right with a national football day named after him.
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BuckieBlue added 21:50 - Aug 10 Appropriate (and great) that we won on Sir Bobby's special day.
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