Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match
Produced under licence by Toast Entertainment Group as The Legends it was played at St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on Sunday 26 July 2009.
The match was described as the 'tear-jerker of the decade',[1] and proved to be Robson's last public appearance, as he died five days later on the morning of 31 July 2009 aged 76, having been suffering from cancer, his fifth diagnosis in his lifetime.
[2] Early estimates were that the charity match raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Foundation which he set up in the last years of his life to fund cancer research in his native North East England.
During the game, Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne openly wept when he received a yellow card during extra time, which meant he would have missed the final had England won.
His arrival lifted the Newcastle team immediately after the experiences of the Ruud Gullit era, and produced an 8–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in his first home game in charge in September 1999.
[17] Much of the media coverage of the charity match focused on the present situation at Newcastle United, picking up on Alan Shearer's reply of "I know as much as you do," to a pre-match question as to whether he would be installed as Newcastle manager for the forthcoming season beginning in 13 days, with the club being up for sale and with the first team without a manager, being in the care of coach Chris Hughton.
[18] Neither the Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley or managing director Derek Llambias were in attendance at the charity match.
[20] In 2008, he put his name and support to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a charity set up to raise funds for cancer research.
The Foundation denied reports that ticket sales had been affected by turmoil at Newcastle United following their relegation in May, or their scheduling of a pre-season friendly in Utrecht, the Netherlands on the day before the match, later cancelled.
The night before the charity match, a fund-raising dinner in Robson's honour was held at Blagdon Hall, hosted by ITV sports presenter Jim Rosenthal, also due to play in the game.
[28] Wilkinson picked 10 of his starting 11, while the final place was selected by an ITV phone vote before the game, with Rob Lee being chosen over John Beresford and Steve Howey.
[3][7] After the formation of the team line-up and guard of honour on the pitch, Tenors Unlimited, a three-man opera group, sang both national anthems.
[37][38] After the award presentation Tenors Unlimited then performed a rendition of "Nessun Dorma", which was the theme music for the BBC 1990 World Cup coverage.
The first goal of the game was relatively easy for the Germans, and came from a run by Helmer through the middle of the England defence, who after a one-two with Bobic, scored through the advancing Shilton's legs.
In reply, immediately after the restart Shearer was given wrongly offside running onto a long pass from Beardsley in the England half.
England manager Howard Wilkinson chose to counter the early German dominance, with an “infusion of energy”, bringing on Thompson and Beresford.
The second England goal came on 32 minutes after Shearer, running onto a Ferdinand pass down the right channel, was adjudged to have been dragged back by Pflügler, well outside the penalty box.
On 34 minutes Albertz forced a block from Beasant having run through the England defenders onto a pass from Beinlich from inside the German half.
After a foul by Lee on Borowka, the resulting free kick by Beinlich in a similar position to England's second goal passed over the bar.
Singer Craig David was the first celebrity brought into the game, bringing fresh legs into the England attack, and who on 72 minutes forced a save from Reck from a speculative shot along the ground.
A minute later, a long range shot from Albertz hit the underside of the bar, bouncing back into play from the goal line, followed by Reck gathering the ball from the feet of Craig David at the other end of the pitch.
Shearer scored the resulting penalty past Reck's right hand side, who had guessed the correct way but could not reach the mid-height shot.
The immediate German response brought a block by Howey from an Albertz shot inside the penalty area, with Hodge also covering, and with Marschall later shooting wide.
As match winners, the Bobby Robson trophy was lifted by Peter Beardsley and Paul Gascoigne, before the whole team performed a lap of honour of the stadium.
