Durham Cathedral hosts the Thanksgiving Service for Sir Bobby Robson
22/09/2009
Durham Cathedral has never seen so many top footballers and managers together at the same time.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Gary Lineker, Fabio Capello, Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoyne and many, many others who, together with his family came to remember and give thanks for the life of Sir Bobby Robson. It was fitting that the service was held in the Cathedral, just a few miles from the mining villages of Langley Park and Sacriston where Sir Bobby grew up.
Words and music filled the Cathedral as everyone celebrated the life of one football’s true enthusiasts and an inspiration to so many. There were fitting and moving tributes from Tom Wilson (a fellow player from Sir Bobby’s playing days at Fulham), Gary Lineker (who played under him in two world cup campaigns), Sir Alex Ferguson (a fellow manager), and Professor Ruth Plummer (who had been Sir Bobby’s oncologist). The Bishop of Newcastle, a Newcastle supporter and season ticket holder himself, identified black and white, darkness and light, death and life, grace and truth as the themes of Sir Bobby’s life and the main themes of our Christian faith. He quoted St Irenaeus, of the second century who said, “The glory of God is a human being being fully alive”. Bishop Martin said of all the things that have been said of Sir Bobby one thing there is no doubt about, he was a human being fully alive.
The music was moving and included one of Sir Bobby’s favourite peices, Nimrod by Elgar. Everyone joined in a hymn so often sung on the terraces, 'Abide with me', the Cathedral choristers sang Steal Away, Katherine Jenkin’s sang Andrew LLoyd Webber’s Pie Jesu together with Liam, one of the choristers. Finally we were all transported back to 'Italia 90' as Tenors Unlimited sang the BBC’s theme tune for the 1990 campaign, Nessum Dorma.
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