An inquest heard that Sir Bobby Charlton passed away following an unintentional fall at a care facility.
On October 21, the 86-year-old legend of Manchester United and England passed away at Macclesfield General Hospital.
During the Cheshire Coroner’s Court inquest, it was revealed that Sir Bobby resided in The Willows, a Knutsford nursing home that provides care for individuals with dementia.
Jacqueline Devonish, the senior coroner for Cheshire, determined that his death was an accident.
Sir Bobby was reported to have fallen out of his chair and hit a window sill and “possibly a radiator” during the hearing.
At the time, personnel did a full body examination and reported that there were no visible injuries and that his mobility appeared unaffected.
He had been receiving respite care at the center since July, but they later noticed swelling on his back, so they called paramedics.
After that, he was transferred to a nearby hospital and then to Macclesfield General Hospital.
The inquest heard that a chest X-ray and CT scan indicated he had broken his ribs and was probably going to get pneumonia.
Following their agreement, Sir Bobby’s doctors put him on end-of-life care; he passed away five days later.
He had a long medical history and had also contracted Covid in September, according to the inquest.
According to Tamara Simmons, the manager of the care facility, Sir Bobby “needed support with all aspects of daily living”.
The coroner determined that dementia, a fall, and lung trauma were the cause of death.
Sir Bobby had only been residing at the location for a brief while, according to Karen Slater, associate operations director at MHA, the company that owns the care facility, after the inquest.
“Staff at the home were very fond of Sir Bobby and cared for and supported him, as they do for all our residents,” she stated.
“Our deepest sympathies go to his widow Lady Norma Charlton and his family.”
Admired by many as one of England’s all-time greats, Sir Bobby played a crucial role in the Three Lions’ World Cup victory in 1966.
He won three league titles, an FA Cup, and a European Cup with United over the course of his 17-year first team career.
At Old Trafford, thousands of supporters have left tributes. A sea of mementos and flowers has saturated the area in front of the iconic Trinity statue, which immortalizes him alongside teammates George Best and Denis Law.
Additionally, plans for a comprehensive memorial service later this month have been revealed.
