Bobby Had His Cake And Ate It!

The world said farewell to Sir Bobby Robson today at an emotionally-charged service of thanksgiving at Durham Cathredral and although I cannot claim to have known the great man to the same extent as many football writers I do have a nice, typically Robson-esque anecdote to share with you on this day of days. I had arranged an interview with Bobby in Porto when he was in charge of the Portuguese team for a glossy men's magazine but when photographer Dave Rogers and I arrived Bobby did not seem to know anything about it. It was his birthday, he was wearing shorts and long socks that made him look like a middle-aged Englishman abroad, and he had a cake complete with candles made to celebrate the day which he hoped to share with his players. Unfortunately he had not told them before training and, by the time he had remembered, all the players had left for home. All was not lost, though. Like AA Milne's  Eeyore placing his burst balloon inside Pooh's empty honey jar Bobby was happy with his solution. And so it came to pass that I, Dave the photographer and Bobby spent a pleasant afternoon in the Northern Portuguese sunshine chatting away and munching at his birthday cake. As a footnote, the man who served up the cake was a little known translator back then called Jose Mourinho. I wonder what ever happened to him? Sweet dreams Bobby. You were a class act.