Rip Nobby Stiles
There sems to be too many of these memorials. There's probably nother thread about Nobby, apologies if there is, but I want to add my own thread.
I went to the same school as Nobby, St. Patricks', Collyhurst, Manchester whilst he was there. I didn't know him as he was 6 years older than me, but he lived just round the corner, on Rochdale Rd, where his dad had a funeral service, Charlie Stiles, Funeral Dircetors. We would see him regularly at break times playing football in the school playground and after school on the rough areas. No grass in Central Manchester you know in those days!
I was only 9 years old when one Monday morning the head of the junior school, Miss Farrell, came into the class with Nobby. She took him all round the school to every class. She informed us that he had played for England Schoolboys the previous Saturday. (We all knew that anyway!) She showed us the cap that he had won and we were allowed to hold it, a velvet, navy blue cap with gold braiding and a gold tassle. There was also a plaque that he had been presented with that we all inspected. Everyone was really excited. Before he left, we all gave him a round of applause, much to his embarrassment. It's something I always remembered and it came to mind when he danced round Wembley with the World Cup in 1966. The street where St. Patricks once stood is now called Nobby Stiles Close. RIP Nobby. You were one of St. Pats'!