Sir Bobby Charlton ruled the football world but he also left his mark on Shropshire

After the sad death of one of England's greatest ever sportsmen the Shropshire Star has looked back on his time in the county, where he managed to combine his fledgling career at Manchester United with National Service at Nesscliffe Army Training Area.

Charlton had been based at the camp with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the mid 1950s, where he would complete his service during the week before playing for United on weekends

It was during his time at Nesscliffe that Charlton broke into the United first team, five days short of his 19th birthday on October 6, 1956.

Frustrated at how military service was hindering his progress in the team, he reportedly found an ally in his company sergeant-major “Chalky” White.

“He was a great football fan, had a car and was eager to make a deal,” Charlton recalled in his autobiography.

“You get the tickets, Bobby, and I’ll get you the leave passes and drive you up to Manchester whenever United have a home game in the European Cup.”

Charlton was actually based at the camp down to the advice of the legendary Manchester United manager Matt Busby, who had recommended he applied to be posted there so he could travel back and continue to play for the Red Devils.

Charlton wasn't the only United star at the camp on National Service, with the legendary Duncan Edwards already based at Nesscliffe when Charlton arrived, having been called up in 1955.

The pair played in a host of games for the Nesscliffe camp's own football team, with Edwards estimated to have played in around 100 matches for the army during his time.

The routine for the pair would usually see them playing for the Army team on a Wednesday and Manchester United on a Saturday.

The online 'Duncan Edwards United' site, which details Edwards' life, explains how the situation left the pair tired out.

Recounting Edwards' army days it states: "On returning to their Shropshire base by train they often missed their train stop at Shrewsbury and end up at Ludlow Station because they were so worn out."

It also shares an anecdote from Charlton about his arrival at Nesscliffe, with the England star recalling: "Duncan was a year older than I was and he took charge of me the moment I arrived at the army camp.

"He had my billet arranged and everything. When he showed me to the billet, he noticed there was a spring sticking out of the bed, and said to me ‘we can’t have that'.

“It was a great big iron bed, but he hoisted it over his shoulder, mattress, frame and all and went off in search of a better one for me.”

Meanwhile, Derek Thorpe, who was a regular soldier with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) at Copthorne Barracks, has previously told how he would regularly play against the Manchester United stars during their National Service in the mid-1950s.

“Because they were just up the road from us, we would play each other a lot,” he said.

But unsurprisingly Derek recalls the games were often one-sided affairs, with the KSLI lads beating the Nesscliffe team on just one occasion, adding: “They were a cut above the rest. They had a lot of players from different clubs, there was a player from Everton, and another one from Blackpool.”

Also in that team was Brian Griffiths, a full back for Shrewsbury Town.

Like many professional footballers from the Midlands and north-west, he was posted to Nesscliffe for his National Service so he could continue to keep playing for his club.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star in 2018 Brian said: “Duncan was already there.

“He was a PTI, a physical training instructor. He was a corporal. We had a good old natter and he explained everything to us. I knew him as Dunc.

“He was a smashing lad. He was big, and so gentle, and yet when he said something, you automatically did it. He was not aggressive, and his football capabilities were just unbelievable.”

Soon after Brian started at Nesscliffe, a teenage Charlton arrived at the depot too, and he and Brian were both in the same platoon – 3 Platoon – and shared the same platoon billet.

Brian said: “We would do the normal training the soldiers did – marching, ammunition, etc and so on – and then after that the footballers would do the football training. We were all mates and it was a good atmosphere."

He saw first-hand how Edwards, who played wing half, brought out the best in the young Bobby Charlton, who played at inside forward or centre forward.

“Bobby does owe Dunc quite a lot. Over the time I knew him he improved to A1.”

Derek, who by coincidence later became a golf buddy of Brian’s, recalled how the Busby Babes slotted in very easily to army life, and got on with all the other soldiers.

“They were great lads, they really were,” says Derek. “You could talk to them easily, it was just normal army chat.

“At one point I was injured, and I finished up in the medical centre at Nesscliffe, and I remember Duncan and Bobby Charlton coming to visit me.”

Brian said Charlton and Edwards seemed to enjoy their Shropshire army days, adding: "They mucked in with everything and they never thought they were any higher than anybody else.”