13 November 2023 , 13:48
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag did not attend Sir Bobby Charlton's funeral on Monday.
Ten Hag had an “unbreakable and longstanding personal commitment in the Netherlands”, according to United, which prevented him from attending the service. Among the distinguished guest list at Manchester Cathedral were FA President Prince William, England boss Gareth Southgate and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
Former United managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were also in attendance, as were current players Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton. Sir Bobby's former team-mates also paid their respects, among them Alex Stepney, Paddy Crerand, John Aston Jnr, Brian Kidd, Willie Morgan, Sammy McIlroy, Martin Buchan and Alan Gowling.
Other ex-players at the funeral included Lou Macari, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Brian McClair, Steve Bruce, Mike Phelan, Gary Pallister, Ryan Giggs, Peter Schmiechel, Andy Cole, Roy Keane, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Wes Brown, Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young. Non-United former players in attendance included Mike Summerbee, Ian Callaghan, Alan Kennedy, Gary Lineker and Mark Noble.
Back on October 24, just three days after Charlton's death was confirmed, Ten Hag laid a wreath on the centre circle at Old Trafford ahead of United's home game with Copenhagen. The manager was in the dugout for the 1-0 win over Luton on Saturday, before returning to his native country.
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It's not just Ten Hag who was absent though. The club's American owners, the Glazer family, were also not present following discussions with senior club officials.
Erik ten Hag will not attend Sir Bobby Charlton's funeral (Getty Images)They decided that the risk of receiving abuse from supporters, that could overshadow the poignant occasion, was too great. The Glazers were also concerned that attending would detract from the tributes to Charlton.
Members of the general public lined the streets of Manchester long before the funeral was due to start, with thousands gathering outside Old Trafford. More than 1,000 guests were at the service itself.