This Is Your Life: Jackie Charlton

Jackie CHARLTON (1935-2020)

The first sibling of a previous subject to be honoured by This Is Your Life

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Jackie Charlton, footballer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Thames Television's Euston Road Studios, having been led to believe he was there - with his Leeds United teammates - for an interview with ITV's World of Sport.

Jackie, who was born in Ashington, Northumberland, into a family steeped in football, played for the Leeds United youth team before receiving his first professional contract with the club at age 17. Having made his debut with the first team in April 1953, he went on to help the club win several titles, including the 1963-4 Second Division title, the 1968-9 First Division title and the 1972 FA Cup.

His first cap with the England team came just days before his 30th birthday, and he scored six goals in 35 international games, including two World Cups and one European Championship. He played in the World Cup final victory over West Germany in 1966 - alongside his brother, Manchester United forward Bobby Charlton - and helped England finish third in Euro 1968 and win four British Home Championship tournaments.

programme details...

Edition No: 359
Subject No: 360
Broadcast date: Wed 2 May 1973
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Fri 13 Apr 1973
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 13
Edition: 25

on the guest list...

members of Leeds United FC team
Don Revie
Pat - wife
Bobby Charlton - brother
Cissie - mother
Bob - father
Tommy - brother
Gordon - brother
Jackson Stevenson
Laura Crowther
Leon Herford
Dilwyn Jones
John Charles
Alf Thompson
John McCorkindale
Sam Hitchin
Morris Manford
Malcolm McKenna
Trevor Robbins
Raymond Housley
John Burham
Peter - son
Debbie - daughter
John - son
Billy Bremner
James McLain
Tommy Hamilton
David Holcroft
Stewart Aitken
Alf Ramsay
Bert Wilkinson
Georgina Fox
Ann Timlin
Mike - Ann's fiancé

production team...

Researcher: Sarah Dickinson
Writer: Jack Crawshaw
Director: Peter Webb
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Match of the Day

tackling football's top names

Family Life

keeping it in the family

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

Bobby Charlton

Don Revie

Screenshots of Jackie Charlton This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Soccer ran in the Charlton family – his mother's cousin was Newcastle United and England star Jackie Milburn (who was himself surprised with the Big Red Book at the studios of Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle).

By the time we surprised Bobby's big brother, Jackie, Leeds United and England centre half, on 13 April 1973, they had become the first brothers to play together in an England side since Nottingham Forest's Frank and Fred Foreman back in 1899.

In 1967 Jackie had been voted Footballer of the Year, taking the title from Bobby. Leeds and Scotland star Billy Bremner said the only reason he got the Leeds captaincy was that Big Jack did not want to lead the team on to the pitch. He had a superstition that if he came out last he would play better.

Series 13 subjects