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LONDON - Bobby Robson coached both Ronaldo and Paul Gascoigne, and was cheated by Diego Maradona's "Hand of God."
He also led England to the soccer World Cup semifinals and won club titles in the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
A World Cup player at the time the 17-year-old
Pele exploded onto the scene in 1958, Robson refuses to end his unbroken 57-year link with soccer despite the effects of cancer.
His prestigious but long overdue award for his services to soccer came as no surprise.
"A lifetime achievement award suggests the next stop is a coffin," Robson said
"Let me assure you, that will not be the case."
When he tottered down the steps yesterday to receive his BBC award from another coaching great, Alex Ferguson, a stellar audience of British sports stars - from Olympic champions Sebastian Coe and Steven Redgrave, rugby player Jonny Wilkinson and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton - rose to give the 74-year-old Robson a standing ovation.
True to form, Robson thanked everyone from his former players, fellow coaches and his wife of 52 years, Elsie, for his own successes.
"Nobody wins anything on their own," said Robson, who joined Pele, Bjorn Borg, Martina Navratilova and George Best in receiving a BBC Lifetime Achievement award.
"This award really is an extension and opportunity for me to say thank you very much to everybody that has supported me. Without the players, without the people that worked for me and that I inherited I wouldn't be here tonight."
No brash boasts, no bad mouthing of rivals, no overstatements or fawning praise.
Robson is one of those sports figures who is admired by all for his enthusiasm and integrity.
Ferguson, who has refused to talk to the BBC for several years in protest at a program linking his son to soccer kickbacks, even interrupted his boycott to attend its Sports Personality of the Year awards night and present Robson with his trophy.
"To retain that enthusiasm and love for the game is an amazing achievement," said the Manchester United manager, who has led the Red Devils to 20 titles in 21 years at Old Trafford.
"It's a miracle."
While an attacking midfielder with Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, Robson played 20 times for England, including at the 1958 World Cup. England were the only team not to lose to Brazil, holding the eventual champions to a 0-0 draw although that was days before Pele made his famous World Cup debut.
Robson gained far more success after he turned to coaching in the late 1960s.
He guided Ipswich Town to FA Cup and UEFA Cup triumphs and two runners-up finishes in the league, relying heavily on players groomed by the club rather than from the transfer market.
Taking over as coach of England in 1982, he failed to get the team to the European Championship two years later. But England reached the World Cup in 1986 and '90, as well as Euro '88.
Robson lost only one of 28 qualifying games.
England were knocked out of the 1986 World Cup after Maradona punched the ball into the net for Argentina's first goal and then added a stunning second with a dribble through the entire defence.
In Italy four years later, the team got to the semifinals and were beaten by West Germany in a penalty shootout after a dramatic 1-1 draw which had Gascoigne in tears.
Before he even went to that World Cup, Robson was told he was on the way out. He later moved on to PSV Eindhoven, where he won two league titles but had disputes with Romario over the striker's lifestyle and lack of training.
Robson joined Sporting Lisbon, where his Portuguese translator was Jose Mourinho, and guided a club which was in disarray to a third-place finish. He and Mourinho moved on to FC Porto and led the team to back-to-back league titles, and they next teamed up at FC Barcelona, where Robson arranged for the arrival of Ronaldo.
With Ronaldo in standout form, Barcelona won three trophies in the 1996-97 season and Robson was named European coach of the year. The Brazilian striker described him as one of the best coaches in the world.
After another brief stop at PSV, Robson moved to Newcastle, the club he supported as a boy, and he lifted the Magpies from last in the Premier League to a fourth-place finish during the 2001-02 season. He was fired in 2004, however, after a poor start to the season, and until recently, had a spell as consultant to Ireland coach Steve Staunton.
If only England's soccer team had another Bobby Robson to call on right now.
The Football Association has been searching for a replacement for Steve McClaren, who was fired three weeks ago after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
"I've chatted to (FA chief executive) Brian Barwick about the England job. Unfortunately for me, he wanted advice, not volunteers," Robson said.
"If only I were a few years younger."
- AP
