Aug 9 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun
THOUSANDS of saddened fans have rallied to our campaign to see a permanent memorial created to honour Sir Bobby Robson.
Sir Bobby lost his battle against cancer in the early hours of last Friday morning at the age of 76, while he was surrounded by his family at home in Durham.
The last week has seen an overwhelming outpouring of emotion for the former Newcastle, Ipswich and England manager, with tributes coming in from all over the world for the legendary gentleman of football.
And thousands have responded to our call for a permanent memorial for Sir Bobby, by suggesting a whole ream of fitting tributes.
Some have called for a stand at Wembley Stadium in London to be named after him, to recognise the fantastic contribution he made to football.
Others say Newcastle International Airport should be renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Airport, and that St James Boulevard, which leads to the stadium, should be named after him.
But the two most popular suggestions among fans and dignitaries are for the East Stand at St James’s Park to be named after Sir Bobby, and for a statue to be made of the great man.
Neil Mitchell, interim chair of Newcastle United Supporters Trust, said: “Our 2500 members have indicated they would like to see a lasting memorial to ‘wor Bobby’.