The first-ever autograph from England's football hero?

It was nothing short of a miracle.

On February 6, 1958 he was pulled from the wreckage of a plane crash.

Still strapped to his seat. But with barely a scratch.

Twenty three men lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.

Eight of his young team mates were killed. Two more never played again.

But Bobby Charlton survived.

He rose from the tragedy to become an icon.

The most celebrated figure in English football history.

And one of the greatest players the world has ever seen.

A gentleman and a genius

As a player Bobby Charlton won it all.

The World Cup. The European Cup. The League title. The F.A Cup.

In 1966 he was awarded the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player.

His goalscoring records for Manchester United and England stood for over 40 years. And off the field, he remains one of the game's greatest ambassadors.

According to French legend Michel Platini, “Sir Bobby represents everything that is good about the game of football; fair play, respect, and true loyalty and he is a good example for future generations, both on and off the pitch.”

And Charlton's 1966 World Cup teammate Jimmy Greaves said simply: “He’s history in the flesh is Bobby Charlton. He’s our greatest living football man.”

If you love football, one thing is clear.

Bobby Charlton belongs at the very heart of your collection.

The boy with the world at his feet

“It was a thin February morning with frost upon the ground. We had to peer through the mist, but what I saw was enough for me: this boy is going to be a world-beater.”

Those are the words of Joe Armstrong, the scout who discovered Charlton as a 15-year-old. And he was right.

Charlton was still a pupil at Bedlington Grammar School when he signed his first contract with Manchester United in 1953.

And the rare item I'm offering you today is a direct link to those defining early years of his life and career.

Bobby Charlton's personal Bible.

Featuring possibly his earliest-known autograph, circa 1950.

Owned as a schoolboy, as he honed his skills and thunderous shot on the streets and playing fields of Northumberland...

And as he signed his first contract with Manchester United in 1953.

Incredibly, it was discovered by accident at a jumble sale in the 1980s.

And now it survives as a very special piece of English football history.

The legendary name

This 240-page leather-bound Bible is well worn and well read.

But carefully open the cover and it bursts into life.

Because there's the famous name.

"R. Charlton". Signed repeatedly in both pencil and ink.

Written by a young boy dreaming of football. Not knowing that one day he'd be signing his name on a contract with Manchester United...

Or signing autographs as a World Cup winner...

The Bible is also inscribed in what appears to be Charlton's hand inside the front and back covers.

And it features the name "Miss Hope" - likely Charlton's first teacher at Bedlington Grammar School, which he joined as a pupil in 1950.

The Local Hero

The address of Charlton's childhood home “114 Beatrice Street, Ashington” is written inside the back cover, along with the name “Chuck Charlton”, Bobby's school nickname.

In August 1966 Charlton and his brother Jack were greeted by 15,000 people when they returned to celebrate their World Cup victory with their family.

As the local paper reported at the time:

“No 114 Beatrice Street, where Ashington’s two football kings were reared and where their parents, Bob and Cis Charlton live, is no palace, but you might have thought it was from all the flags that hung thereabouts.”

This is real history you can hold in your hand.

Just as Bobby Charlton held it all those years ago.

If you love football, you can feel the magic and memories in these pages.

A lasting legacy

Like Bobby Charlton himself, this Bible is a remarkable survivor.

He first wrote his name in the book more than 70 years ago.

It's thought Charlton may have taken it with him when he left home to join Manchester United as a teenager.

And decades later it was purchased at a jumble sale in Manchester, with no knowledge that it once belonged to one of football's greatest players.

The discovery of Charlton's name inside was a revelation. And it was confirmed as genuine by a note from his company Halba Travel Ltd.

Today that name hangs proudly, high above the Old Trafford pitch, on the Bobby Charlton Stand.

A permanent tribute to a Manchester United legend.

A rare opportunity

Unlike the modern stars of today, the players of the 1950s and 60s often left precious little memorabilia behind.

Surviving items from Charlton's football career are few and far between.

Even his England jersey from the 1966 World Cup Final was thrown out by the German player he swapped it with!

And as the President of the National Football Museum, it's likely Charlton's own archive will eventually be donated to its permanent collection.

So this Bible is one of the few genuine pieces of Bobby Charlton's life collectors will ever have the chance to own.

And in today's soaring market, where memorabilia from history's greatest football players is increasingly fetching five, six or even seven-figure sums...

Bobby Charlton's earliest-known signature is a thing of real value.

Own this unique Bible today