In any business you meet some people that you hope you don’t see again, others you are happy just to work with and then go home.

But now and again you come across someone who you would like to see at any time.

My wife and I were drying our tears up a little on Monday night, after watching the programme on the life of Jack Charlton.

Jack and I both of course came from the north east. He would often stay overnight with us when he was coming up from Yorkshire on his way to see his parents at Ashington, where him and Bobby were both born.

He of course was an outstanding centre-half in one of the best teams of its era at Leeds United under a top-class manager in Don Revie.

Jack was persuaded by Don to go on coaching courses. Probably because during games Jack continually was shouting at others in the team to mark a man, get tight, go wide, pass the ball etcetera.

That is basically how we first met up. I was going to coaching courses in the north east but the big one was always a week at Lilleshall in the summer.

It was run by the FA and you had to apply quickly, as there was a limited number allowed on. It was so popular.

The highlight for people like myself, who at the time was coaching Gateshead or Bishop Auckland as well as having what you would call a ‘proper job’ was mixing and mingling with people such as Jack and other top internationals, as well as coaches and managers from the top flights.

I thought the film about Jack was excellent. It showed how he had no airs or graces and there were one or two humorous moments for Anne and I.

When we saw for instance, the loads of paper he had kept. Speaking to Pat, his wife, since the programme, she said she and her daughter are still busy sorting out papers that have been left behind.

Jack of course loved fishing. On more than one occasion he came down to stay with us in Southampton, and we remember I dropped him off having got permission from an owner to let him fish on what was normally a private area.

I found out afterwards he didn’t just stay by the side of the river. He had wandered along and realised it was a fish farm, where they were producing fish and then releasing them into the river.

So rather than stand and wait for one to take his hook, he went where they were all leaping over a fence underwater and he was catching them in his net!

He then landed back at our house. Unbeknown to us, he was gutting them under a tap at the back of the house and it wasn’t until I took him to the station the next day, I realised that overnight the bathroom he had was full of fish.

I can’t remember how long it took to get rid of the smell but it was typical Jack.

Another occasion was when he and Pat stayed overnight because the next day they were going on a cruise, where Jack was speaking.

They had a free cruise and Jack was paid to talk. I got them down nice and early to arrive and we went into one of the hotels opposite the docks to order an afternoon tea.

When the bill came, I reached out and Pat said ‘Jack, we have stayed the night with Anne and Lawrie, we’ve had meals – we pay’.

Jack then fumbled around in his pocket looking for his credit card. She told him which pocket it was in and he then said he forgot his pin number. She said ‘Jack, it’s 1966’.

He always insisted rumours of him writing cheques instead of paying cash in Ireland - where he was a total legend, because they knew they wouldn’t cash the cheques – were wrong.

But I remember distinctly – and I told him - when I was managing Northern Ireland, I went down to look at a game in Dublin.

I called into a shop for something. The gentleman recognised me and took something off the wall. It was a small, framed cheque from Jack for under one pound.

That was Jack. He knew that they wouldn’t cash it but to this day he is loved by everyone in the Republic of Ireland because he put them back on the football map.

There are so many things to say about him, which is why the TV programme went on so long but was much enjoyed by so many people.

Jack I am sure will be up there now arguing with Tommy Docherty, with John Mortimore, trying to keep the peace!

But God bless and happy memories.