A poignant handwritten letter from former England World Cup manager Sir Bobby Robson has been discovered 30 years after he posted it to a small Essex village football club. The letter, penned in 1996 while Robson was signing a contract to join Spanish giants Barcelona, was sent to Hatfield Heath FC as they celebrated their 75th anniversary of affiliation with the Essex FA.
Letter's Content and Sentiment
Robson wrote: "To Hatfield Heath Football Club You have probably heard I'm heading for BARCELONA FOOTBALL CLUB in my opinion the biggest Football Club in the world. The stadium holds 120,000 people and it's usually full!! There is not Barcelonas of this world unless there is hundreds of Hatfield Heath Football Clubs. Football has to start somewhere!"
He continued: "It probably ends in Barcelona/Juventus/Manchester United/AC Milan and Bayern Munich. But the Hatfield Heaths of this world provide the vase and the solid foundation upon which football and football players develop. Believe it please! Good luck in all you do. The big guns need the little guns and you all do a remarkable job. I really admire your enthusiasm, dedication and devotion to the world game."
Robson signed off: "Congratulations on your 75th - you will make the ton easily."
Club's Reaction and Historical Significance
Hatfield Heath's secretary David Pyle said: "It was such a special letter to receive. A club member contacted several famous football people and Bobby was one of the few to respond. It really shows the class of the man."
Author and historian Grant Bage, who researched a biography of Sir Alf Ramsey, commented: "This is a really special letter. I'm an Ipswich Town fan and Bobby Robson is a hero of mine. The fact he took time to write a letter like this when he was leaving Porto to join Barcelona at such an important time in his career shows the measure of the man. Hatfield Heath FC are very fortunate to have such a lovely letter from a lovely man."
Hatfield Heath FC's Place in Football History
Hatfield Heath FC, formed in the 1890s, has several claims to fame. On Boxing Day 1946, they played against a Prisoner of War XI from a local camp, losing 11-0 – a record defeat commemorated on its 75th anniversary in 2021. In the same year Robson wrote his letter, Geoff Hurst and West German goalkeeper Hans Tilkowski recreated the controversial 1966 World Cup goal on the club's Calves Pasture pitch, using the original ball brought back from Germany by the Daily Mirror.
Sir Bobby Robson died in 2009 at age 76. He managed England to the 1990 World Cup semi-final, and also managed Newcastle United, Ipswich Town, PSV Eindhoven, Porto, and Barcelona.
