Man Utd to honour a legend in Sir Bobby Charlton with special tributes

The life of Sir Bobby Charlton will be celebrated at Old Trafford on Sunday with a series of tributes before the Manchester derby between Man Utd and Man City.

United's East Stand window will be dressed with banners remembering the club icon, and the centre-circle will be covered with a commemorative banner before kick-off. 

As the teams walk out of the tunnel, fans in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand will be asked to raise pieces of paper above their heads to build a giant mosaic. At the same time as the mosaic, a giant surfer banner will be unfurled across the Stretford End.

The players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute's applause ahead of kick-off.

See: League-wide tributes for Sir Bobby Charlton in MW10

Former players of United and City will be present on the pitch for the minute's applause, as the city of Manchester puts rivalries aside to come together and honour an icon. 

Among the thousands of people from across Manchester who have paid their respects this week and signed the book of condolences have been City manager Pep Guardiola, City legend Mike Summerbee OBE and Mayor of the Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

See: Manchester demonstrates it is a City United

In a show of respect and solidarity ahead of Sunday’s derby at Old Trafford, all three praised the impact Sir Bobby, who sadly passed away at the age of 86 last Saturday, had on not just football but also the image of the city.

"We have a huge respect for Manchester United and we prove it, losing and winning these years," Guardiola said.

"We have a lot of respect and especially the icon, the figure of Sir Bobby Charlton. We will be part of the condolences for the family, Manchester United and English football. We will be there.”

Sir Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool legend, spoke of his "total respect" for Sir Bobby as he went to Old Trafford this week to sign in person. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also paid his respects. 

United's online book of condolence has received over 60,000 messages from over 200 countries around the world.

On Friday, Man Utd aired a special video of club legends sharing their memories of the man they knew so well. 

Sunday's match programme, United Review, will lead with a simply beautiful cover image of the boy from Ashington and, inside, pays respects to the 1966 Ballon d'Or winner with an in-depth, 28-page tribute to his life and legacy. Sir Alex Ferguson has also supplied a eulogy on his great friend, Sir Bobby.

See: More on how Sir Bobby will be celebrated