Sir Bobby Charlton died after accidentally falling and hitting a windowsill at a care home where he was battling dementia, an inquest has heard.
The England legend, who won the World Cup in 1966, lost his balance as he stood up from his chair and struck a windowsill and ‘possibly a radiator’, Cheshire Coroner’s Court heard.
Staff performed a full-body check at the time and noted no visible injuries, and initially found the 86-year-old’s mobility seemed unaffected.
A chest X-ray and CT scan revealed he’d fractured his ribs and was likely to develop pneumonia.
Doctors agreed that he should be put on end-of-life care at the hospital, the inquest heard. He died on October 21, five days after his fall, at the age of 86.
Sir Bobby is survived by his wife Lady Norma, their two daughters Suzanne and Andrea and grandchildren.
It was heard that Sir Bobby was ‘unsteady on his feet, especially when standing from a seated position’ as a result of his living with dementia.
The inquest, held in Warrington, heard Sir Bobby had an extensive medical history, which included an appendix removal, gout, a urine infection, and chest infections.
The inquest heard he had also contracted Covid-19 in September.
Tamara Simmons, manager at the care home, said Sir Bobby ‘needed support with all aspects of daily living.’
The inquest heard his bed was as close to the ground as possible, with crash mats and motion sensors in place due to his restlessness making him likely to roll out of bed.
Coroner Devonish ruled that Sir Bobby’s death was accidental.
She gave his cause of death as: Traumatic haemopneumothorax; A fall; Alzheimer’s/dementia.
