Raised in the Northumberland mining village of Ashington, Sir Bobby Charlton played host to 23 Chilean miners, who watched Charlton's Manchester United beat Arsenal, 1-0, as VIP guests in the club's directors box.

 “It’s an honor to be at Old Trafford," Omar Reygadas, a 56-year-old bulldozer operator, said. "It’s the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ and we have only seen it on television. We are very glad and excited to watch the match against Arsenal. We have got enough footballers to make a team and maybe play Manchester United!”

The group, among 33 miners who survived 69 days underground following a rock-fall in August, received United jerseys with their names on the back, plus the number reflecting when they were lifted out of the mine during their rescue.