Sir Bobby Robson name given to train

Sir Bobby's widow's Lady Elsie unveiled the plaque at Newcastle Central Station

A train has been named after the former Newcastle United and England manager Sir Bobby Robson.

The Sir Bobby Robson class 91 electric locomotive was unveiled by the legend's widow Lady Elsie Robson and former England captain Alan Shearer.

The East Coast train left Newcastle Central Station for its first journey to London early on Tuesday morning.

County Durham-born Sir Bobby, who also managed Barcelona and Ipswich, died from cancer aged 76 in July 2009.

A year before his death, he set up the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation which has raised more than £2.5m for cancer research.

'Meant a lot'

East Coast Mainline chairwoman Elaine Holt said: "Sir Bobby was such an iconic figure for the North East - who else would we name one of our trains after?

"It was actually our customers who asked us to start naming our trains again.

"We wanted it to be after someone inspirational and Sir Bobby was exactly that."

Shearer, who played under Sir Bobby at Newcastle United for five seasons, is the patron of the charity.

He said: "Sir Bobby would have loved this - he loved seeing his name anywhere, and to see it on the front of a train would have meant a lot to him.

"His charity is going fantastically well, past the £2.5m mark, and that is not just from big events but from little old ladies and coffee mornings."