Sir Bobby Robson: the patient

Professor Ruth Plummer

Professor Ruth Plummer was Sir Bobby Robson's oncologist for more than two years, treating him for various cancers. She shares some of her memories of Bobby as her patient, fundraiser and friend.

Professor Plummer grew close to the Robson family, and it was she who asked Bobby to help with fundraising for the Northern Centre for Cancer Care at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

In fact, Bobby personally saw to it that his charity, The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, raised more than £1.6m for cancer research and the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Centre was opened at the Freeman Hospital in February 2009.

Click on the audio clips to hear Professor Plummer - a woman who saw Bobby's highs and lows.

BBC Sports Personality

According to Ruth, one of the lows was when Bobby found out he'd won the BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement award, as he wasn't given much notice and had just finished a bout of chemotherapy and felt ill.

Ruth would normally re-arrange their chemotherapy sessions around his media and sporting commitments, but this time, it wasn't possible as the award was a surprise.

The event itself was a high, but the sickness before was a low.

There were other lows too. Professor Plummer said: "There were difficult times.

"He had nearly a year of chemotherapy with us and there were scans where the results weren't as good as he and I would have liked... but we would talk about it and then he'd say 'so am I going to the match on Saturday?' and he'd turn it round with a joke.

"Even when it was not what we wanted to tell him or what he wanted to hear, he was upbeat and made a real effort to make it easier for everyone else."

'He was determined'

Professor Plummer with a cheque from the Football Association

Professor Plummer, who specialises in treating tumours, said: "Bobby knew that eventually, the cancer would become the problem that shortened his life, but he was determined that any [treatment] possible would be explored.

"He would take a treatment where he accepted he might not benefit but others would in the future."

But, for Ruth, she'll remember Sir Bobby "with great affection and fondness".

She said: "He was an incredibly special patient for all of us.

"He was very proud of the unit and he said it was a fantastic legacy - the foundation that he set up.

"I know his wife and three sons are keen to continue to support cancer research in the North East.

"We are absolutely determined that his legacy will live on here in the centre."