When British Airways flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off in treacherous weather at the Munich-Riem airport, taking the life of 23 of the 44 passengers on board, one of the finest teams in English football history was decimated.
Along with journalists, airline staff, club officials and a supporter, eight members of the team that had twice won the league title in style perished either at the site or later in hospital.
Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam 'Billy' Whelan all lost their young lives along with the most heralded Busby Babe of all, Duncan Edwards, who survived the crash but died in hospital 15 days later.
Duncan Edwards by Sir Matt Busby and Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton, who survived the crash, has described Edwards as the best player he ever saw play the game. Aged just 21 at the time of his passing, Edwards had already won 18 caps for England, scoring five goals, and would, in all probability, have been a central figure in England's World Cup campaign eight years after the tragedy.
Manchester United vs Real Madrid 1957 European Cup
The United side that was so painfully torn apart was one of youthful bravura. Domestic champions in 1956, they became the first side from England to enter the European Cup. Losing to eventual winners Real Madrid at the semi-final stage, they had however served notice of their talent on the international stage.
Crvena Zvezda - Manchester United /In Memoriam "Busby Babes" (Final match together)
A second European Cup semi-final place had been assured after a 3-3 draw away to Red Star Belgrade the following year and it was on the homebound journey from that game that disaster struck.
Munich Air Crash news footage
The news was relayed home to a disbelieving public in England via Pathe news services, radio bulletins and newspaper reports, with Manchester's newspaper offices besieged by those eager to find out the latest news. The sense of grief, understandably, was most acutely felt in Manchester, where United and City supporters, as well as those with little or no interest in football all mourned together.
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Quality > Quantity
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Sir Bobby Charlton talk about Duncan Edwards -
02-04-2008, 04:13 PM
Very good read.
Quote:
It is hard to describe just how good someone was, without having seen him play. All you can do is present the facts and leave the descriptions to people who know.
So when Bobby Charlton, World Cup and European Cup winner, describes someone as faultless then you start to get an idea of Duncan Edwards' greatness.
"He was my hero," Charlton told BBC Sport.
Charlton and Edwards were more than just members of the famed Busby Babes, they were best friends.
Edwards may have been just one year older than Charlton, but England's record goalscorer always felt in the shadow of his mate from Dudley.
Both were on a plane heading out of Munich on 6 February, 1958 along with the rest of the Manchester United squad following an earlier European fixture against Red Star in Belgrade.
On its third attempt to take off from an ice-covered runway Flight 609 crashed killing 23 of the 44 passengers on board.
Charlton survived the Munich air disaster, Edwards did not and with his death English football lost a truly prestigious talent.
Those who saw Edwards play say that if he had not died young, he would have gone on to become one of the all-time footballing greats, a statement supported by Charlton.
Charlton's opinion counts more than most. He played against Pele and Franz Beckenbauer. He played with George Best, Denis Law and England's World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore. But to Charlton, Edwards was king.
"Duncan was incomparable," said Charlton.
"He was such a talent, I always felt inferior to him.
"I feel terrible trying to explain to people just how good he was, his death was the biggest single tragedy ever to happen to Manchester United and English football.
"I always felt I could compare well with any player - except Duncan. He didn't have a fault with his game."
Edwards was born in Dudley on 1 October 1936. On his 16th birthday he signed for Manchester United. It is said he impressed one scout so much that he needed just 10 minutes of watching the young wing-half (defensive midfielder) to recommend him to Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby.
He made his debut against Cardiff City 185 days later but at that stage he had already represented England school-boys and was being tipped for full honours.
At the age of 18 years and 183 days he became England's youngest post-war debutant, making his first appearance for his country against Scotland, and went on to win just 18 caps, scoring five goals.
By the time he reached his 21st birthday, he had won two League championships, an FA Cup finalists medals and three FA Youth Cup winners' medals.
Edwards was adored and respected all over the world, many say that had he not died on 6 February, 1958 it would have been him who went on to captain England to World Cup glory in 1966.
Instead that honour went to Bobby Moore who paid tribute to Edwards in his autobiography before his own death in 1993: "I once played truant from school to watch Duncan play at White Hart Lane. There will never be another player like him."
According to those who played alongside and against Duncan Edwards on a football field, he was the 'complete footballer'.
He had unrivalled stamina and could have run for hours. He could shoot powerfully with either foot, was dominant in the air, was strong in the tackle, and was a superb passer of the ball.
Think of Wayne Rooney's shot, Nemanja Vidic in the air, Roy Keane's tackle and Paul Scholes' pass and then you had Edwards.
"I totally believe he was the best player I ever saw or am likely to see," said Charlton.
His style as a player was often described as unique but it was his immense physical strength coupled with superb ball control and touch. Edwards was a man in a boy's body and when he spoke others listened, commanding respect despite his young age.
Edwards had a reputation as a quiet-mannered man who shunned publicity and the limelight, he just loved playing football.
Edwards died on 21 February in a Munich hospital, 15 days after the crash, unable to recover from the multiple injuries he suffered in the accident. He was only 21.
He became the eighth member of the Busby Babes to die as a result of the crash. Tommy Taylor, Roger Byrne, David Pegg, Eddie Colman, Liam Whelan, Geoff Bent, Mark Jones the other members of the Manchester United squad to die.
Five days later his body returned home to England where he was buried at a Dudley cemetery.
While it is difficult to predict how good Edwards could have been his legacy will long be debated, testament to his greatness, but for Charlton there is no argument. Edwards will always be the best.
"Duncan Edwards I unhesitatingly say was the best player I ever played with," concluded Charlton.
"I never thought I could be as good as him. Never. Never,"
This game and memorial is shaping up to be very tasteful and professional. I like what I'm hearing.
Quote:
Gill keen to share Munich memorial with City
David Gill is determined to ensure the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster is not a Manchester United-only affair.
Twenty-three people lost their lives in the crash, 11 of whom were either United players or staff.
Most of the remaining 12 were journalists, who included among their number former Manchester City goalkeeper Frank Swift.
There have been fears the minute's silence in memory of the victims at Sunday's Manchester derby could be disrupted by some City fans.
But United chief executive Gill was keen to point out the whole of the city and beyond was affected by the disaster.
'We've been working closely with City and discussed it with them,' Gill said.
'Frank Swift was one of their greatest goalkeepers and we've talked to them about the plans for the day.
'They're aware of what we're doing, for example with the kit, and they're doing something special with their kit as well. We'll be giving a memento to every fan, both United and City.
'There are 3,000 City fans going through the gate on the day and we're involving some of their former players on the day.
'We're working to ensure they remember that it wasn't just Manchester United, it was the city of Manchester that was affected and it was the world of football that was affected.
'We hope and believe that the minute's silence will be observed appropriately.'
Gill believes United have taken all the necessary steps to ensure the silence is respected by everyone.
He said: 'In football, there is always trepidation and it's a very tribal game.
'That's why we've worked on the communication and the explanations so we can honour it appropriately and respect it.
'If you look back and see that 23 people lost their lives, of which eight were footballers in their early 20s by and large...
'It's a true tragedy for football so if you're a football fan, as the fans coming through the gate will be, you should reflect on that and make sure that you behave appropriately.'
The centrepiece of the commemorations will be tomorrow's unveiling of a free, permanent exhibition of the Busby Babes in the South Stand tunnel - to be renamed Munich Tunnel.
A memorial service will be conducted by the club chaplain to coincide with the time of crash at 3.04pm.
There will also be a minute's silence at tomorrow's Wembley friendly between England and Switzerland.
Defender Rio Ferdinand is sure the crowd, despite an antipathy towards United players in the past, will show respect.
He said: 'I'm sure the fans will respect it - it's a poignant moment and we've got fantastic fans in this country.
'It's not just about Manchester United, it's about English football as well.'
On Sunday, United players will wear a 1950s-style kit, free from sponsorship and numbered one to 11. City are also planning to wear a special strip.
"Collar turned up, back straight, chest stuck out, he glided into the arena as if he owned the fucking place. Any arena, but nowhere more effectively than Old Trafford. This was his stage. He loved it, the crowd loved him" -Roy Keane on Eric Cantona
Stourbridge Road Cemetery, on the outskirts of Dudley town centre is the resting place for Duncan Edwards, the young English player who just could have been the greatest of them all.
GettyImages
Duncan Edwards pictured in 1956. At 19, he was already a star for both club and country.
Edwards was 21 years old when he was tragically killed in the Munich air disaster. He was the man who could play anywhere, a shining star in the team that many thought would conquer the world. February 6 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Munich tragedy, a time when football fans worldwide will remember the great generation of players christened 'The Busby Babes'.
Even among so many great players, Edwards stood out as a precocious talent. Despite his tender years, he was already an established England international at the time of his death. Possessing a combination of power, strength, dribbling ability, an excellent range of passing and shooting accuracy made him almost the complete player. In terms of ability, no English player has rivalled Edwards since.
When I last visited the cemetery, several Manchester United scarves adorned Edwards grave, along with England shirts, flowers and hand written eulogies. The grave itself is well kept and understated, despite being awash with a sea of red and white memorabilia.
A lady tending to a nearby grave, noticing my interest, told me that football supporters regularly visit the cemetery to pay their respects. It is clear that for many, Duncan Edwards legacy lives on. This was not only a supremely talented player with an incredible work ethic and desire to improve, but also a modest, affable man with his feet firmly planted on the ground.
Childhood fried Jack Wardle had the pleasure of witnessing Duncan's development first-hand: 'I had been away in the RAF when I received a letter from Dunc inviting me down to Wembley to see England play Czechoslovakia. Although we still corresponded regularly through letters, I hadn't seen him for over a year by this time.
'We arranged to meet at the train station and I couldn't believe my eyes when this enormous, powerful chap appeared. Where was little Duncan Edwards from the Cedar Road pitch? But his personality hadn't changed at all. The tears rolled down my cheeks when I watched him at Wembley that afternoon, knocking balls all over the pitch and looking every bit a top level player.'
Growing up in Dudley in the 1980s it was impossible not to be influenced by the man they called 'Kid Dynamite'. I attended the Priory School, as Duncan himself had done many years earlier.
As is the case with most young lads, football was far more important than doing schoolwork, and games on the adjacent fields were plentiful and long in duration. For every one of us who longed to be Cyrille Regis, Gary Shaw or Andy Gray, there would always be a Duncan Edwards.
Of course, none of us had ever seen him play, not even on television. We had looked in awe at the England shirts and caps on display in the school reception, and tales of his prowess had been passed down via dads and granddads almost like family heirlooms.
It seems that every man in Dudley beyond a certain age has a story to tell about the time they tackled Big Dunc or put the ball through his legs. In our eyes Edwards was a footballing superstar, up there on a pedestal with other mythical figures like Eusebio and Pele. What's more he was from Dudley, and therefore became our very own homegrown superstar.
And as I grew older I realised my childhood visions were actually rather accurate. Edwards came through at a time when English football was struggling to come to terms with the fact that they no longer dominated the game they invented.
GettyImages
Duncan Edwards' grave remains well tended and regularly visited.
In November 1953 the national side had been soundly beaten by Hungary at Wembley, their first ever defeat on home soil. The following May England travelled to Budapest and were trounced 7-1 by the 'Magical Magyars'. The era of Billy Wright, Tommy Lawton et al was coming to an end, and there were sure signs that the rest of the world was catching up quickly.
In club football, the English Football League held a derisory view of continental competition. It may be hard to believe in a current climate where the Champions League reigns supreme, but they had forbidden 1955 champions Chelsea from taking part in the newly established European Cup. When Manchester United were crowned First Division champions in 1956, they were also refused permission to enter.
However, they had not counted on the stubborn nature of United manager Matt Busby. He had spent years building an exciting young team, and quickly became enchanted with the idea that they could become Kings of Europe.
The scene was set for Busby to openly defy the Football League, and his team entered the 1956-57 competition.
After beating Anderlecht, Borrusia Dortmund and Athletico Bilbao, United were eventually knocked out at the semi-final stage by Spanish champions Real Madrid, on their way to the second of five consecutive European Cups. United won the league with ease in 1957, and the following season the Busby Babes embarked on what was to be their final journey into European competition.
Having beaten Shamrock Rovers and Dukla Prague, United won a tight quarter final first leg encounter with Red Star Belgrade at Old Trafford. The second leg in Belgrade ended in a 3-3 draw, thus ensuring progression to a second consecutive semi-final. What followed, of course, is one of the most tragic events in the history of football.
In all, 23 people lost their lives as a result of the crash on that Munich runway on February 6th 1958, including eight of the Busby Babes. News of the crash gradually began to filter back to England.
Initially the magnitude of the event was lost on many. A joke doing the rounds in Dudley that afternoon was that Manchester United had attempted mass suicide so they wouldn't have to play the Wolves the following week.
Most people thought that Duncan Edwards would pull through, but it wasn't to be. Despite suffering horrific injuries, Edwards battled for his life for two weeks before dying in a German hospital on 21st February 1958. Manchester United had lost the heart of their great team, and Dudley one of its finest sons.
GettyImages
A stained glass window in St Francis' Church pays tribue to Dudley's fallen idol.
Before I left the cemetery back on that August day, an elderly man approached me and told me there were plenty of others buried there, people who died fighting for their country in equally tragic circumstances.
He was completely correct, but the continuing legend of the Busby Babes reveals that while football may be 'only a game', it has the rare ability to touch the hearts and minds of millions.
I am reminded here of the often misquoted Bill Shankly comment about football being far more important than life or death. While this was probably said partly in jest, it invokes the passion that so many hold for the game, as players, coaches and supporters. Duncan Edwards epitomised that passion, and his legacy lives on to this day.
On the morning of Thursday February 21st a service will be held in Dudley to commemorate the loss of our sporting hero. We will never know just how great he could have been, and the subject is still regularly discussed in pubs around Dudley town centre.
In an age where mediocrity is often mistaken for greatness, Duncan Edwards will forever remain a true football great.
Footnotes:
The Duncan Edwards Exhibition
An interesting display featuring a range of memorabilia, including international caps, England shirts and archived newspaper clippings.
Duncan Edwards statue
Erected in 1999 in the main shopping square in Dudley town centre, the statue shows Edwards striking a pose in his England kit. Market Place, Dudley, DY1.
Stourbridge Road Cemetery
The final resting place of Duncan Edwards can be found here, on the outskirts of Dudley town centre. The grave is in section C, plot 722. He is buried with his sister Carol Anne, who died in 1947 at the age of 14 weeks. Directions can be found here: Duncan Edwards - A Legend
St Francis Church
Small church on the Priory Estate features a pair of stained glass windows commemorating the life of Duncan Edwards. This was also the venue for Duncan's funeral on February 26th 1958. You can book a visit in advance by contacting Fr. Geoff Johnson on 01384350422.
Duncan Edwards Close
A cul-de-sac of housing association homes, near to the Stourbridge Road Cemetery was renamed Duncan Edwards Close in 2003.
The Duncan Edwards Public House
In 2001 the Wren's Nest pub on the Priory Estate was refurbished and renamed in the great mans honour, The Duncan Edwards. Sadly the pub was burned to the ground in an arson attack in May 2006, after closing down some six months earlier.
enjoy and look for the Terrace Talk articles this week.
Quality of Posts > Quantity of Posts
There is a reason I bleed red. United until I die.
Manchester City have unveiled their special kit for the derby clash against city rivals United which will mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
On Sunday, United players will wear a 1950s-style kit, free from sponsorship and numbered one to 11 and City have similarly removed the sponsor for the occasion.
Twenty-three people lost their lives in the crash, 11 of whom were either United players or staff.
Most of the remaining 12 were journalists, who included among their number former Manchester City goalkeeper Frank Swift.
There have been fears the minute's silence in memory of the victims at Sunday's Manchester derby could be disrupted by some City fans.
But Gill was keen to point out the whole of the city and beyond was affected by the disaster.
"We've been working closely with City and discussed it with them," Gill said. "Frank Swift was one of their greatest goalkeepers and we've talked to them about the plans for the day. They're aware of what we're doing, for example with the kit, and they're doing something special with their kit as well. We'll be giving a memento to every fan, both United and City.
"There are 3,000 City fans going through the gate on the day and we're involving some of their former players on the day.
"We're working to ensure they remember that it wasn't just Manchester United, it was the city of Manchester that was affected and it was the world of football that was affected.
"We hope and believe that the minute's silence will be observed appropriately."
The centrepiece of the commemorations will be tomorrow's unveiling of a free, permanent exhibition of the Busby Babes in the South Stand tunnel - to be renamed Munich Tunnel.
A memorial service will be conducted by the club chaplain to coincide with the time of crash at 3.04pm.
There will also be a minute's silence at tomorrow's Wembley friendly between England and Switzerland.
Defender Rio Ferdinand is sure the crowd, despite an antipathy towards United players in the past, will show respect.
He said: "I'm sure the fans will respect it - it's a poignant moment and we've got fantastic fans in this country.
"It's not just about Manchester United, it's about English football as well."
I hate to admit it, but they do have an excellent looking shirt.
Quality of Posts > Quantity of Posts
There is a reason I bleed red. United until I die.
"Collar turned up, back straight, chest stuck out, he glided into the arena as if he owned the fucking place. Any arena, but nowhere more effectively than Old Trafford. This was his stage. He loved it, the crowd loved him" -Roy Keane on Eric Cantona
02-02-2008, 07:10 PM
