MUNICH58.CO.UK

6TH FEB 1958.

GEOFF BENT • • • DUN CAN EDWARDS MARK JONES • • • LIAM WHEL A N WALTER CRI CKMER • BERT WHALL EY • TOM CUR RY • ALF CL ARKE • DON DAVIES GEO RGE FOL LOW S • TOM JACKSON • ARC HIE LEDBROOKE • HEN RY ROSE ERIC THOMPSON • • KENNETH RAYMENT • BEL A MIKLOS WILLIE SATINOFF • TOM CABLE

N E V E R F O R G O T T E N

#F LOWE RSOFM ANCHE STE R THE ACCIDEN T

On 6th Feb rua ry 1958 the ai rliner car rying pl ayers and backroom sta ff of Manches ter , plus a number of journalists and suppo rters, crashed in a blizza rd on its thi rd at tem pt to take o ff from Muni ch airpo rt. Uni ted were re turning f rom Bel grade whe re th ey had just bea ten Red Star in the Eu ropean Cup and had s topped o ff at Munich for re- fuelling. Twenty-three of the forty- four passengers on boa rd the ai rcraft lost their li ves.

SINGING UNDER THE MUNICH PL AQUE

It has become a tradition for fans to visit on 6th February each year to p ay their respects to those who perished in the crash.

People come and go all d ay, trying to fit in with their other work and personal commitments. Some le ave flowers and poems, some just stand silentl y, alone with their own thoughts.

The focal point of the d ay is the Munich Plaque An other t radition that was s tarted by Uni ted where at 3:04pm fans gather and sing a fan Gez Mason in 2000 (and continued by rendition of The Fl owers of Manches ter. Since Pet e) is to sing The Fl owers of Manches ter 2008, the singing has been led by United fan under the Memorial Plaque one hour befo re Pet e Ma rtin who also pe rforms his own tribu te the match closest to the anni versa ry of the song called The Pride of Football. crash. This is n ot a solo pe rformance – fans a re encouraged to join in. BUSBY'S BABES

Barnsley's Tommy Taylor led the front line. On a snow shrouded sixth of February Accompanied by 'owd boss Walter Crickmer, nineteen fifty-eight, the 'Lord Burghley' Trainer and team coach Bert Whalley, Ambassador took off an hour late. who magic-sponged their shins when they got From Belgrade to after a three-all hurt. draw they landed in Munich to wait for a thaw. New dad Bela Miklos, fan Willie Satinoff, Europe's Top Cup...Semi-finals now waiting, Captain Rayment and steward Tommy Cable.. . sat on the runway cold engines hesitating... All now sit on God's top table... with Frank Swift Up slippery steps, banter and card schools dealt, and seven sports writer mates still typing up big pot luck where they sat, for a tight seatbelt. match updates. B...E... A... six-o-nine roared into life while Bela Miklos held tight to his wife. Red Star pleaded with UEFA... 'Respect! Wise up! Award United the Champions Cup. Rolled twice through deep slush to 85 knots... Alas a 5-2 with Milan ended our run Pressure gauge low... the plane had to stop. a heartbroken semi, it was over and done. All off for a brew, Mark Jones lit his pipe, late going home, but nobody griped. Winger , half back 'Twiggy' Fastened overcoats, downed stewed tea Blanchflower broke their bones lost footballing due now for lift off at fifteen-o-three. powers, lucky to rise from their hospital beds Captain Thain and Co-Pilot Ken slowly revved up never again pulled on Red Devil's Red. to one hundred and ten. Other scarred Babes healed, The boys thought of home and seeing their girls... played on to glory those names... Brave said to his pals... led by Sir Matt and Jimmy Murphy 'Well, if this is the time...I am ready.' to football's acclaim... As the Ex R.A.F. aircrew held the kite steady. Brickwalled stopper, new skipper , They attempted to take-off, the final third, Thunderboots, . engines strained to gain a soaring bird. Keen right winger, Kenny Morgans. Passed the return point, the plane slushed offside, Artful dribbler, . skidded through fences, across the white tide. A Deadly in the box, . German home, a garage, bedevilled their slide... Gifted goalies and . The Airspeed 57 just lay on her side. All these players did everything they could Great keeper Gregg made the best saves of his to honour those boys up in the sky career, rescued Vera and Vesna despite his dazed And keep the Red flag flying high! fear, went back for his teammates to help pull God Bless Them All. them clear.

Eight became ageless that day, Autho r: Steve Douglas ~ poet and lifelong Red young men forever, in Heaven they play. Captain Roger Byrne, born leader from Gorton, Pendleton's finest full back, , 'Snakehips' Eddie Colman, from Ordsall, the youngest that went...

Doncaster lad David Pegg on the left, out wide 's fleet footed Billy Whelan inside, Mark Jones, Yorkie centre half, to turn back the tide, 's colossus, Big Duncan, stood firm alongside.

MUNICH58.CO.UK THE PRIDE OF FOOTBALL

So ma ny years, since you were taken, the p ride of football, our Bus by Babes. We’ve shed our tears, and watched the n ews reels, whil st you ha ve slumbe red, in your g raves. Though li fe’s m oved on, the Reds continue, we’ve plumbed the depths, we’ve touched the sk y. Our mem ’ries of, the fl owers of Manche ster, li ke Man Uni ted, will ne ver die. Roger By rne, our worthy ca pt ain, Geo ff and Eddie, Sal ford b rave, David Pegg, and Tom my Taylo r, Mark and Liam, such pleasu re ga ve. For all you men, you football st al warts, death was ins tant, li fe was gone. For fi fteen d ays, of pain and struggle, mighty Duncan, linge red on. We do n’ t forget, the other victims, Uni ted pl ayers who su rvi ved. Some pla yed on, achieving glo ry, some too inju red to make the side. Our thoughts now turn to all non-pla yers, this traged y, was thei rs as well. The w retched gr ief, for f riends and families, so far rem oved f rom whe re they fell. You a re the st rength and inspiration, for those who pl ay your roles tod ay. We look for flair and pace and passion, to pl ay the game Uni ted ’s way. Though li fe’s m oved on, the Reds continue, we’ve plumbed the depths, we’ve touched the sk y. Our mem ’ries of, the fl owers of Manche ster, li ke Man Uni ted, will ne ver die. Will ne ver die, will ne ver die, li ke Man Uni ted, will ne ver die. Will ne ver die, will ne ver die, li ke Man Uni ted, will ne ver die.

Autho r: Pet e Ma rtin (2008) MUNICH58.CO.UK THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTER

One cold and bit ter Thu rsd ay in Munich Ge rma ny Eight g reat football s tal warts conceded vic tory Eight men will n ever play again who m et de struction the re The Fl owers of En glish football the Fl owers of Manche st er

Matt Bus by’s b oys were flying home retu rning from Belgrade This g reat Uni ted fami ly all mas ters of their t rade The pil ot of the ai rcraft the skipper Ca pt ain Thain Th ree times they t ried to take o ff and twice tu rned back again

The thi rd time d own the run way disa st er foll ow ed close The re was slush upon that run away and the ai rcraft ne ver rose It ploughed in to the ma rshy ground it b roke it overtu rned And eight of the team were killed as the blazing w rec kage bu rned

Roger By rne and Tom my Taylor who were capped for England ’s side And I reland ’s Billy Whelan and England ’s Geo ff Bent died Mark Jones and Eddie Colman and David Pegg also They all lo st their li ves as it ploughed on th rough the sn ow

Big Duncan he went too with an inju ry to his brain And I reland ’s b rave Jack Blanchfl ower will n ever pl ay again The g reat Matt Bus by l ay the re the father of his team Th ree long months passed by be fore he saw his team again

The traine r, coach and sec reta ry and a member of the c rew Also eight spo rting journali sts who with Uni ted flew and one of them Big Swifty who we will n e’er forget the finest English ‘keeper that ever graced the net

Oh England ’s finest football team its record truly great its p roud successes moc ked by a c ruel tu rn of fate Eight men will n ever play again who m et de struction the re the Fl owers of En glish football the Fl owers of Manche st er

Autho r: Eric Winter ( 1958)

MUNICH58.CO.UK POEMS IN TRIBUTE

They were a group of young boys with passion and skill With courage and pace they'd attack teams at will An opposing players nightmare but a managers dream The Busby Babes they were known as, oh what a team With Matt as their father he'd allow them to play Flowing football, steely grit was the show on display But they relished a challenge, a much bigger test So they ventured into Europe again to play against the best But the loss of innocent lives that the club was about to mourn The dreams of the players and fans would be shattered and torn How great they could have been, tragically we'll never know Due to that dark day in Munich in heavy slushy snow It shouldn't have happened and we all ask ourselves why But their spirits will live on, their memories will never die So rest in peace as God has dealt your fate To all the Busby Babes who were lost in '58

Autho r: Kady Cavannagh

The Lads they played a simple game After seeing them you could never look at football the same Champions of England All home grown But known fair & wide beyond their home On the way back from a trip Tragedy struck Which made the world believe United would slip But through the ashes flowers regrew & Manchester United became anew New faces new names new heroes too But the Busby Babes we will never forget you Although so long ago you did depart No length of time will ever heal our hearts Lest we forget that flowers grow through the ash You will never be left alone in the past For the flowers of Manchester shall live on Not just on this day but past tomorrow's dawn

Autho r: Kady Cavannagh

MUNICH58.CO.UK THE MUNICH58.CO.UK TRIBUTE BOOK

Launched in N ov ember 20 01, the Munich58.co.uk online Tribute Book con tains over 2000 tributes and comments f rom football fans, b oth Reds and non-Reds f rom all ov er the world. Each Februa ry, the book is printed out and le ft under the Munich Plaque at Old Trafford.

To vi ew the t ribu tes and to add your own, please visi t: mu nich58.co .uk/tribute-book

THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTE R

Eric Win ter, the edi tor of Sing ma gazine, w rot e The Fl ow ers of Manches ter in early 1958. It was published ano nymously in the magazine in October 1958.

MUNICH58.CO.UK WEBSITE

To read mo re about the Munich air crash, you can visit mu nich58.co .uk - a websi te c rea ted by Mi ke Thomas and Elaine Giles - t wo Mancheste r-based Manches ter United fans.

On the site you’ll f ind n ew s a rticles, videos and ph ot os, as well as in formation about those who lo st their li ves in the crash. mumnunich58.co.ich58.co.ukuk