The
Munich air disaster took place on 6 February 1958, when
British European AirwaysBritish European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a
slushSlush can mean any of the following:* Slush — a slurry mixture of liquid and solid forms of water.* Slush — a pejorative and slang combination of the likewise derogatory terms slut and lush...
-covered runway at
Munich-Riem AirportMunich-Riem Airport was the main, international airport of Munich until it was closed down on 16 May 1992, the day before the new airport near Freising commenced operation. It was located near the old village of Riem in the Munich borough of Trudering-Riem.- History :Construction on the airport...
in
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
,
West GermanyWest Germany is a common English name for the period of the Federal Republic of Germany between its' formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when the German Democratic Republic was dissolved and the five states on its territory joined the Federal Republic of Germany,...
. On board the plane was the
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
football team, nicknamed the "
Busby BabesThe Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
", along with a number of
supportersA fan, aficionado, or supporter is someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for a sporting club, person , group of persons, company, product, activity, work of art, idea, or trend. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
and journalists. 20 of the 44 people on board the aircraft died in the crash. The injured, some of whom had been knocked unconscious, were taken to the
Rechts der Isar HospitalThe Rechts der Isar Hospital is a hospital in the Haidhausen district of Munich, Germany. It was founded in 1834, with 36 beds, as the Haidhauser Armen- und Krankenanstalt in a former coffee house, and was later run by Catholic nuns.In Britain, the hospital is most well-known for being the place...
in Munich where 3 more died, resulting in 21 survivors.
The team was returning from a European Cup match in
BelgradeBelgrade Belgrade Belgrade (Serbian Cyrillic: Београд, Serbian Latin: Beograd (meaning "White City" in Serbian) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where Central Europe's Pannonian Plain meets...
,
YugoslaviaThe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the second half of World War II until it was formally dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro,...
, against
Red Star BelgradeFudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is sometimes known worldwide by translations of its Serbian name. Red Star Belgrade are the only Serbian club to have become European and World Champions having won the 1991 European Cup and 1991 Intercontinental Cup...
, but had to make a stop in Munich for refuelling, as a non-stop trip from Belgrade to Manchester was out of the "Elizabethan" class
Airspeed AmbassadorThe Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador was a British twin piston engined airliner that first flew on July 10 1947 and served in small numbers through the 1950s and 1960s.-Design and development:...
aircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly by being supported...
's range. After refuelling, the pilots, Captains James Thain and Kenneth Rayment, attempted to take off twice, but had to abandon both attempts due to boost surging in the port engine. Fearing that they would get too far behind schedule, Captain Thain rejected an overnight stay in Munich in favour of a third take-off attempt.
By the time of the third attempt, it had begun to snow, causing a layer of slush to build up at the end of the runway. When the aircraft hit the slush, it lost velocity, making take-off impossible. It ploughed through a fence past the end of the runway, before the port wing hit a nearby house and was torn off. Fearing that the aircraft might explode, Captain Thain set about getting the surviving passengers as far away as possible. Despite this, Manchester United goalkeeper
Harry GreggHarry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
remained behind to pull survivors from the wreckage.
An investigation by the West German airport authorities originally blamed Captain Thain for the crash, claiming that he had failed to de-ice the wings of the aircraft, despite statements to the contrary from eyewitnesses. It was later established that the crash had, in fact, been caused by the build-up of slush on the runway, which had resulted in the aircraft being unable to achieve take-off velocity; Thain's name was eventually cleared in 1968, ten years after the incident.
Background
In April 1955, UEFA established the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
, a football competition for the champion clubs of UEFA-affiliated nations, to begin in the 1955–56 season. However, the English league winners,
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
, were denied entry by
the Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
's secretary
Alan HardakerAlan Hardaker was an English football administrator for the Football League, a wartime Royal Navy officer, and previously an amateur footballer...
, who believed it was in the best interests of English football and football in general for them not to enter. The following season, the English league was won by Manchester United, managed by
Matt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
. Originally, the Football League again denied entry to the European Cup, but Busby and his chairman,
Harold HardmanHarold Payne Hardman was an English footballer.-Football career:Born in the Kirkmanshulme area of Newton Heath, Manchester, he was discovered by Blackpool as a schoolboy and thrown into the first team during their season in exile from the Football League in 1899-1900...
, with the help of
the Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's chairman
Stanley RousSir Stanley Ford Rous was an English football referee and administrator.-Career:Originally a sports teacher at Watford Boys Grammar School , Rous played football at amateur level as goalkeeper, as well as becoming a FIFA...
, defied the league and became the first English team to venture into Europe.
The Manchester United management had taken a chance, and it had paid off, with the team – known as the "
Busby BabesThe Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
" for their youth – proving the Football League wrong by reaching the semi-finals of the 1956–57 competition, being knocked out by eventual winners
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...
. Winning the First Division title again that season meant that they secured qualification for the 1957–58 tournament, and their successful cup run in 1956–57 meant that they were one of the favourites to win it. Domestic league matches were played on Saturdays and European matches were played midweek, so, although air travel was risky at the time, it was the only practical choice if United were to fulfil their league fixtures, which they would have to do if they were to avoid proving Alan Hardaker right.
After overcoming
Shamrock RoversShamrock Rovers Football Club are a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish footballing history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 15 times and the FAI Cup a record 24 times...
and Dukla Prague in the preliminary round and the first round respectively, Manchester United were drawn with
Red Star BelgradeFudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is sometimes known worldwide by translations of its Serbian name. Red Star Belgrade are the only Serbian club to have become European and World Champions having won the 1991 European Cup and 1991 Intercontinental Cup...
of
YugoslaviaYugoslavia is a term that describes three political entities that existed successively on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century.The first country to be known by this...
for the quarter-finals. After beating the Yugoslavians 2–1 at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
on 21 January 1958, the club was scheduled to travel to Yugoslavia for the return leg on 5 February. On the way back from Prague in the previous round, fog over England prevented the team from flying back to Manchester, so they hastily made arrangements to fly to
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
before taking the ferry from the Hook of Holland to
HarwichHarwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district...
and then the train up to Manchester. The trip took its toll on the players and they were only able to scrape a 1–1 draw with
Birmingham CityBirmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham F.C. in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City F.C...
at St Andrew's.
Eager not to miss any of their Football League fixtures in the future, and also not to have to go through such a difficult trip again, the club chartered a plane through
British European AirwaysBritish European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
from Manchester to Belgrade for the away leg against Red Star. The match itself was drawn 3–3, but it was enough to send United to the semi-finals. The
takeoffTakeoff is the phase of flight in which an aircraft goes through a transition from moving along the ground to flying in the air, usually starting on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no runway is needed...
from
BelgradeBelgrade Belgrade Belgrade (Serbian Cyrillic: Београд, Serbian Latin: Beograd (meaning "White City" in Serbian) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where Central Europe's Pannonian Plain meets...
was delayed for an hour as United
outside rightOutside forward is a position in football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
Johnny BerryJohn James "Johnny" Berry was an English football player. Berry joined Manchester United from Birmingham City in 1951...
had lost his
passportA passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth...
, then the plane made a scheduled stop in Munich to refuel, landing at 13:15
GMTGreenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is commonly used in practice to refer to Coordinated Universal Time when this is viewed as a time zone, especially by bodies connected with the United Kingdom, such as the BBC...
.
Crash
Captain James Thain, the pilot, had flown the "Elizabethan" class
Airspeed AmbassadorThe Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador was a British twin piston engined airliner that first flew on July 10 1947 and served in small numbers through the 1950s and 1960s.-Design and development:...
(registration G-ALZU) out to Belgrade, but handed the controls to his co-pilot, Captain Kenneth Rayment, for the return journey. At 14:19 GMT, the control tower at Munich airport was told that the plane was ready to take off, and they were given clearance to attempt take-off due to expire at 14:31. However, Captain Rayment abandoned the take off after Captain Thain had noticed the port boost pressure gauge fluctuating as the plane reached full power and the engine sounded odd while accelerating. A second attempt was made three minutes later, but, 40 seconds into the procedure, this too was called off before the plane got off the ground. The reason given for the failed attempts was that the plane had been filled with a very rich mixture of fuel, causing the engines to over-accelerate, a common problem for the Elizabethan-class plane. After the second failure, all the passengers were told to disembark from the plane and they retreated to the airport lounge. By then, it had started to snow heavily, and it looked unlikely that the plane would be making the return journey that day. Manchester United's
Duncan EdwardsDuncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team...
took the opportunity to send a telegram ahead to his landlady in Manchester. It read: "All flights cancelled, flying tomorrow. Duncan."
Captain Thain informed the station engineer, Bill Black, about the problem with the boost surging in the port engine, and Black suggested that since the immediate solution of opening the engine throttle more slowly had not worked, the only remaining option would be to hold the plane in Munich overnight for engine retuning. However, Thain was anxious to stay on schedule and suggested that opening the throttle even more slowly would suffice. This would mean that the plane would not achieve take-off velocity until further down the runway, but with the runway being almost long, Thain believed that this should not pose a problem. Therefore, despite the snow, the passengers were called back out to the plane just 15 minutes after leaving it.
A few of the players were not confident fliers, particularly
Liam WhelanWilliam Augustine Whelan , also known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster...
, who was heard to say "This may be death, but I'm ready" shortly before take off. Others, including Duncan Edwards,
Tommy TaylorThomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
,
Mark JonesMark Jones was an English footballer and one of eight Manchester United players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster...
,
Eddie ColmanEdward "Eddie" Colman was an English football player and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
and
Frank SwiftFrank Victor Swift was a football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.Swift broke into the...
moved to the back of the plane, believing it to be safer. Once everyone was back on board, Captains Thain and Rayment got the plane moving again for a third take off attempt at 14:56. At 14:59, they reached the runway holding point, where they received clearance to line up ready for take-off. On the runway, the final cockpit checks were carried out and at 15:02, they were contacted to tell them that their take-off clearance would expire at 15:04. After discussion, the pilots agreed that they would attempt take-off, but they would keep a close watch on the instruments in case of any more surging in the engines. At 15:03, they contacted the control tower to inform them of their decision.
Captain Rayment slowly moved the throttle forward, as agreed, and released the brakes; the plane began to accelerate, and radio officer Bill Rodgers radioed the control tower with the message "Zulu Uniform rolling". As the plane gathered speed, throwing up slush as it went, Captain Thain called out the velocities in ten-knot increments. At 85 knots, the port engine began to surge again, and he pulled back marginally on the port throttle before gingerly pushing it forward again. Once the plane reached , he announced "V1", indicating that they had reached the velocity at which it was no longer safe to abort the take off, and Captain Rayment listened out for the call of "V2" , the minimum speed required to get the plane off the ground. However, when Thain glanced back down to the
airspeed indicatorThe airspeed indicator or airspeed gauge is an instrument used in an aircraft to display the craft's airspeed, typically in knots, to the pilot.- Use :...
, expecting the needle to continue to rise, it fluctuated at around 117 knots before suddenly dropping back down to , and then . Rayment shouted "Christ, we won't make it!", as Thain looked up to see what lay ahead of them.
The plane skidded off the end of the runway and, out of control, crashed into the fence surrounding the airport and then across a road before its port wing was torn off as it caught a house, home to a family of six. The father and eldest daughter were away at the time, and the mother and the other three children narrowly escaped with their lives as the house caught on fire. Part of the plane's tail was torn off too, before the left side of the cockpit hit a tree. The right side of the fuselage hit a wooden hut, inside which was a truck filled with tyres and fuel, which exploded. Twenty passengers died on board, and there were three subsequent deaths.
Upon seeing the flames licking up around the cockpit, Captain Thain feared that the burning fuel might make the aircraft explode and instructed his crew to evacuate the area. The stewardesses, Rosemary Cheverton and Margaret Bellis, were the first to leave through a blown-out emergency window in the galley, and they were followed by radio officer Bill Rodgers. Thain shouted to Rayment to get out of his seat, but Rayment was trapped in his seat by the crumpled fuselage. Rayment told Thain to go on without him. Thain clambered out of the galley window. Upon reaching the ground, he saw that flames were growing under the starboard wing, which still had an intact fuel tank containing of fuel. He shouted to his crew to get as far away as possible and climbed back into the aircraft to retrieve two handheld
fire extinguisherA fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which has reached the ceiling, endangers the user , or otherwise requires the expertise of a fire...
s, stopping momentarily to tell Rayment that he would be back for him when the fires had been dealt with.
Meanwhile, inside the passenger cabin, Manchester United goalkeeper
Harry GreggHarry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
was regaining consciousness, thinking that he was dead. He felt blood running down his face and he "didn't dare put [his] hand up. [He] thought the top of [his] head had been taken off, like a hard boiled egg." Just above him, a shaft of light was pouring into the cabin, so Gregg made his way towards it and kicked the hole wide enough for him to escape through.
Crew members
- Captain Kenneth "Ken" Rayment, co-pilot (survived the crash but suffered multiple injuries and died in hospital three weeks later as a result of brain damage
Brain damage, or acquired brain injury, is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells.-Causes:Brain damage may occur due to a wide range of conditions, illnesses, injuries, and as a result of iatrogenesis...
)
- Tom Cable, cabin steward
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety but also the comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights as well as on select business jet aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant ultimately derives from that of similar...
Passengers
Manchester United players
- Geoff Bent
Geoffrey "Geoff" Bent was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.-Career:...
- Roger Byrne
Roger William Byrne , was an English footballer and a captain of Manchester United F.C.He was one of the eight Manchester United players that lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958...
- Eddie Colman
Edward "Eddie" Colman was an English football player and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
- Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team...
(survived the crash, but died in hospital 15 days later)
- Mark Jones
Mark Jones was an English footballer and one of eight Manchester United players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster...
- David Pegg
David Pegg was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958...
- Tommy Taylor
Thomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
- Liam "Billy" Whelan
William Augustine Whelan , also known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster...
Manchester United staff
- Walter Crickmer
Walter Crickmer was an English football club secretary and manager.He became Manchester United club secretary in 1926. He twice assumed managerial responsibility: from 1 April 1931 to 1 June 1932, and then again from 1 August 1944 to 1 February 1945.Together with club owner James W...
, club secretary
- Tom Curry
Tom Curry was an English footballer who played as a half back for Newcastle United and Stockport County in the 1920s...
, trainer
- Bert Whalley
Herbert "Bert" Whalley was a professional footballer for Manchester United from 1935 till 1946, later serving as coach for the club...
, chief coach
Journalists
- Alf Clarke, Manchester Evening Chronicle
- Donny Davies
Harry Donald 'Donny' Davies was an English first-class cricketer, amateur footballer and journalist. He was killed in the Munich air disaster.-Sporting career:...
, Manchester GuardianThe Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
- George Follows, Daily Herald
The Daily Herald was a British newspaper, published in London from 1912 to 1964 . It ceased publication when it was relaunched as The Sun.- Origins :...
- Tom Jackson, Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a British daily newspaper published each week day and on Saturdays which is owned by the Guardian Media Group. It is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. It sells 81,326 copies a day and gives away 99,574....
- Archie Ledbrooke, Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British tabloid newspaper founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is usually referred to in popular parlance.- Early years :The Daily Mirror was...
- Henry Rose, Daily Express
The Daily Express is a conservative, British tabloid newspaper. It is a middle-market title, the flagship title of Express Newspapers and is currently owned by Richard Desmond...
- Frank Swift
Frank Victor Swift was a football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.Swift broke into the...
, News of the WorldThe News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is published by News Group Newspapers of News International, itself a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and can be considered the Sunday sister paper of The Sun. The newspaper concentrates on...
(also former EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
and Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
goalkeeper; died on his way to hospital)
- Eric Thompson, Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily tabloid newspaper. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982. Scottish and Irish editions of the paper were launched in...
Other passengers
- Bela Miklos, travel agent
- Willie Satinoff, supporter, racecourse owner and close friend of Matt Busby
Crew
- Margaret Bellis, stewardess (died 1998)
- Rosemary Cheverton, stewardess
- George William "Bill" Rodgers, radio officer (died 1997)
- Captain James Thain, pilot (died 1975)
Passengers
Manchester United players
- Johnny Berry
John James "Johnny" Berry was an English football player. Berry joined Manchester United from Birmingham City in 1951...
(never played again, died 1994)
- Jackie Blanchflower
John "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
(never played again, died 1998)
- Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
- Bill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes was an English football player who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
- Harry Gregg
Harry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
- Kenny Morgans
- Albert Scanlon
Albert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. Scanlon came through the Manchester United youth system, making his debut for the club in 1954. Scanlon would help the club to two league titles...
- Dennis Viollet
Dennis Sydney Viollet was an English footballer best remembered for his time with Manchester United in the 1950s and early 1960s.-Career:...
(died 1999)
- Ray Wood
Raymond Ernest "Ray" Wood was a Manchester United goalkeeper who played in the 1956 and 1957 championship-winning teams. Wood was a very fast player, he had the opportunity to be a professional sprinter but chose to play football, and was very agile...
(died 2002)
Manchester United staff
- Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
, manager (died 1994)
Journalists and photographers
- Ted Ellyard, Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily tabloid newspaper. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982. Scottish and Irish editions of the paper were launched in...
telegraphist (died 1964)
- Peter Howard, Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily tabloid newspaper. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982. Scottish and Irish editions of the paper were launched in...
photographer (died 1996)
- Frank Taylor, News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication in 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail.-Daily Chronicle:...
reporter (died 2002)
Other passengers
- Vera Lukić and baby daughter Venona, passengers saved by Manchester United player Harry Gregg. At the time of the accident, she was pregnant with her son Zoran, who also survived.
- Mrs Eleanor Miklos, wife of Bela Miklos
- Nebosja Bato Tomašević, Yugoslavian diplomat
Investigation
Although the crash was originally blamed on pilot error, it was subsequently found to have been caused by the build-up of
slushSlush is a slurry mixture of snow and liquid water. In the natural environment, slush forms as ice or snow melts. This often mixes with dirt and other materials, resulting in a gray or muddy brown color. Often, solid ice or snow will block the drainage of fluid water from slushy areas, so slush...
towards the end of the
runwayA runway is a strip of land at an airport on which aircraft can take off and land and forms part of the maneuvering area. Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .By extension, the term has come to mean, in addition, any long, flat, straight area, such as that used in fashion...
, causing deceleration of the aircraft and preventing
safe flying speedIn aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define airspeeds important or useful to the operation of aircraft, such as fixed-wing aircraft, gliders, autogiros, helicopters, and dirigibles...
from being attained. During the take off, the aircraft had attained a speed of , but, on entering the slush, speed dropped to , too slow for the plane to leave the ground, with not enough runway remaining to abort the take off. Aircraft with
tail-wheelthumb|The [[Piper PA-18|Piper Super Cub]] is a popular taildragger aircraft.thumb|right|A [[Cessna 150]] converted to taildragger configuration by installation of an after-market modification kit.thumb|right|A taildragger by Jodel: the 1965 D140C Mousquetaire...
undercarriageIn aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi.-Overview:...
s had not been greatly affected by slush, due to the geometry of these undercarriages in relation to the aircraft's centre of gravity, but newer types, such as the Ambassador, with
nose wheel landing-gearTricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one gear strut in front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main gear struts slightly aft of the center of gravity....
and the main wheels behind the centre of gravity, were found to be vulnerable. The accident resulted in the instigation of operating limits for the amount of slush build-up permitted on runways.
Despite this conclusion, the German airport authorities (who were legally responsible for the state of the airport's runways, but generally unaware of the danger of slush on runways for aircraft like the Ambassador) took legal action against Captain Thain, as the one pilot who had survived the crash. They claimed that he had taken off without
deicingDe-icing is the process of removing frozen contaminant, snow, ice, slush, from a surface.Anti-icing is the process of protecting against the formation of frozen contaminant, snow, ice, slush on a surface....
the wings and that responsibility for the accident was his alone, despite several witnesses stating that this was not so. The basis of the German authorities' case relied on a photograph of the aircraft (published in several newspapers) taken shortly before take off, that appeared to show snow on the upper wing surfaces. When the original
negativeIn photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film, for 35mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that the next image is...
was examined, however, no snow or ice could be seen, the "snow" having been due to the published pictures being produced from a copy negative. The witnesses were not called to the German inquiry and proceedings against Thain dragged on until 1968, when he was finally cleared of any responsibility for the crash. As the official cause, British authorities recorded a build-up of melting snow on the runway which prevented the Elizabethan from reaching the required take-off speed. Thain, having been dismissed by BEA shortly after the accident and never re-engaged, retired and returned to run his poultry farm in
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters...
. He died of a
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing some heart cells to die...
at the age of 53, in 1975.
Aftermath
Seven of Manchester United's players died immediately, and
Duncan EdwardsDuncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team...
died from his injuries on 21 February at the
Rechts der Isar HospitalThe Rechts der Isar Hospital is a hospital in the Haidhausen district of Munich, Germany. It was founded in 1834, with 36 beds, as the Haidhauser Armen- und Krankenanstalt in a former coffee house, and was later run by Catholic nuns.In Britain, the hospital is most well-known for being the place...
in Munich.
Johnny BerryJohn James "Johnny" Berry was an English football player. Berry joined Manchester United from Birmingham City in 1951...
and
Jackie BlanchflowerJohn "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
were both injured so severely that they never played again. Matt Busby was seriously injured and had to stay in hospital for more than two months after the crash, and was read his
Last RitesAnointing of the Sick is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or "unction" in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person. Other religious anointings occur in relation to other sacraments, in particular baptism, confirmation and ordination, and...
twice. After being discharged from hospital, he went to Switzerland to recuperate in
InterlakenInterlaken is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
. At times, he felt like giving up on football entirely, until he was told by his wife, Jean, "You know Matt, the lads would have wanted you to carry on." That statement lifted Busby from his depression, and he returned by land to Manchester, before watching his team play in the
1958 FA Cup FinalThe 1958 FA Cup Final was contested on 3 May 1958 by Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of almost 100,000. The referee was J. Sherlock. Bolton won 2–0, with a double by Nat Lofthouse, who scored the goals in the 3rd and 55th minutes...
.
Meanwhile, there was speculation that the club would fold, but a threadbare United team completed the 1957–58 season, with Busby's assistant Jimmy Murphy standing in as manager; he had not travelled to Belgrade as he was in Cardiff managing the Welsh national team at the time. A team largely made up of
reserveReserve team is the term applied to the second team fielded by a sports club. This article is about the reserve teams of football clubs.-History:...
and
youth teamYouth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams with small...
players beat
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional Association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently compete in the Football League Championship, in England. Sheffield Wednesday is one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fifth oldest in the...
3–0 in the first match after the disaster. The programme for that match showed simply a blank space where each United player's name should have been. Following the loss of so many players in the crash, United were desperate to find replacements with experience, so Murphy turned to players like
Ernie TaylorErnest "Ernie" Taylor was a footballer who played for four clubs in a nineteen-year professional career....
(signed for £8,000 from
BlackpoolBlackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 and located in the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They have been a member of the Football League continuously since 1900...
) and
Stan CrowtherStanley 'Stan' Crowther was a footballer who played during the 1950s. He was born in Bilston.A wing-half, Crowther started out with Aston Villa, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1957, beating Manchester United 2-1 in the final. Less than a year later, in February 1958, Crowther was hastily signed by...
, the
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of Football League in 1888...
wing halfIn association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
who had played against United in the
1957 FA Cup FinalThe 1957 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 4 May 1957 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Aston Villa and Manchester United. Villa won 2-1, with both of their goals scored by Peter McParland...
.
There were changes amongst the backroom staff at the club too, following the deaths of secretary
Walter CrickmerWalter Crickmer was an English football club secretary and manager.He became Manchester United club secretary in 1926. He twice assumed managerial responsibility: from 1 April 1931 to 1 June 1932, and then again from 1 August 1944 to 1 February 1945.Together with club owner James W...
and coaches
Tom CurryTom Curry was an English footballer who played as a half back for Newcastle United and Stockport County in the 1920s...
and
Bert WhalleyHerbert "Bert" Whalley was a professional footballer for Manchester United from 1935 till 1946, later serving as coach for the club...
. United goalkeeper
Les OliveRobert Leslie Olive was club secretary of Manchester United from the days after the Munich air disaster until 1988, when he was made a club director....
, still registered as a player at the time of the disaster, retired from playing and took over from Crickmer as club secretary, while another former United goalkeeper,
Jack CromptonJohn "Jack" Crompton is an English former football player. He was a goalkeeper for Manchester United between 1944 and 1956...
, took over coaching duties after United chairman
Harold HardmanHarold Payne Hardman was an English footballer.-Football career:Born in the Kirkmanshulme area of Newton Heath, Manchester, he was discovered by Blackpool as a schoolboy and thrown into the first team during their season in exile from the Football League in 1899-1900...
had negotiated with Crompton's then-employers
Luton TownLuton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire. The team plays its home matches at Kenilworth Road, where it has been based since 1905...
for his release.
United only won one league game after the crash, causing their title challenge to collapse and they fell to ninth place in the league. They did manage to reach the final of the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
, however, losing 2–0 to
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....
, and even managed to beat
MilanAssociazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan and as just Milan in Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy...
at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in the semi-finals of the European Cup, only to lose 4–0 at the
San SiroThe Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as simply San Siro because of its location, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano...
. Busby resumed managerial duties the next season (1958–59), and eventually built a second generation of Busby Babes, including
George BestGeorge Best was a Northern Irish professional football player, best known for his years with Manchester United. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
and
Denis LawDenis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
, that ten years later won the European Cup, beating Benfica.
Bobby CharltonSir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and
Bill FoulkesWilliam Anthony Foulkes was an English football player who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
were the only two crash survivors who lined up in that team.
Old Trafford
The first memorials at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
to the lost players and staff were unveiled on 25 February 1960. The first, a plaque in the shape of the stadium with the image of a green pitch, inscribed with the names of the victims in black and gold glass, was placed above the entrance to the directors' box. Above the plaque was a teak carving of a player and a supporter, heads bowed either side of a wreath and a football inscribed with the date "1958". The plaque was designed by Manchester architect J. Vipond and constructed by Messrs Jaconello (Manchester) Ltd. at a cost of £2,100,Transcribed from a 2005 issue of Manchester United fanzine
Red NewsRed News is the first Manchester United unofficial supporters' fanzine, founded in 1987. It is available in printed format, and on the internet with daily news on the football club Manchester United...
and unveiled by
Matt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
.
Also unveiled that day was a memorial to the members of the press who died at Munich, which consisted of a bronze plaque that named the eight lost journalists. The unveiling was performed by Munich survivor Frank Taylor on behalf of the Football Writers' Association. The original plaque was stolen in the 1980s and replaced by a replica now located behind the counter in the press entrance. The final memorial was the Munich clock, a simple two-faced clock paid for by the Ground Committee and attached to the south-east corner of the stadium, with the date "Feb 6th 1958" at the top of both faces and "Munich" at the bottom. The clock has remained in the same position since it was first installed. The clock was unveiled on 25 February 1960 by Dan Marsden, the chairman of the Ground Committee.
When the stadium underwent renovations in the mid 1970s, it became necessary to move the plaque from the directors' entrance to allow the necessary changes. However, it was not possible to remove the plaque without damaging it, so the decision was taken to simply wall up the old memorial within the Main Stand and commission a new one. The replacement plaque was simpler than the original, now consisting simply of a slate pitch with the names inscribed upon it, and was installed in 1976.
A third version of the memorial, more like the original than the second in that it included the stands around the slate pitch and the figures above it, was installed in 1996, coinciding with the erection of the statue of Matt Busby, who had unveiled the original memorial. This third version was constructed by stonemasons Mather and Ellis from Trafford Park, and the second was put into storage. It is currently awaiting new display panels before being placed into the club museum's Munich display. The third plaque and the statue of Busby were originally located on the north side of the East Stand, but the statue was moved to the front of the East Stand and the plaque to the south side of the stand after the stand's expansion in 2000.
Munich
There are also two memorials in Germany. First, in the village of
TruderingTrudering is a district of the Trudering-Riem borough of Munich, Germany. It is primarily residential, and offers access to both the metropolitan U-Bahn and S-Bahn at München Trudering railway station and Gronsdorf railway station. Its main traffic artery is the Wasserburger Landstraße....
, on the corner of Karotschstraße and Emplstraße, there is a small wooden memorial depicting
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
on the crucifix, decorated by a stone trough filled with flowers. The trough bears a plaque with the inscription: "Im Gedenken an die Opfer der Flugzeugkatastrophe am 6.2.1958 unter denen sich auch ein Teil der Fußballmannschaft von Manchester United befand, sowie allen Verkehrstoten der Gemeinde Trudering" .
On 22 September 2004, a dark blue granite plaque set in a sandstone border was unveiled in the vicinity of the old Munich Airport on the corner of Rappenweg and Emplstraße, just metres from the wooden memorial. It reads, in both English and German, "In memory of all those who lost their lives here in the Munich air disaster on the 6th February 1958". Underneath is a plaque expressing United's gratitude to the municipality of Munich and its people. The new memorial was funded by Manchester United themselves and the unveiling was attended by club officials, including chief executive
David GillDavid A. Gill is British football executive, currently Chief Executive of Manchester United F.C. and a board member of The Football Association...
, manager
Alex FergusonSir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE, popularly known as Sir Alex or Fergie is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986.Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren, before a highly successful...
and director Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the disaster himself.
On 24 April 2008, the town council of Munich decided to name the site where the memorial stone is placed "Manchesterplatz" .
40th anniversary
In late 1997,
John DohertyJohn Peter Doherty was an English football player. His regular position was at inside right.Born in Manchester, Doherty started his professional career with Manchester United in 1952. He was part of the United squad that won the 1955-56 league title. In October 1957, he was transferred to...
approached United chairman
Martin EdwardsCharles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
on behalf of the Manchester United Former Players' Association to request a testimonial for those victims of the Munich disaster – both the survivors and the dependants of the ones who were lost. Edwards was hesitant, but a benefit match was eventually sanctioned for a date as close to the 40th anniversary of the disaster as possible. Red Star Belgrade and
Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful club in German football, having won 21 German titles and 14 cups....
were touted as possible opponents for the match, and fans purchased tickets without the opponents even having been decided.
However, in the midst of the preparations, former United player
Eric CantonaEric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French former footballer of the late 1980s and 1990s, turned actor. He ended his professional footballing career at Manchester United where he won four Premier League titles in five years, including two League and FA Cup Doubles.Cantona is often regarded as having...
, who had retired from football to pursue a career in film in the summer of 1997, expressed an interest in returning to Manchester United for a farewell match. Edwards, ever the businessman, took the opportunity to combine the two events into one. From then on, it seemed to some that the match had ceased to be primarily a tribute to the Busby Babes and more about Cantona. Due to Cantona's new acting career, his schedule meant that he would not be available in February and the match was moved to 18 August, with the opposition to be a European XI chosen by Cantona himself. Martin Edwards was criticised for turning the match into a publicity stunt, while Elizabeth Wood, the divorced wife of Munich survivor
Ray WoodRaymond Ernest "Ray" Wood was a Manchester United goalkeeper who played in the 1956 and 1957 championship-winning teams. Wood was a very fast player, he had the opportunity to be a professional sprinter but chose to play football, and was very agile...
, compared the treatment of the Munich victims to that of "dancing bears at the circus". Nevertheless, the match earned £47,000 for each of the victims' families, while Eric Cantona recouped over £90,000 in expenses directly from the testimonial fund, rather than from the club.
50th anniversary
A memorial service was held at Old Trafford on 6 February 2008. At the conclusion of the service, the surviving members of the 1958 team were the guests of honour at a ceremony to rename the tunnel under the stadium's South Stand as the "Munich Tunnel", which features an exhibition about the Busby Babes.
On 6 February 2008, the
England national football teamThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
took on
SwitzerlandThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association....
at
Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007.-History:...
. Before the game, pictures of the players who lost their lives at Munich were displayed on big screens, and England players wore black armbands. There was also a tribute to the Busby Babes in the match programme. Originally, a minute's silence was not to have been observed on the day, due to
the Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's fears that the silence would not be respected by fans of Manchester United's rivals. However, they then agreed that a minute's silence should be held. In the event, it was generally well-observed, but a small number of supporters made whistles and cat-calls and the referee cut the silence short after less than 30 seconds.
On 10 February 2008, at the derby match between Manchester United and
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
at Old Trafford, both teams were led onto the pitch by a lone bagpiper, and the managers – Alex Ferguson and
Sven-Goran ErikssonSven-Göran Eriksson born 5 February 1948, in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname
Svennis , is a Swedish football manager. He is the current director of football for Notts County....
– each laid a wreath in the centre circle. This was followed by a minute silence, which, despite previous concerns, was respected by all the fans. Kevin Parker, secretary of Manchester City's supporters club, had originally suggested a minute's applause instead of a minute's silence, so as to drown out anyone who would disrupt the silence, but this was rejected by the Manchester United management as inappropriate. United played in strips reminiscent of those worn by the 1958 team, numbered 1–11 with no advertising on the front or players names on the back, while City removed sponsors' logos from their kit and the image of a small black ribbon was embroidered to the right shoulder; both teams wore black armbands in tribute to the victims of the Munich disaster. Manchester City won 2–1 thanks to first half goals from
Darius VassellDarius Markus Vassell is an English Association football player who plays for Turkish Süper Lig side Ankaragücü.-Early career:...
and debutant
BenjaniBenjamin "Benjani" Mwaruwari is a Zimbabwean footballer who plays for Manchester City as a striker. He was born to parents of Malawian descent and has chosen to represent his nation of birth, Zimbabwe, internationally.-Early career:...
. Fans in attendance were given commemorative scarves – in red and white for the United fans, and blue and white for the City fans – which were held up during the silence.
Music
Several musical tributes to the Munich air disaster have been recorded, the earliest being the song "The Flowers of Manchester". Written by an anonymous author, the song was recorded and released by Liverpool folk band
The SpinnersThe Spinners were a 1960s folk group from Liverpool, United Kingdom. They were unrelated to "The Spinners", an American soul band known variously in the UK as "The Motown Spinners" and "The Detroit Spinners"....
on their 1962 debut album "Quayside Songs Old and New
". Manchester-born singer MorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths...
also released a song called "Munich Air Disaster, 1958
" as a B-side to "Irish Blood, English Heart
" in 2004. It later appeared on his live album, Live at Earls CourtLive at Earls Court is a live album by Morrissey. Its sleeve notes state that it was "recorded live at Earls Court in London on the December 18, 2004 in front of 17,183 people."-Track listing:...
, in 2005.
Most recently, the English band The FutureheadsThe Futureheads are a four-piece English post-punk revival band from Sunderland. Their name comes from the title of the The Flaming Lips album, Hit to Death in the Future Head.-Early days:...
named their album News and TributesNews and Tributes is the second full length album by The Futureheads, released on May 29, 2006. The first single "Skip to the End" was released on May 15, 2006. The album, like their debut, received critical acclaim, and praise that The Futureheads had 'matured' their sound...
in honour of the disaster. The title track pays tribute to those who lost their lives, and includes the verse:
- Cut down in their prime,
- In silence, on that day,
- February 58, they got what they need,
- From Belgrade and back home to sleep
Film
Barry Navidi, producer of the 2004 film The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a 2004 film based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. It is the first full-length sound film version in English of Shakespeare's play; most other versions are videotaped productions made for television...
is currently working on a script for a HollywoodThe cinema of the United States has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film about the Munich air crash. The Manchester Evening NewsThe Manchester Evening News is a British daily newspaper published each week day and on Saturdays which is owned by the Guardian Media Group. It is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. It sells 81,326 copies a day and gives away 99,574....
reported on 22 April 2005 that the survivors had not been consulted and were concerned about how accurate the film would be.
Bill Foulkes said that, if done right, the film could become a "tribute to the Busby Babes which could be seen for generations to come." However, he expressed concerns about the accuracy of the film, given the filmmakers' lack of first-hand sources about what actually happened in Munich. Fellow survivor
Harry GreggHarry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
was more concerned about the portrayal of the players, particularly those who died, and whether their families' feelings would be respected.
John DohertyJohn Peter Doherty was an English football player. His regular position was at inside right.Born in Manchester, Doherty started his professional career with Manchester United in 1952. He was part of the United squad that won the 1955-56 league title. In October 1957, he was transferred to...
, a player who had left United only a few months earlier, was less restrained, saying that "[t]he only reason anyone would want to make a film like this is to make money" and that "while there may be a slight hint of truth in the film, it will be mainly untruths... Unless you were there, how could you know what conversations took place?".
Television
On 10 January 2006, the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
showed a drama/documentary retelling the story in the series
Surviving DisasterSurviving Disaster is a BBC, Discovery Channel, and ProSieben co-production documentary series about disasters in the 20th Century. It was produced in association with France 5.-Episodes:* "The Munich Air Crash"...
. However, the programme was met with criticism from former United winger
Albert ScanlonAlbert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. Scanlon came through the Manchester United youth system, making his debut for the club in 1954. Scanlon would help the club to two league titles...
, who claimed that it was full of inaccuracies despite the production having consulted him about the content of the documentary. Errors in the programme included the depiction of Jimmy Murphy giving a pre-match team talk in Belgrade, despite him being in Cardiff at the time, and the plane being shown as only half full when nearly every seat was occupied.
On 6 February 2008, the 50th anniversary of the crash, several television channels showed programmes about it:
- UKTV History aired the BBC co-produced drama documentary Surviving Disaster to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy. Information can be found here
- MUTV aired a segmented documentary called Munich Remembered, aired throughout the day with memories of players, staff and supporters.
- The BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
showed as part of its One Life series a documentary following United goalkeeper Harry Gregg retracing his route from England to Belgrade to Munich. He met and talked with some of the first rescuers who had arrived on the scene. He also met Vera Lukić, the pregnant mother whom he had rescued and Zoran, the son she bore two months later.
Other
The
University of SalfordThe University of Salford is a plate glass university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students...
honoured Munich victim Eddie Colman by naming one of its halls of residence for him. Colman was born in Salford in 1936.
See also
- History of Manchester United F.C. (1945–1969)
- List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft
- An American military aircraft crashed in central Munich in 1960
- The Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is an Italian professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906...
side known as Il Grande Torino that dominated post-war Italian footballFootball is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the Football World Cup four times , trailing only Brazil ; Italy is the current title-holder...
was lost in an air crash at SupergaThe Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...
in 1949
- A chartered C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
crashedThe Cal Poly football team plane crash occurred on October 29, 1960, at 22:02 EST, when a twin-engine C-46 propliner, registration N1244N, operated as a domestic charter flight by Arctic Pacific, carrying the California Polytechnic State University football team, crashed on takeoff at the Toledo...
in 1960, killing a group of American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
players from California Polytechnic State UniversityCalifornia Polytechnic State University, also officially recognized as Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California...
- A 1970 crash in Colorado
On October 2, 1970 at 1:14 p.m. a Martin 4-0-4 aircraft flown by Golden Eagle Aviation crashed into a mountain eight miles west of Silver Plume, Colorado. The twin-engined propliner carried 36 passengers and a crew of four; 29 were killed at the scene and two later died of their injuries while...
that killed a group of American football players from Wichita State UniversityWichita State University is an American state-supported university located in the city of Wichita, Kansas. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current President is Dr. Donald Beggs....
- The 1970 crash of Southern Airways Flight 932 killed a group of American football players from Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, founded in 1837 as a private subscription school by several residents of Guyandotte and the surrounding area, on the site once known as Maple Grove .On March 30, 1838, the institution was formally...
- In 1987, the entire roster of Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
vian football team Alianza LimaAlianza Lima is a football club based in La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. The team plays in the Primera División Peruana and are one of the most successful and popular clubs in Peruvian football, having won twenty two first division titles and generally topping the popularity charts of national...
died in an air crashThe 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster took place on December 8, 1987, when a Peruvian Navy Fokker F27-400M chartered by Peruvian football club Alianza Lima plunged into the Pacific Ocean six miles short of its destination, off the Ventanilla District of the city of Callao...
- The 1989 crash of Surinam Airways Flight PY764
Surinam Airways Flight PY764 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport in Suriname on a Surinam Airways DC-8...
killed a group of Surinamese players known as "The Colorful 11", whose members played professional football in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
- 18 members of the Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence in 1964 they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of the south central African...
died in a 1993 air crash
External links
- Munich58.co.uk
- The Busby Babes
- United Front
- British Pathe newsreel footage: (Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform originally acquired by Macromedia and currently developed and distributed by Adobe Systems. Since its introduction in 1996, Flash has become a popular method for adding animation and interactivity to web pages...
video)