TomClare

There is some wonderful footage of the actual game in Bilbao - footage that I had never ever seen before. I knew that the game had been played in atrocious conditions, but I didn’t realize just how bad it was until I saw this video. Today that game would never have been started. There is a wonderful clip showing Billy Whelan scoring United’s all important third goal. I knew the story behind it. How he had run from the half way line, beating man, after man, before firing the ball home from just inside the area. When I actually saw this, it's amazing that after 85 minutes, and in conditions
that were ankle deep in mud, just how he summoned up the strength and determination to go on that run, and then have the power to hit the ball so hard (and this was the old leather ball) and accurately into the top right hand side of the net. For me it is one of the all time great moments in United's history, because that goal gave those lads the belief that they could still go on and win the return game and make the semi-finals. Bob Charlton relates the story of the second leg. He was doing his National Service at the time, and couldn't get away to attend the game. That is, until an erstwhile Sergeant Major mentioned that he would love to see the game and that if Bobby could get the tickets, he would make sure that they got time off to go and see the match. Again some wonderful footage of the return game - for me, the most memorable game that I have ever attended in my whole lifetime, and the memory of that game will live with me forever.

Frank Taylor (who wrote the book "The Day a Team Died") talks about the relationship which the players had with the Press Corps. As he said, there were times that the players were criticized, but never, ever, did they take it to heart. However, as he pointed out, in those days criticism always tended to be constructive, and the press lads reported about football. Private lives were private, and as far as the press lads were concerned, they were out of bounds. Henry Rose, who was a lovely guy, and wrote for the Daily Express, once wrote a piece attacking Duncan Edwards for what Henry thought was over-robust play. A day or two after the article appeared, United were leaving for Dortmund in Germany, and Henry cornered Duncan in the airport lounge and told him not to take the article to much to heart. Duncan stopped him dead in his tracks; "Never even read it Henry" he told him. "You have your job to do, and I have mine - that's fair enough by me." Henry was gob smacked. Frank talks about how all the players and the press lads gelled on the European trips, and the fun that they had together. To them all, it was a huge great adventure. He tells of how the likes of little Eddie and Tommy Taylor used to plague the life out of Tom Jackson (M.E.N.) and Alf Clarke (M.E.C.) Ray Wood tells about how, when they had first traveled into Europe, they were all worried about the foreign food, so they took bags, and bags, of boiled sweets and chocolate with them. Bill Foulkes laughs when he recalls Johnny Berry taking a primus stove with him on every trip because he didn’t want to starve if the foreign food wasn’t up to scratch!

The third and last part of the video relates entirely to the accident and both Bill Foulkes and Harry Gregg relate their memories. It’s when I see this part of the video that my own hurt really begins and it floods back.

I can never ever forget the pall of mourning that affected Manchester on that afternoon and evening, and then carried on over into the next few weeks. Seeing the curtains of people’s houses closed for a week as a mark of respect. Pictures of the team also put up inside those same windows. Adult men and women weeping and showing their grief so openly in public places. I’ll never forget the exact moment when I heard that big Duncan had passed away or the hurt and sadness that hit me so hard again.

There was a tidal wave of sympathy which built up in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and it’s been said by many a misinformed journalist that because of this, Manchester United were able to expand their fan base dramatically. I personally do not agree with that. Yes, gates rose substantially immediately after the disaster, and even into the following season. but between 1960 – 63, they dropped significantly and in those 3 seasons the average gate hovered around 32,000. The real fan explosion began with re-birth of the club after winning the F.A. Cup in 1963 and the glorious era of Sir Matt’s third team which included Crerand, Stiles, Best, Law, and Charlton. It was in 1967 that the gate average exceeded 50,000 for the first time since 1958/59. It is certainly my contention that it was at this point that the press first started to become aware of United’s expanding home and international support. The attraction of fans to Manchester United was the exhilarating style of football which they played, and the aura of Sir Matt – nothing more, nothing less.

Other clubs and their fans have used Munich as an excuse to criticize United - and still do. They used to say that the Club cashed in on the sympathy and would get special treatment from both the F.A. and the Football League. Nothing more was ever further from the truth. I have yet to see any evidence of that ever being produced. There was a lot of jealousy within the game and there were, in my opinion, certain clubs who would have reveled in the complete demise of Manchester United. Within weeks of the disaster, a number of well known clubs tried to lure Jimmy Murphy away from Old Trafford.

Colin Shindler in his book “Manchester United Ruined My Life” stated: “Manchester United used to be supported by people who lived in Manchester. But after Munich, United were supported by people who couldn’t find Manchester on a map”. That kind of statement always gets under my skin. The facts don’t support what he is saying. There is a whole lot of rubbish generated by journalists who weren’t even around at the time of Munich, who have picked up on hearsay stories and embellished them for their own ego. One even accused United of; “wallowing in the misery of Munich, and using the disaster as part of the branding of the club.” It’s just utter nonsense.

Fans from other clubs are just the same, and Manchester City fans are notorious for it. To give you some examples of the things that I have heard:

“When are United going to stop squeezing every last penny out of the air crash?”

“I don’t like the way that United ruthlessly prolonged and marketed the wave of sympathy that followed the Munich thing. You have to ask yourself honestly – did United benefit or suffer as a result of that disaster?”

This is utter nonsense which has no real substance to it. If only people would only take time to check out the facts – but then again, that is too easy. It is like the proverbial rolling stone that gathers moss as it rolls along. These stories are always the same. Whether people like it or not, Munich is a part of Manchester United’s history. I would always argue for anybody to show me concrete evidence that the Club have ever exploited it commercially. If anything, the real truth is that the Club is always in a no-win situation – damned if they do, damned if they don’t – especially where the treatment of the survivors and their family dependants are concerned.

What it boils down to at the end of the day is jealousy – success does breed it. People should remember that in the 1950’s it was a regular occurrence that many United and City fans would attend each other’s matches. Fans just wanted to watch football. But in the 1960’s that culture began to change. Lancashire at that time housed over one third of the clubs in the First Division; United, City, Everton, Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley, Preston, and Blackpool and there was already a health rivalry between their fans. In the early 60’s there were new kinds of social freedoms that began to emerge especially with younger people. Young fans began a more vocal and identifiable allegiance to their clubs. The old culture of fan was replaced by a gradual culture of passionate one club loyalty and that has transcended down to the tribalism between fans that we see today.

I have to admit that personally I do yearn for those old days even though I know that they will never return. It’s why I am the nostalgic old sod that I am today. I enjoyed such happiness in those early years, such a sense of belonging and “being part of.” It was just such a wonderful and fulfilling experience, and one that I just wish with all my heart that our young fans could experience today. The club was tied by its umbilical cord to its grass roots support. Sadly over the years, that cord has been gradually severed, and I feel such a great sadness about that.

Whenever I return to the seat of my memories I remember the “Babes” with so much affection. They were my first love, and always will be. As Sir Matt once remarked to Michael Parkinson when asked the question; “if they had survived, what do you think they would have achieved?” I can recall watching the great man as he paused to give his answer. His face betrayed the feelings that welled up inside of him and there was the hint of a small tear in his eyes. Emotionally he responded; “I think that if they had entered it, they’d have even won the Boat Race.” I agree with that statement because believe me they would have taken some stopping.

At the end of that video, Harry Gregg comes out with some wonderful words about the boys that he played with for just a time:

“They say that they were the best team that we have ever seen. Well – maybe.

They say that they may have gone on to be the best team that we have ever seen. Well – again, maybe.

However, there is one thing that is for certain – they were certainly the best loved team that there has ever been.”