Munich Remembered - 6th February 1958

Chicharo

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
4,102
Location
Near Vida's hometown
The story about Sir Matt being angry at Tommy Taylor because he had never visited him in the hospital (they couldn't tell him the poor fellow had died before Sir Matt was feeling better) always gets me.
Only God knows how many European and domestic titles we would have today hadn't there been this tragic event.
Proud to be a United fan even I am not from England. Especially emotional about this because all those people died after flying home after playing a game in my home country...

Btw. This is something only a true United legend could say


"It's such an important part of our history and the spirit of the club. We have spoken to the players who come into the club, who've not been here and are part of this anniversary.
It's a big day for everyone and it has always been an emotional day for everyone. Hopefully we can put the team out that shows the Man United spirit. We have six or seven of the academy graduates and hopefully they'll lead us on."

Ole
 

Ayoba

Poster of Noncense.
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
8,478
I remember reading about the Munich air crash when I was a kid, I was absolutely shell shocked but at the same time proud to be a Manchester United supporter. The way this club managed to come back after that disaster, it's that spirit, grit and determination that makes our club unique and special.

RIP
 

#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
23,301
 

anant

Correctly predicted Italy to win Euro 2020
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
8,259
RIP. It'd have been interesting to see what all this team would have achieved had the disaster not occurred
 

kafta

Perpetual Under 11's Team Player
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
5,625
Location
Beirut
Frightening how good that team was at such a young age, and i'm glad the club still honors the memory very respectfully every year. RIP to the babes, never forgotten.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
68,646
Location
Brizzle
Supports
Big Days
That picture always gets me and it might be a strange perspective but just look at what an athlete Duncan was. An absolute unit of a man in the prime of his life - he looks like a demigod from a superhero movie and yet we as a species are ultimately so fragile.
 

man united 4eva

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
323
Location
in a humdrum town
I can still remember as a kid my Dad and Uncle telling me about how good the Busby Babes were and about the exciting brand of football they watched them play.. They always had smile on their face as they told me about their favourite players Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor... R I P The Busby Babes... Always in our thoughts... Forever in our hearts.
 

DomesticTadpole

Doom-monger obsessed with Herrera & the M.E.N.
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
101,083
Location
Barrow In Furness
It is so sad there is relatively little coverage of this team and that we didn't get to see how they developed. I think they would have gone on to win the European Cup and dominate English football for years.
 

Tribec

Full Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
3,444
Location
Sunny Salford
Legends, Greats, fathers, brothers, husbands, sons and Babes...... What ever they were to whoever, 63 years on and we haven't forgotten them, we'll never forget them. The Flowers of Manchester....
 

RashyForPM

New Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2020
Messages
3,183
We will always remember these lads. I’m convinced that we’d be the club with the 2nd most CL trophies behind Real if they’d weren’t so tragically killed in that crash. I never watched them live but I just know from everything that they were that good. About Real, let’s take a moment to thank senõr Santagio Bernabeu and the club for their help after the crash as well.

Anyway, RIP to the Flowers of Manchester and everyone else who passed away on that plane. They were the pioneers of the never say die attitude of this club. The way our club behaved after that should serve as a reminder to us all that no matter how trying times are, which they have been since Fergie’s retirement, we should never give up and keep the red flag flying high.

We loved you then, we love you now.
 

Old Ma Crow

Full Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
1,961
We will always remember these lads. I’m convinced that we’d be the club with the 2nd most CL trophies behind Real if they’d weren’t so tragically killed in that crash. I never watched them live but I just know from everything that they were that good. About Real, let’s take a moment to thank senõr Santagio Bernabeu and the club for their help after the crash as well.

Anyway, RIP to the Flowers of Manchester and everyone else who passed away on that plane. They were the pioneers of the never say die attitude of this club. The way our club behaved after that should serve as a reminder to us all that no matter how trying times are, which they have been since Fergie’s retirement, we should never give up and keep the red flag flying high.

We loved you then, we love you now.
Well said.
 

decorativeed

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
12,383
Location
Tameside
That picture always gets me and it might be a strange perspective but just look at what an athlete Duncan was. An absolute unit of a man in the prime of his life - he looks like a demigod from a superhero movie and yet we as a species are ultimately so fragile.
He was actually only 5'8", according to his records at the club. Most people think he was a giant, but he was an inch taller than Juan Mata.
 

Niall

All Powerful Super Being
Staff
Joined
Jun 13, 1999
Messages
24,588
He was actually only 5'8", according to his records at the club. Most people think he was a giant, but he was an inch taller than Juan Mata.
5’ 11” according to Wikipedia and built like a brick shithouse at the age of 21.

If this video is anything to go by if he was 5’ 8” he was playing against (and with) some seriously short ass players back in the 50s.

 

decorativeed

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
12,383
Location
Tameside
5’ 11” according to Wikipedia and built like a brick shithouse at the age of 21.

If this video is anything to go by if he was 5’ 8” he was playing against (and with) some seriously short ass players back in the 50s.

Yeah, on average players were much smaller back then. The club's own player card lists him as 5'8". Not sure where the wiki source came from, but likely not as reliable.
 

redmanx

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
1,415
RIP. It'd have been interesting to see what all this team would have achieved had the disaster not occurred
The history of the European Cup would have been very different. After Munich we played AC Milan in the semi final with a team Jimmy Murphy had cobbled together from our youth team and the signings he made and beat them at Old Trafford but lost 4 0 in the San Siro. The pre Munich United would have put Milan to the sword and beat Real Madrid, who had won the cup the three consecutive years, eclipsing their achievment and dominating the competion for years. By 1968 we would have been multipe winners, 6, 7, 8, more, who knows? There was no limit to what Manchester United could have achieved pre Munich.
 

decorativeed

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
12,383
Location
Tameside
The history of the European Cup would have been very different. After Munich we played AC Milan in the semi final with a team Jimmy Murphy had cobbled together from our youth team and the signings he made and beat them at Old Trafford but lost 4 0 in the San Siro. The pre Munich United would have put Milan to the sword and beat Real Madrid, who had won the cup the three consecutive years, eclipsing their achievment and dominating the competion for years. By 1968 we would have been multipe winners, 6, 7, 8, more, who knows? There was no limit to what Manchester United could have achieved pre Munich.
No, that's not right. They won their third in the '58 final.

Even so, I doubt we'd have won the trophy as many times as that in 10 years, as we'd have needed to also maintain domestic dominance, had to overcome some questionable rules of the time that led to unexpected losses (see 1957 FA Cup final) unexplained refereeing biases in Europe (see us v Milan in 1969, for example), and maintained a squad capable of it. Would we have signed Denis Law if Taylor and Whelan had still been with us?

Anyway, it's easy to think about the events at Munich as having a huge impact on the fortunes of the club and a lot of dreaming about what could have been, but I think that does a disservice to the actual people who were lost. There was more to all of them than goals and appearances.

United have published a new set of biographies of those who died today, and it's well worth a read: https://www.manutd.com/en/history/munich-remembered/the-men-we-lost
 

Maticmaker

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
4,681
People of my age, whether United supporters or not, tend to remember where they were the first time they heard the news of the Crash.

I was 11 years old when my mother walked through our front door and told me United's plane had crashed. As an 11 year old and knowing nothing really, of life or death, I had immediately thought about how many of them would be fit for the game at the weekend.

Its a sadness/callousness of youth, that haunts me forever, on this day especially.

RIP Heroes of mine, every one of you!
 

Red4Life_#7

Full Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2014
Messages
1,112
This is a sad day, which always follows a great day of our best ever player's Birthday CR.

The Busby Babes were taken from this earth way too soon.

Way before my time, I've only heard we missed the chance to completely dominate football.

RIEP
Gone but never forgotten!!
 

MikeeMike

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
592
Busby Babes. RIP
Hope the football tonight is a tribute to all.