The 1940s and 1950s were full of success for Manchester United. They managed a 4th-place finish in the 1945-1946 season, and won the FA Cup two years later. Coach Matt Busby was a big part of that. Hence the nickname of the team at the time – “Busby Babes”. On February 5, 1958, they had another successful match. Unfortunately, a day later, the joy and euphoria was replaced by immense sadness.
They were to play in the semi-finals of the European Cup. Fractions of seconds decided about the lives of 43 passengers of the plane
On February 5, 1958, a match between Manchester United and Crveny Zvezda took place at the Military Stadium in Belgrade. England led 3-0 at the break, but unexpectedly in the second half of the match, the rivals managed to lead to a draw. For Busby’s team, it was a cause for celebration anyway. This meant that the players advanced to the semi-finals of the European Cup. After the game, they went to the British Embassy in Belgrade to celebrate. They were supposed to go home the next day. Unfortunately, the plane never arrived.
The machine took off in the morning, but due to the fact that it had to refuel, it was necessary to land in Munich. It was supposed to take about 20 minutes, but there were unexpected complications. On the first take-off, the pilots heard that the engines were not working properly. So they gave up the run. It turned out that the engine was overheated, but at that time it was nothing unusual – after a while the pilots tried to get the machine into the air again. However, the situation repeated itself, which worried the passengers. “After the first failed start, few people were worried, but after the second failed, we went to the waiting room in silence,” recalled Foulkes.
The team then disembarked and some thought the flight would be rescheduled. Eventually, after consulting with the ground crew, the pilots decided to try again. David Pegg said he would move to the back for safety.
The plane took off from the runway, but only for a moment. He quickly dropped back down and was speeding down the runway at full speed. The machine drove over the airport fence and crossed a local road. – Jesus, we’re not going to make it! called Captain Ken Rayment. The plane broke in two, and one of them hit a wooden building that was filled with fuel and tires. This led to a fire, which resulted in an explosion moments later.
Captain Thain tried to smother the flame with a fire extinguisher. One of the people who managed to get out of the plane was bouncer Harry Gregg. He and Bill Foulkes managed to get Dennis Viollet and Bobby Charlton out. Soon, ambulances arrived and took the injured to the Rechts der Isar hospital in Munich.
In total, 23 people died. “That’s everyone. The others are dead.”
As a result of the disaster, eight players, a coach, journalists and crew members died. A total of 23 people out of 43 passengers. When Foulkes and Gregg arrived at the hospital the next day to see their teammates, they were shocked. “I was beginning to think it didn’t look all that bad.” Then I asked the nurse where the others were. The nurse shook her head and said, “That’s all. The others are dead.” – Foulkes.
A few days later, the bodies of the dead players were transported to Manchester. They were deposited in the gym under the main stand at Old Trafford before the funeral took place. Mourning was declared in Manchester, and thousands of fans wanted to pay their respects to the team. Films from the crash site were broadcast in cinemas, matches began with a minute’s silence, and taxi drivers drove customers to funerals for free.
The survivors tried to rebuild the power of the club. “It was our debt of gratitude to those who died”
Less than two weeks after the disaster, Manchester United had to play their first match. Busby’s assistant, Jimmy Murphy, was to rebuild the team. – I had no people, but I had a mission – he said then (years later, the book “Jimmy Murphy: the man who saved Manchester United”) was written. Under his wings, the team managed to return to the top. Foulkes and Charlton, who survived the flight, were still in the squad. – It was our debt of gratitude to those who died. They started what we later fought for and what we won – said Bobby Charlton years later.
Source: Sport.PL
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
