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rondwisan · 16-06-2009, 09:43 AM

Munich Memorial, February 6th 1958

Farewell

Manchester United had to continue and chairman Harold Hardman had made this clear in his message on the front cover of the Sheffield Wednesday programme:

"United will go on .... the club has a duty to the public and a duty to football. We shall carry on even if it means that we are heavily defeated . Here is a tragedy which will sadden us for years to come, but in this we are not alone. An unprecedented blow to British football has touched the hearts of millions. Wherever football is played United is mourned".

The weeks following the tragedy revealed moving stories about the players who lost their lives:

Roger Byrne would have learned when he returned to Manchester that his wife Joy was expecting a child. Thirty-eight weeks after his death Roger had a son.

Geoff Bent treasured a picture of himself taking the ball off Tom Finney in one of the 12 First Division games he played, and the newspaper cutting was kept by his young wife Marion. His daughter Karen was a babe in arms when he died.

Eddie Colman, the `cheekie chappie' from Salford, was just three months past his 21st birthday when he was killed.

Duncan Edwards, the youngest player to appear for England, was planning to get married to his fiance, Molly. He had been a senior footballer for only four years, and was 22. Today, a s***ned glass window in St Francis's Church in his home town of Dudley remains as a tribute to a great player.

Mark Jones left a young wife, June, and a baby son, Gary. The ex-bricklayer was just 24 years of age. He doted on his black Labrador retriever, Rick. The dog pined away to its death shortly after the disaster.

David Pegg was only 22 and had edged himself into the England side at a time when Tom Finney and Stan Matthews were ending their international careers. His ambition was to be successful with United, and he had achieved that aim.

Tommy Taylor was also planning to marry and had told his fiance, Carol, that he was looking forward to getting home from Belgrade for a pint of Guinness and to listen to his records with her.

Liam Whelan was a deeply religious boy, and Harry Gregg remembers clearly his last words as the aircraft accelerated down the runway: `If the worst happens I am ready for death .... I hope we all are.'

Eleven years later an official inquiry cleared Cap***n James Thain of any responsibility for the accident. The official cause was recorded as a build-up of melting snow on the runway which prevented the Elizabethan from reaching the required take-off speed.
Through the Munich Air Disaster a bond between Manchester United and its supporters was welded. Since that day, the club has been one of the best supported in Bri***n, and even though it never achieved the domination threatened by the potential of the Babes, since 1972-73 Old Trafford's attendances have been the highest in the Football League. Anyone who was a supporter at the time of Munich has remained loyal to the club. Those who came afterwards perhaps failed to understand the magnitude of the club's loss but have absorbed the meaning of Munich. It was the day a team died, but still plays on.

THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTER

One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory,
Eight men will never play again who met destruction there,
The Flowers of British football, the Flowers of Manchester.

Matt Busby's boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Cap***n Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again.

The third time down the runway disaster followed close,
There was slush upon that runway and the aircraft never rose,
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned
And eight of the team were killed when the blazing wreckage burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England's side
And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also,
They lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.

Big Duncan he went too, with an injury to his frame,
And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,
The great Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team,
Three long months passed by before he saw his team again.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
And one of them Big Swifty, who we will ne'er forget,
The finest English 'keeper that ever graced the net.

Oh, England's finest football team its record truly great,
Its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
The Flowers of English football, the Flowers of Manchester.

16-06-2009, 09:43 AM	#22
rondwisan moderator Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Soe Rock Bo Yo - Nga Lam vv Posts: 35,048 Thanks: 1,500 Thanked 4,736 Times in 2,701 Posts Mentioned: 567 Post(s)	Munich Memorial, February 6th 1958 Farewell Manchester United had to continue and chairman Harold Hardman had made this clear in his message on the front cover of the Sheffield Wednesday programme: "United will go on .... the club has a duty to the public and a duty to football. We shall carry on even if it means that we are heavily defeated . Here is a tragedy which will sadden us for years to come, but in this we are not alone. An unprecedented blow to British football has touched the hearts of millions. Wherever football is played United is mourned". The weeks following the tragedy revealed moving stories about the players who lost their lives: Roger Byrne would have learned when he returned to Manchester that his wife Joy was expecting a child. Thirty-eight weeks after his death Roger had a son. Geoff Bent treasured a picture of himself taking the ball off Tom Finney in one of the 12 First Division games he played, and the newspaper cutting was kept by his young wife Marion. His daughter Karen was a babe in arms when he died. Eddie Colman, the `cheekie chappie' from Salford, was just three months past his 21st birthday when he was killed. Duncan Edwards, the youngest player to appear for England, was planning to get married to his fiance, Molly. He had been a senior footballer for only four years, and was 22. Today, a s*ned glass window in St Francis's Church in his home town of Dudley remains as a tribute to a great player. Mark Jones left a young wife, June, and a baby son, Gary. The ex-bricklayer was just 24 years of age. He doted on his black Labrador retriever, Rick. The dog pined away to its death shortly after the disaster. David Pegg was only 22 and had edged himself into the England side at a time when Tom Finney and Stan Matthews were ending their international careers. His ambition was to be successful with United, and he had achieved that aim. Tommy Taylor was also planning to marry and had told his fiance, Carol, that he was looking forward to getting home from Belgrade for a pint of Guinness and to listen to his records with her. Liam Whelan was a deeply religious boy, and Harry Gregg remembers clearly his last words as the aircraft accelerated down the runway: `If the worst happens I am ready for death .... I hope we all are.' Eleven years later an official inquiry cleared Capn James Thain of any responsibility for the accident. The official cause was recorded as a build-up of melting snow on the runway which prevented the Elizabethan from reaching the required take-off speed. Through the Munich Air Disaster a bond between Manchester United and its supporters was welded. Since that day, the club has been one of the best supported in Brin, and even though it never achieved the domination threatened by the potential of the Babes, since 1972-73 Old Trafford's attendances have been the highest in the Football League. Anyone who was a supporter at the time of Munich has remained loyal to the club. Those who came afterwards perhaps failed to understand the magnitude of the club's loss but have absorbed the meaning of Munich. It was the day a team died, but still plays on. THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTER One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich Germany, Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory, Eight men will never play again who met destruction there, The Flowers of British football, the Flowers of Manchester. Matt Busby's boys were flying, returning from Belgrade, This great United family, all masters of their trade, The pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Cap*n Thain, Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again. The third time down the runway disaster followed close, There was slush upon that runway and the aircraft never rose, It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned And eight of the team were killed when the blazing wreckage burned. Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England's side And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died, Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also, They lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow. Big Duncan he went too, with an injury to his frame, And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again, The great Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team, Three long months passed by before he saw his team again. The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew, Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew, And one of them Big Swifty, who we will ne'er forget, The finest English 'keeper that ever graced the net. Oh, England's finest football team its record truly great, Its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate. Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there, The Flowers of English football, the Flowers of Manchester.