TODAY marks 59 years since the Munich air disaster, which robbed Manchester United of eight players.
Sir Matt Busby had a team at his disposal built mainly of academy graduates.
And, but for the tragic plane crash on February 6, 1958 which claimed 23 lives in all, they could have challenged Real Madrid’s global domination.
Geoff Bent, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Liam “Billy” Whelan, star striker Tommy Taylor and captain Roger Byrne died at the scene — while the great Duncan Edwards passed away in hospital 15 days later.
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The England international was just 21 and is regarded by many as the best natural talent ever produced on these shores.
Meanwhile, Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower — younger brother of Tottenham legend, Danny — never played again.
Just as the world of football came together to mourn Chapecoense in December, it united following this tragic plane crash.
United had won three league titles in six years from 1952 to 1957 and defied FA desires by competing in the newly-established European Cup.
In their first campaign in 1956/57, they performed admirably and reached the semi-finals — hammering Anderlecht 10-0 in their first home match.
And they also beat Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao along the way.
However, reigning champions, Real Madrid were just too strong, and Los Blancos won 5-3 on aggregate in the semis.
United had the two top goalscorers in the tournament with Dennis Viollet on nine strikes and Taylor on eight — with the great Alfredo Di Stefano having scored one fewer with seven.
Having won the title again, the Red Devils were once again in the European Cup.
Shamrock Rovers and Dukla Prague were dispatched in the early rounds, with Red Star Belgrade lying in wait in the quarter-finals.
A late Colman goal secured a narrow 2-1 victory in the first leg.
United had suffered disappointing results immediately after earlier returns from European away matches, so Busby asked Football League secretary, Alan Hardaker to postpone the next fixture — however, his request was turned down.
Keen to fulfil their league obligations, the Red Devils opted to fly back rather than take the ferry as had been originally planned.
The return against Red Star took place on February 5, 1958, and United took a 3-0 lead inside 31 minutes, thanks in large part to a double from Sir Bobby Charlton.
However, the hosts fought back to equalise and the Busby Babes had to fight to keep the scores level.
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A day later, they began their doomed return to Manchester.
The flight from from Belgrade stopped in Munich for refuelling — and slush on the runway meant they were delayed in Germany.
It was deemed safe to take off and the pilots attempted, but the effort was abandoned and they tried again.
Following this second failure, the passengers were removed from the aircraft and led back to the airport.
Initially, the flight was cancelled, but one last take-off was attempted — with disastrous consequences.
The plane accelerated and the pilots lost control in the slush on the runway. It crashed through a fence and into a farm house nearby.
A mother and her three children escaped unharmed as it set on fire.
Part of the aircraft’s tail was torn off and the fuel caused an internal explosion — with those sat at its rear the first victims.
Goalkeeper, Harry Gregg, escaped unharmed and returned to pull multiple survivors from the wreckage.
There were 20 fatalities at the scene. Manager Sir Matt was twice read his Last Rites while gravely injured in a Munich hospital — before making a miraculous recovery.
And British pilot James Thain spent ten years fighting to clear his name, having been sued by the German authorities following the incident.
Munich Air Disaster fatalities
MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS
— Geoff Bent
— Roger Byrne
— Eddie Colman
— Duncan Edwards (died 15 days later)
— Mark Jones
— David Pegg
— Tommy Taylor
— Liam 'Billy' Whlen
MANCHESTER UNITED STAFF
— Walter Crickmer, club secretary
— Tomy Curry, trainer
— Bert Whalley, chief coach
JOURNALISTS
— Alf Clarke, Manchester Evening Chronicle
— Donny Davies, Manchester Guardian
— George Follows, Daily Herald
— Tom Jackson, Manchester Evening News
— Archie Ledbrooke, Daily Mirror
— Henry Rose, Daily Express
— Frank Swift, (former Manchester City goalkeeper) News of the World
— Eric Thompson, Daily Mail
OTHER PASSENGERS
— Bela Milos, travel agent
— Willie Satinoff, supporter and friend of Sir Matt Busby
The crash took place at four minutes past three, which is the time at which the clock outside Old Trafford is constantly on.
English football united, and the depleted Red Devils were loaned players from their rivals and are the only team to have been given special dispensation to field a cup-tied player in the FA Cup.
Busby’s assistant, Jimmy Murphy, kept the club going in the Scot’s absence.
Remarkably, they returned to the summit of English football just seven years later.
And they became England’s first European champions with victory over Benfica at Wembley in 1968.
Light, ten years on from their darkest hour.
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