Tribute: The Flowers of Manchester.

On this day 60 years ago, a group of young men and officials of the most famous football club in England waited at the Munich-Riem airport for their Elizabethan aircraft to be deemed ready to brave the snow and freezing temperatures to carry them on their journey back to Manchester.

The club was returning from a successful match in Belgrade and had stopped in Munich to refuel.
The events that unfolded after the party boarded the plane for the last time would be engraved not only in the memories of those who lived through the terrible tragedy that would unfold, but also in the generations of supporters who would carry the light of their lost heroes forward so that no one would ever forget.

On the day of the tragedy seven players lost their lives in the plane crash, they were Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Liam Whelan and Geoff Bent. These were followed by Duncan Edwards, the greatest player of his and possibly later generations, who passed away a fortnight later in hospital after a brave fight. The heart of the Red Devils had been ripped out in the cruelest of ways. Matt Busby was left fighting for his life, not knowing the truth about his beloved Babes.

The club also lost Walter Crickmer, club secretary, Tom Curry, trainer and Bert Whalley, chief coach.

Many words have been written down the years detailing that fateful day, and I like millions of others have read most of the accounts, which have not only included biographies of the victims but also the stories of heroism by some of the survivors. Heroes like Harry Gregg who risked his own life to help the people trapped inside the burning wreckage.

There were many contributing factors that led to the crash. The biggest of which was the pressure on Busby to get his team back to England in time for their upcoming match on the coming Saturday. If only they had been given a little leeway on the return time they could have delayed the flight until the terrible weather conditions had cleared. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

We should also remember the people who were left behind in Manchester to carry on and try to pick up the pieces. None more so than Jimmy Murphy, Busby's right-hand man. He was left with the unenviable task of rebuilding a side that had been decimated while Busby fought his way back to fitness.

Along with the survivors of the crash Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and the legend that is Bobby Charlton. Murphy begged, borrowed and almost stole players so that United could put out a team for their first match.

That match was at an emotionally charged Old Trafford in the FA Cup against Sheffield Wednesday. Charlton wasn't fit enough to play but Gregg and Foulkes took part in a game that United won 3-0. A poignant match programme had a blank team sheet where the names of the babes should have been.

It is a true testament to Murphy that he managed to take the side all the way back to Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even though we lost the match the result didn't really matter, the occasion did, as Matt Busby managed to join his team at the stadium where most of his fallen babes had played the season before.

Matt Busby and his boys were the pioneers of English football in Europe and it should never be forgotten that they died for a dream that Busby had of taking his team to the pinnacle of European football. A dream they would surely have realised if not in the same season then in the next.

It should also be remembered that the English FA were strongly against Manchester United entering the European Cup. Thıs began the uneasy tension that has been evident between the two ever since.

There is no doubt that with the talent in the team they would have matched and most probably surpassed the great Real Madrid. Already dominant in England, it was a formality that Europe would fall at their feet. The average age of the team was only 24, so it is safe to say they would have been together for many years ahead. Many of the players were England internationals and could easily have helped to lıft the World Cup before 1966.

Not only did United lose a team, but also the world of journalism lost it's valued colleagues, including: Frank Swift (News of the World), Henry Rose (Daily Express), Eric Thompson (Daily Mail), George Follows (Daily Herald), Archie Ledbrooke (Daily Mirror), Alf Clarke (Manchester Evening Chronicle), Tom Jackson (Manchester Evening News) and H D “Donny” Davies (Manchester Guardian).

As each year passes, it's only natural that people connected with the events surrounding Munich pass away, but what is important is that we should never forget that this one heartbreaking disaster is the bedrock of our truly great club. The tears for our lost Flowers of Manchester should never stop flowing and nor should people forget the legacy that Matt Busby and his Babes gave to the greatest club in the world and football.

They are the team that will never die. They are the Flowers of Manchester.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester United Legends: Sir Bobby Charlton.

With probably the most famous comb over hairstyle in the history of sport, Bobby Charlton waved his last goodbye to the faithful Manchester United fans in his final match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, on the 28th April 1973.

The fact that United lost the match is neither here nor there as the fans had only come to witness the final 90 minutes of a player who had literally given his all for the Red Devils over nearly twenty years of loyal service.

Brought to Old Trafford as a 15 year-old youth in 1953 after being spotted playing for East Northumberland schools by Manchester United chief scout Joe Armstrong Charlton was to blossom under the guidance of Matt Busby and became part of the famous Busby Babes.

He was handed his first taste of playing for the first team in his debut against his namesake team Charlton Athletic in October 1956. The match was a huge success for Charlton as he scored a double in a 4-2 win at Old Trafford.

A legend was born. He would go on to score a total of 12 goals in his debut season, which included a hat-trick against Charlton in the return match.

That was the season that United first entered the European Cup competition in which they would reach the semi-finals only to lose against holders Real Madrid. Charlton did manage to get a goal in the second leg 2-2 draw, but it wasn't enough on the night.

It would not be until the following season, 1957-58, that he would become a regular among the greatest English team of that time and many believe of all time.

Playing alongside the likes of Duncan Edwards, Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Eddie Coleman and the rest of the Busby Babe Champions.

That season saw United defending their League Championship crown and once again involved in the prestigious European Cup.

United were on the verge of a possible treble of League, European Cup and FA Cup and a young Bobby Charlton was a part of a team entertaining fans not only in England but also all over Europe. The team was young enough to be at the top for a long time to come until disaster struck.

February 6th, 1958 the heart of Manchester United was ripped out on an icy airstrip in Munich, Germany. Charlton was among the few survivors of the crash that took the lives of young men who were not only his colleagues but also his closest friends.

Charlton was kept in hospital after the crash, but thankfully only received minor injuries and was able to return home to Manchester to help in the rebuilding of a team alongside assistant manager Jimmy Murphy.

However, not only had the light been distinguished in a club but also in the eyes of Charlton, who seemed to be deeply affected by the loss of his friends, a light that wouldn't return even in the brightest moments of his footballing career.

The difficult season ended empty handed for the gallant reds, although they did somehow manage to reach the final of the FA Cup with a side which included four survivors from the disaster Charlton, Gregg, Viollet and Foulkes. A nation willed them on to win, but it was Bolton Wanderers who hadn't read the script and ended up winning the cup 2-0. In many people's hearts the real winners were Manchester United.

The phoenix rising from the ashes had begun with Busby re-building his team this time based around Charlton. New players would be signed among them a certain Denis Law, but it wasn't until 1963 that United tasted their next success when they beat Leicester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley 3-1.

This showed that United was on the way back and along with new players arriving like Crerand, Stiles, Herd and a certain young shy teenager from Belfast who would be part of the trinity that would bring the glory days back to United, George Best.

The end of the 1964-65 saw United crowned as First Division champions in a season in which Charlton scored 18 goals in all competitions. He only managed 10 goals in the league but they were important as United beat Leeds United to the title on goal difference.

It also pointedly meant that they would return to the competition, which must have had brought up mixed feelings for Charlton, the European Cup.

Having beaten Benfica 5-1 away with the match that made Best an 'El Beatle' United lost out to Partizan Belgrade in the semi final, a step too far too soon.

The publicity that Best was receiving from the media didn't sit too well with Charlton, whose lifestyle couldn't have been any different. Married to Norma and with two daughters he was known as the quintessential family man.

Not able to retain the title United ended the season empty handed, but had built a reputation as a free flowing attacking side with a hard centre reminiscent of the Busby teams of the past.

On the international front Charlton had represented England at all levels from schoolboy level right through to full international where he played 106 times netting 49 times.

He was an integral part of Sir Alf Ramsey's 1966 World Cup winning team as they defeated West Germany in the final at Wembley 4-2.

Charlton didn't manage to find the net in the final, but it was his goals against Portugal in the semi-final that got England into the final. He would go on to become the only England player to be included in four World Cup squads.

Charlton was instrumental again as he scored another 18 goals in the following season as he helped the Red Devils to win back the First Division championship. This success paved the way for another attempt at the European Cup.

29th May 1968, Wembley stadium. No doubt the greatest night in Bobby Charlton's illustrious Manchester United career as the Red Devils beat Benfica 4-1 on home soil to lift the European Cup ten years after the Munich air disaster.

A double from Charlton, his first in the competition that season, helped to overcome the Portuguese and he had the great honour of being the first United player to lift the magnificent European trophy. The victory was the first win for an English side, which was fitting as it was Busby who fought so hard to be involved over a decade before.

One image from that wonderful night which sticks long in the memory was when Charlton and Matt Busby hugged down on the touch line. I guarantee their thoughts were with lost friends in that one moment of emotion among many.

That famous triumph would turn out to be Bobby Charlton's last piece of silverware for United as over the next few seasons things wouldn't turn out exactly as planned.

He would continue to play for his beloved club even though times were changing. Something else that was also changing was the United management.

Wilf McGuinness, who had signed for United on the same day as Charlton, was given the impossible task of taking over the reigns from the irreplaceable Matt Busby. It turned out to be a poison chalice for McGuinness, who struggled to win over the bigger personalities in the dressing room, Charlton included.

In 1970, after only one season Busby came back to try and steady a quickly sinking ship. One season later, Irishman Frank O'Farrell was given the chance to bring the good times back, but he also only lasted one season.

United's struggle was also reflected in Charlton's goal tally as he only managed 29 goals in all competitions during seasons 1968-69 to 70-71. There were also rumours of unrest in the United camp with a number of players not communicating with each other.

The writing was on the wall for many players, but it wasn't until the appointment of Tommy Docherty, a tough-talking no-nonsense Scot that would signal the end of the road for Charlton.

Docherty arrived in 1972 and immediately set out his stall bringing in younger players to replace the old timers. Bobby Charlton eventually bowed out as a United player at the end of the 1972-73 season, having come to United as a 15 year-old in 1953.

In that time he made a total of 758 appearances, only recently surpassed by Ryan Giggs, and scored an impressive 249 goals. The last of those came in a 2-0 win at Southampton in March 1973.

Upon retiring from playing he did venture into management with Preston North End, but that was short lived and he also tried his hand in business with a travel agency but the pull of United was too hard for him to ignore.

His adoration for his beloved Manchester United has seen his association with the club continue to the present day mainly in a director capacity. He was instrumental in bringing Sir Alex Ferguson to the club for that alone we should be grateful.

He can still be seen at all the games involving United home and away. He is also recognized all over the world and his name is indelibly linked with Old Trafford, after all it was Charlton who first called the stadium 'The Theatre of Dreams'.

No one encompasses United like this man. Although not originally from Manchester he has to be regarded now as a son of this great city.

In 2016 Charlton had two great honours bestowed upon him. The first was the renaming of the South Stand at Old Trafford, and the second was UEFA's Order of Merit in recognition of his lifelong devotion to football.

Thank you, Sir Bobby.

Miles Dunton.

Munich '58: The Flowers of Manchester.

On this day 57 years ago a group of young men and officials of the most famous football club in England were waiting at Munich-Riem airport for their Elizabethan aircraft to be deemed ready to brave the snow and freezing temperatures to carry them on their journey back to Manchester.



The club were returning from a successful match in Belgrade and had stopped in Munich to refuel.
The events that unfolded after the party boarded the plane for the last time would be engraved not only in the memories of those who lived through the terrible tragedy that would unfold, but also in the generations of supporters who would carry the light of their lost heroes forward so that no one would ever forget.

On the day of the tragedy seven players lost their lives in the plane crash, they were Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Liam Whelan and Geoff Bent these were followed by Duncan Edwards, the greatest player of his and possibly later generations, who passed away days later in hospital after a brave fight. The heart of the Red Devils had been ripped out in the cruelest of ways. Matt Busby was left fighting for his life, not knowing the truth about his beloved Babes.

The club also lost Walter Crickmer, club secretary, Tom Curry, trainer and Bert Whalley, chief coach.

Many words have been written down the years detailing that fateful day and I like millions of others have read most of the accounts, which have not only included biographies of the victims but also the stories of heroism by some of the survivors. Heroes like Harry Gregg who risked his own life to help the people trapped in the wreckage.

There were many contributing factors that led to the crash the biggest of which was the pressure on Busby to get his team back to England in time for their upcoming match on the coming Saturday. If only they had been given a little leeway on the return time they could have delayed the flight until the terrible weather conditions had cleared. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

We should also remember the people who were left behind to carry on and try to pick up the pieces. None more so than Jimmy Murphy, Busby's right hand man. He was left with the unenviable task of rebuilding a side that had been decimated while Busby fought his way back to full fitness.

Murphy & Busby.

Along with the survivors of the crash Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and the legend that is Bobby Charlton. Murphy begged, borrowed and almost stole players so that United could put out a team for their first match.

The match was at an emotionally charged Old Trafford in the FA Cup against Sheffield Wednesday. Charlton wasn't fit enough to play but Gregg and Foulkes took part in a match that United won 3-0. A poignant match programme had a blank team sheet where the names of the babes should have been.

It is a true testament to the man that he managed to take the side all the way back to Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even though we lost the match the result didn't really matter, the occasion did, as Matt Busby managed to join his team at the stadium where most of his fallen babes had played the season before.

Matt Busby and his boys were the pioneers of English teams in Europe, it should never be forgotten that they died for a dream that Busby had of taking his team to the pinnacle of European football. A dream they would surely have realised if not in the same season then in the next.

It should also be remembered that the English FA was strongly against Manchester United entering the European Cup beginning the uneasy tension that has been evident between the two ever since.

There is no doubt that with the talent in the team they would have matched and most probably surpassed the great Real Madrid. Already dominant in England it was a formality that Europe would fall at their feet. The average age of the team was only 24, so it is safe to say they would have been together for many years ahead. Many of the players were England internationals and could easily have helped to win the World Cup before 1966.

Not only did United lose a team but also the world of journalism lost it's valued colleagues including: Frank Swift (News of the World), Henry Rose (Daily Express), Eric Thompson (Daily Mail), George Follows (Daily Herald), Archie Ledbrooke (Daily Mirror), Alf Clarke (Manchester Evening Chronicle), Tom Jackson (Manchester Evening News) and H D “Donny” Davies (Manchester Guardian).

As each year passes it's only natural that people connected with the events surrounding Munich pass away, but what is important is that we should never forget that this one heartbreaking disaster is the bedrock of our truly great club. The tears for our lost Flowers of Manchester should never stop flowing and nor should people forget the legacy that Matt Busby and his Babes gave to the greatest team in the world and football.

They are the team that will never die.

Miles Dunton.