The Busby Babes: The Flowers of Manchester

This day, February 6th, will always be identified as the day 64 years ago eight Manchester United players and three staff tragically lost their lives. The remaining nine surviving players and Manager Matt Busby, were scarred, both physically, and mentally. By the year 1958, Manchester United were an accomplished team composed of tremendously talented, young players dubbed “The Busby Babes.” The club was headed home after a midweek European Cup match, desperate to return home before the deadline of their English league fixture. During a refuel stop in Munich, the pilots were forced to abandon their first and second takeoff attempts, citing that the “Port engine sounded odd.” Everyone then exited the plane. Not expecting to take off again that day, United star midfielder, Duncan Edwards, sent a telegram to his landlady, “All flights cancelled, flying tomorrow. Duncan.” The pilots, despite the light dusting of snow earlier, and the now heavy snowfall, believed they had resolved the issue and that they could continue on. The runway was covered in heavy slush, and given the conditions the nervous passengers took seats in the back of the plane. This decision would prove to be fatal. At 3:04 pm the pilot, for a third time, took off down the runway. 119 knots is required for take off, and at 117 it becomes too late to safely abort take off. The plane made it to 117 knots in this attempt, and just as the plane reached 119 knots the plane's engines suddenly died. They dropped to 112, then 105, and then the boundary fence came into view. They were out of runway. The pilot realized that a crash was inevitable and shouted, “Christ, we won’t make it." The plane skid off the runway continuing on through the fence and crossed a road. It finally came to a stop, but not before hitting a house and secondary structure consisting of a truck filled with fuel and tires. The plane tore apart and exploded. As a result, twenty passengers died immediately, the majority seated at the back end. Those twenty-four passengers that survived did so as a result of the quick thinking of goalkeeper Harry Gregg. After regaining consciousness following being knocked out he quickly realized the immediate danger he and the rest of the surviving passengers were in. He, then, began pulling passengers to safety. Help eventually came and the survivors were taken to a hospital. A journalist passed en route, upon arrival Matt Busby was given The Last Rites as he was not expected to live more than a few hours. Manchester's star Duncan Edwards was also of those that were the most badly injured. Busby miraculously survived his injuries while Duncan, tragically, passed 15 days later. His loss was a crushing blow to the already grieving players, staff and fans akin to rubbing salt in an open wound. In the aftermath, doctors admitted that Duncan’s incredible physical strength had enabled him to fight for life for as long as he had. The February 6th crash claimed the lives of eight journalists, two crew members (co-pilot Rayment being the final victim, 23 days after the crash), team supporter Willie Satinoff and a travel agent who were killed that day. Manchester United lost their secretary, Walter Crickmer, team trainer, Tom Curry, chief coach Bert Whalley, and eight young men: Geoff Bent (25), Roger Byrne (28), Eddie Colman (21), Duncan Edwards (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26), and Liam “Billy” Whelan (22). In 1968, Matt Busby finally achieved what took him and the "Busby Babes" on that ill-fated journey to Belgrade in the first place. At Wembley, ten years later, Manchester United became Champions of Europe. They became the first English team ever to achieve that honor. His team that night contained Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes, two men who knew only too well what the triumph had cost their manager as survivors of the deadly 'Munich Air Disaster.' For all the achievement that has followed since the events of February 6th, 1958, it has all been achieved under the devastating shadow of that catastrophic day. This club will always reverberate around the events in February 1958, as it should. The “Flowers of Manchester” will never be forgotten.