Forever And Ever

The Busby Babes, 50 Years On

By Andy Cintron

When football supporters enter the legendary Nevada Smith's football pub this weekend, they will be greeted by sight they should never forget. A somber black curtain will cover the framed Nike shirts and boots on the wall, the television will be dark, and hanging in their place will be several remembrances to commemorate February 6th, 1958, one of the darkest days in English football history. Take a moment to look at the black and white photograph in the center - entitled "The Last Line Up" - it pictures the famous Manchester United 'Busby Babes' team as they line up before their match against Red Star Belgrade on February 5th, 1958 for the last match that many of them would ever play. Less than 24 hours later, seven of that talented young team would perish on a snow-covered runway in Munich, Germany and one brave young lion would lose his fight for life 15 days later.

A local newspaper writer coined the nickname 'Busby Babes', it referred to the youth of manager Matt Busby's team. The great United manager developed a youth system in 1949 that exists in Manchester United to this day. Sir Matt didn't look to replace his star players with other star players, he preferred to look at young players and see if they could be nurtured and developed to the point that they would be worthy of wearing the famous red shirt. The success developing this young talent is witnessed by the fact that Manchester United won the FA Youth Cup an amazing 5 years in a row - 1953-1958.

The United team that won the league in 1952 for the first time since 1911 was an aging one, although Roger Byrne, Johnny Berry and Tommy Taylor were starting to establish themselves in the side. The following year United finished a disappointing 8th in the table and Busby decided to give some of the youngsters their shot. Jackie Blanchflower, Duncan Edwards, Dennis Viollet, and Bill Foulkes were brought into the side to play Arsenal and Huddersfield. These two matches are widely regarded as being the birth of the Busby Babes. It took some time for the team to really start to show what they were capable of and in the 1953/1954 season they finished in 4th place, having added Ireland's Billy (Liam) Whelan, Albert Scanlon, and Mark Jones.

The following season Matt Busby's faith in his young players was rewarded as Manchester United won the league easily with the average age of their players being just 22 years old! It was just as impressive then as it is now. Amazingly the only players that were still in the team from the championship winning team from 1952 were Roger Byrne and Johnny Berry! United repeated the feat the following season for the first back to back titles in their history. Although not all the players on the squad were youngsters, the core of the team were 'Babes'. The team was at that point comprised of Jackie Blanchflower, a Northern Ireland international; Captain, Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were England internationals; Bobby Charlton (who would go on to set the Manchester United record for all time appearances); Johnny Berry; Wilf McGuinness, (who would have an ill fated spell as manager following Matt Busby); Albert Scanlon; David Pegg; Eddie Coleman, a local Salford lad; Ray Wood; Dennis Viollet; Mark Jones; Liam (Billy) Whelan, an Ireland international; and the legendary Duncan Edwards.

Special mention must be given to Duncan Edwards. If there were any United player from the past that I wish I could have seen play, it would be 'Big Duncan'. From all accounts, Duncan was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, a giant of a young man whose shooting, passing, and tackling were awesome. Defenders were said to bounce off him as he was so strong and he was the embodiment of bravery, loyalty, and dedication. In modern terms, think of Wayne Rooney having double his skill and a much better temperament and maturity and you get an idea of the kind of player Duncan Edwards was. He was the youngest player ever capped for England at 18 years old. That record stood until another United wonderkid broke it. Bobby Charlton called him the best footballer that he ever saw play. He went on to say "He was the only player who ever made me feel inferior". Considering that Duncan was only 21 years old when he boarded the plane at Munich, that is unbelievable praise and a testament to his stature.

The events that led United to that fateful day in Munich were set in motion in 1955 when a French newspaper put together a competition (that would eventually grow into the Champions League) of 16 clubs in Europe. Chelsea, being the English league winners in 1955 were invited to participate but the English FA convinced them not to enter. After all, what could an English club learn from a European club? When Manchester United won the league in 1956, Matt Busby wasn't going to let the small mindedness of the English FA stop him from taking his team into Europe and proving that they were not only the best team in England, but also the best in Europe. So began Matt Busby's quest for the Holy Grail of football - the European Championship.

By February of the 1957/1958 season the Busby Babes were in great form. They had reached the 5th round of the FA Cup and were in the quarterfinals of the European Cup. They defeated Red Star Belgrade in the home leg 2-1. An epic 5-4 win at Highbury against Arsenal was the last time the Busby Babes played on English soil. They headed back to Yugoslavia for the second leg of the European quarterfinals and into history.

On February 5th, 1958, Manchester United's Busby Babes lined up for the final time. The team was: Duncan Edwards, Eddie Coleman, Mark Jones, Ken Morgans, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, Tommy Taylor, Bill Foulkes, Harry Gregg, Albert Scanlon, and captain Roger Byrne. Take a look at the aforementioned "The Last Line Up" photo hanging at Nevada Smiths, that is the moment you are reading about now. In a hard fought game Manchester United held on to draw 2-2 and again advance to the semi-finals of the competition.

The next day the Busby Babes boarded their flight back to Manchester, stopping in Munich Germany to refuel. It was snowing as they landed and the passengers stayed on board as the plane refueled. On the plane's first attempt at takeoff, the pilots heard a strange noise in the engines and decided to taxi back to the runway and try again. The second attempt yielded the same result and Captain Thain decided to bring the plane back to the terminal and decide what to do. The players disembarked went back to the cafeteria to wait it out. Duncan Edwards sent a telegram to his landlady in Manchester saying all flights were cancelled and he'd be home tomorrow. Ironically, the telegram was delivered after news of the tragedy broke in England. The note is displayed in the Manchester United museum and it never fails to move me when I see it.

Shortly afterwards, the pilots decided to try another takeoff rather than stay overnight. The Babes boarded the plane again and there seemed to be a very palpable sense of dread as the plane taxied down the runway with snow and slush shooting off the plane's wheels. Goalkeeper Harry Gregg, in his excellent book "Harry's Game" said that Roger Byrne had a terrified look on his face, Johnny Berry shouted, "We're all going to get killed here" and Liam Whelan, a devout Catholic said "If this is death, then I am ready for it". All of a sudden disaster struck as the plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a house. The plane horrifically broke apart, part of it hitting a tree, while another exploded into a hut.

The toll was devastating. Mark Jones, Tommy Taylor, Geoff Bent, Eddie Coleman, Roger Byrne, David Pegg and Liam Whelan were all killed in the crash as were Walter Crickmer, the club's secretary, Tom Curry, a trainer and Bert Whalley of the coaching staff. Eight sporting journalists were also killed including Frank Swift, Manchester City's greatest ever goalkeeper. In the chaos, there was heroism as Harry Gregg pulled survivors out of the plane and rescued a crying baby girl from the wreckage. Matt Busby was twice given the Last Rites at the hospital and spent over two months there before returning to Manchester. Duncan Edwards sustained injuries in the crash that would have killed a normal man - broken ribs and pelvis, a collapsed lung, liver damage, and a shattered thigh. He bravely battled for life for 15 days before succumbing to his injuries.

It seemed to all that Manchester United would never recover from this tragedy. Indeed the United team sheet for the FA Cup-tie against Sheffield Wednesday on February 19th was left blank as it was uncertain if United could even field a squad. United won 3-0 playing with a makeshift side. Sheer determination got them to the FA Cup final where, perhaps having no more to give, and drained by the events of Munich, were defeated by Bolton. A memorial plaque hangs outside Old Trafford listing the victims of the air crash while the Munich Clock is a poignant reminder of that day. Manchester United were devastated, but like the legendary Phoenix, would rise from the ashes to glory again.

Matt Busby, haunted by the Munich disaster would be vindicated 10 years later in 1968 as Manchester United defeated Benfica at Wembley 4-1 to win their first European Cup. A look at the famous photo of Sir Matt after the match hugging his players with tears in eyes tells you how much it meant to him. Indeed he reminisced in an interview years later; "That was my greatest moment. I had lived for it for a long time. This was the combination of all my ideas, my ambitions, winning the European Cup".

The Flowers of Manchester, as the Babes became known were immortalized in a song of the same name by a group called the Spinners in 1958. The song recounts the events of Munich and every Manchester United fan should hear this hauntingly beautiful, yet heartbreaking song. Go to www.munich58.co.uk to hear it. Something

I'll never forget is sitting in a tiny bar in Manchester a couple of years ago with Irish Examiner USA publisher Paddy McCarthy, his brother, and a couple of friends as a local United lad who sings the song with a group of United supporters in front of Old Trafford every anniversary sang the song to us. I had tears in my eyes by the end of the song. The Babes will never die as long as they are kept alive in the memories of Manchester United supporters

On Wednesday February 6th, spare a thought for the eight Busby Babes who perished at Munich. As Manchester United play host to Manchester city on Sunday February 10th and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the disaster, let us not mourn but celebrate the lives of these Busby Babes who were such an important part of Manchester United right up to the success the club enjoys today. They are, and will always be forever young and forever in our hearts.