New Delhi: It has been exactly 59 years since the ‘darkest day’ in the history of the Red Devils took place. Thousands still gather around the Munich Memorial today, outside Old trafford to commemorate the unfortunate death of those eight ‘Busby Babes’ who lost their lives on the fateful day of February 6, 1958.
Manchester United was on their way back home from Belgrade after the team drew 3-3 against the Red Star in their European Cup encounter. Despite the score, Matt Busby’s side successfully crawled into the semi-final round of the tournament.
The Airspeed ambassador G-ALZU was initially delayed owing to the players misplacing their passports. Later, the flight carrying eight of the united players, stopped at the Munich airport to refule. Munich was then snowing. “The weather outside was bad, the runway was covered in snow and the airports in those days lacked basic facilities,” remebered Sir Bobby Charlton, as he narrated through the incident to MUTV post the incident.
With the plane engine causing a problem, the charter plane failed in its first two attempts to take off from Munich. Finally in its third strive, the plane took off, but it failed to push itself high. It crashed into the outer fence on the runway, costing the lives of 22 people out of its 44 passengers. Eight young united players past away in the fatal crash.
Among the players whom they had lost were- Roger Byrne(28), Goeff Bent(25), Eddie Colman(21), David Pegg(22), Mark Jones(24), Duncan Edwards(21). The latter past away a fortnight after the incident, while the captain of the flight, Kenneth Rayment died few weeks later.
We will remember them. #flowersofmanchester pic.twitter.com/0adGI0rKbT
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) February 6, 2017
“It was the worst incident in the history of sports. Young players at the peak of their career were taken away. The team was playing extremely well and people all around Europe wanted to see us,” added Charlton, who survived the crash.
Two days back, the club took on their website to inform the fans about the commemoration that would take place today. ‘The Pride of Football’ will be sung, along with the traditional performance of ‘The Flowers of Manchester’.
Gone but never forgotten #flowersofmanchester pic.twitter.com/78Vzeykzpc
— Ashley Young (@youngy18) February 6, 2017
Today we remember those who sadly lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster. pic.twitter.com/gwgvhoZkDn
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 6, 2017
Source: Zee News