At 3:04 p.m. on Feb. 6, 1958, a disaster occurred that still ranks among the greatest disasters in sports. As the Manchester United team was returning from a game in Yugoslavia, their plane crashed, killing 23 people. Manchester United is an English football team (soccer for you Yanks). They were making their mark in 1958 and were famous as the Busby Babes. Their manager, Matt Busby, was making headlines because he was in favor of signing young players and developing them rather than recruiting older, more seasoned players. The average age of the Babes was only 22. They were doing well that year, and their record before the accident was 15 wins, 7 losses, and 6 draws. The day before the accident, Manchester United had been in Yugoslavia to play Red Star Belgrade. They tied the game, but had enough points on aggregate to advance to the semifinals of the European Cup. They were headed home to England from Yugoslavia with a stop in Munich to refuel. The weather in Munich that day was cold and snowy. After refueling, the plane was cleared for takeoff. However, both the first and second attempts were aborted. The aircraft, an Airspeed Ambassador, was prone to boost surging in the engines, which caused issues on the first two takeoff attempts. They returned to the terminal and had the plane looked at. The engineers concluded that the engines were working, but the surging was being caused by the fuel mixture and the conditions at the Munich airport. To fix the problem, the crew was to open the throttle more slowly on the next attempt. The passengers were all in the terminal, and some had even sent messages home saying that flights were canceled and they would not be home that evening. Everyone was surprised, and a little hesitant, when they were told to get back on the plane. To prevent another surge with the engines, the crew opened the throttles more slowly. In the time since their first attempt, it had been snowing continuously, and though the crew checked the wings for icing, they did not factor in the snow and slush on the runway. The official reports do not blame the decreased engine throttle, but the snow for what happened next. The plane barreled down the runway for a third time, passing the speed to abort takeoff but still not airborne. In fact, the plane never left the ground. At 3:04 p.m., the plane slammed through a fence at the end of the runway. It crossed a road, struck trees, and collided with a nearby house. One wing was torn away. The tail section separated, and the fuselage slammed into a building that contained a truck loaded with tires and fuel, which erupted into flames. Twenty people were killed instantly. The crew was afraid the fuel would explode and shouted for people to run from the wreckage. Many did, but not the hero of the hour, Harry Gregg. He helped pull teammates Bobby Charlton, Jackie Blanchflower, and Dennis Viollet from the aircraft. He also rescued Vera Lukić, the pregnant wife of a Yugoslav diplomat, and her young daughter. He also helped his badly injured manager, Matt Busby. Gregg would always downplay his actions, but many regard him as one of the true heroes of Munich. Of the forty-four people aboard the aircraft, 23 ultimately died. Twenty of those died at the crash site. Former England goalkeeper and journalist Frank Swift died while being transported to the hospital. Kenneth Rayment, the co-pilot on this flight, survived the initial crash but was severely injured. He died in the hospital 28 days later as a result of a brain injury. Duncan Edwards also survived the initial accident but died 15 days later in the hospital. Many considered Edwards one of the most gifted footballers England had ever produced. Even today, historians of the sport often wonder what might have been had he lived. Eight Manchester United players were among the dead: Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Billy Whelan, and Duncan Edwards. The disaster also claimed Manchester United club secretary Walter Crickmer, trainer Tom Curry, chief coach Bert Whalley, airline steward Tommy Cable, and several journalists covering the team. A woman and her three children were in the house that was hit, but luckily all escaped and survived. Nine other Manchester United players were on board but survived. Two of those players, Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower, sustained injuries serious enough that they never played again. Manager Matt Busby ultimately survived, but was in the hospital for two months. He was in very critical condition and was administered the Last Rites on two separate occasions. After the disaster, the Manchester team was devastated both mentally and physically. Their coach, Jimmy Murphy, was instrumental in rebuilding the team. He had actually stayed behind on this trip because he was coaching Wales in a World Cup qualifier, and after the accident he stepped up and helped put the team back together. The football world responded with an outpouring of support. Manchester City, United’s local rival, held a moment of silence at their game and even took up a collection for the victims. Maybe more importantly on an emotional level, Manchester City declined to take Manchester United’s spot in the European Cup. Other clubs offered players so that United could field a team. In the club’s first match after the disaster, a makeshift Manchester United side defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3–0, but the match program was heartbreaking. Where the players’ names should have appeared, there were just blank spaces. Despite the victory, their season collapsed. After the disaster, they won only one more league match and finished ninth. They reached the FA Cup Final, but lost 2–0 to the Bolton Wanderers. Today, the victims of the disaster are remembered in multiple countries. Probably the most famous memorial is the Munich Clock at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s home stadium. The clock is forever paused at 3:04. Manchester Cathedral contains a stained-glass window honoring those who died, and near the site of the crash in Munich stands Manchesterplatz, a memorial square featuring inscriptions in both English and German. Even the Majestic Hotel in Belgrade has a small memorial. The team was believed to have stayed in this hotel before leaving Yugoslavia, and the hotel displays a menu card signed by 14 of the players, including the eight who were killed. They also have a photograph taken at the meal, a match ticket, and a piano played by Mark Jones the night before the incident. The club continued to rebuild, and ten years later, in 1968, defeated Benfica to win the European Cup. Manchester United is one of the most famous clubs in the world now and has had players recognized the world over. Even non-football fans will recognize names like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, George Best, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Many people say that without Jimmy Murphy, the team may not have survived, but luckily for soccer fans, it came through one of the worst sports disasters ever and is even stronger today. Sources: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2025/02/06/the-munich-air-disaster-a-long-read-2/ https://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/munich_58/munich.html https://www.theguardian.com/football/from-the-archive-blog/2018/feb/05/munich-air-disaster-crash-manchester-united-busby-1958 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5187460/2024/02/06/munich-air-disaster-manchester-united-crash/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957%E2%80%9358_Manchester_United_F.C._season https://www.mancity.com/features/acityunited/ Podcasts: Disaster Area: British European Airways Flight 609 History Daily: The Munich Air Disaster Newspaper: Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside ed.), Fri, Feb 07, 1958, page 1 The Birmingham Post, Fri, Feb 07, 1958, page 13 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fantasticfootnotes.substack.com
