It was 50 years ago today

The old memory plays tricks and assumes the romantic. Actually there is nothing remotely romantic about one of my first recollections of childhood. I remember waiting on the path leading to my house on the 6th February 1958 for my Dad to return home from work. I had news, that most probably he had heard already, but I wanted to be the one to deliver the devastating lines. Why? I don’t know. “Dad, United are dead.”

Just days before, he had been witness to one of the greatest League games ever. He swears to this day that I was also present, but I’m afraid much though I would love it to be true, his memory is playing tricks. Manchester United had won a thriller at Highbury 5-4

The club had been returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade the night before that had ended in a 3-3 draw with United progressing 5-4 on aggregate. Such was air travel 50 years ago that the trip necessitated a fateful stop in snow-bound Munich for refuelling. A third take-off attempt was made after two aborted tries and ultimately slush build-up on the runway was given as the cause for the crash. Eight United players were among the 23 killed in the crash.

In 2008, Manchester United are a much different club to that of 50 years ago. They are the most successful, on and off the pitch, and this has engendered a much different attitude than the sympathy that surrounded them in 1958. These days there are very few grey areas between love and hate for Manchester United. Some of this is self-inflicted, much of the commercialisation of football that is not liked by the every day fan is laid at the door of United, they managed to alienate a section of their own support with the purchase of the club by the Glazers and then there is, of course, sheer jealousy of success.

It is therefore disappointing, but not surprising that leading up to the anniversary decisions had to be made to safeguard the respecting of the occasion. The fixture list managed to schedule a Manchester derby as the first match following February 6th. Manchester City supporters groups have asked that a minutes applause replace the silence for fear that it would be broken by City fans, this has been refused and on this occasion applause does not seem at all appropriate. England also play Switzerland on February 6 and it was deemed that England fans could not be trusted to observe the silence, but the FA about turned and the silence will be observed at Wembley. Whether this proves the correct decision only the passing of the moment will tell, but it would have been regrettable that Roger Byrne, Duncan Edwards, David Pegg and Tommy Taylor the English internationals among the eight had not been remembered by a respectful tribute.

Journalists whose day job it is write the words that may fail the humble blogger will have many different viewpoints on both the disaster, its effects and the way the day was remembered and below are links to some of the articles that have been written about this most solemn of days.

Factual information from Wikipedia.
Paul Hayward, Daily Mail on the issue of the minute silence.
The Times feature
Kenny Morgans story (Independent)
Duncan Edwards' Mum remembers
Victims and Survivors (pictures)
Harry Gregg (Observer)