munich
On this day, 46 years ago, a plane made a third attempt to take off. On board: a young football team, fresh from a successful European Cup quarter final, their support staff and a few reporters. Some were never to play or watch another football game.
I've never seen most of that team play, save for old video clips of Bobby Charlton later in his playing career. I can only imagine how great a player Duncan Edwards was. And by all accounts, he was THE complete player. He was only 21 when he passed away fifteen days after the air crash. The Great Scot before Ferguson, Matt Busby, started from scratch and built a new team, one that would eventually win the European Cup almost a decade later.
By no means was this one of the worst disasters or tragedies in history. Nevertheless, for a Manchester United (there is only one United) fan, this day reminds us that there are things more important than football - life itself - contrary to what some scouse manager of the past opined. And that we can rise from tragedies and setbacks. We did, and we always will.
May the players, staff and reporters who lost their lives on the slushy runway at Munich on 6 February 1958 rest in peace.
I've never seen most of that team play, save for old video clips of Bobby Charlton later in his playing career. I can only imagine how great a player Duncan Edwards was. And by all accounts, he was THE complete player. He was only 21 when he passed away fifteen days after the air crash. The Great Scot before Ferguson, Matt Busby, started from scratch and built a new team, one that would eventually win the European Cup almost a decade later.
By no means was this one of the worst disasters or tragedies in history. Nevertheless, for a Manchester United (there is only one United) fan, this day reminds us that there are things more important than football - life itself - contrary to what some scouse manager of the past opined. And that we can rise from tragedies and setbacks. We did, and we always will.
May the players, staff and reporters who lost their lives on the slushy runway at Munich on 6 February 1958 rest in peace.
