Det er idag 46-års dagen for München ulykken, som kostede The Busby Babes…
Holdet var på vej hjem fra en Champions League-kvartfinale imod Røde Stjerne fra Beograd, da de måtte nødlande i München.
Med en 4. plads i ligaen, så kunne holdet have spillet sig på førstepladsen i ligaen med en sejr over Wolves, men sådan skulle et ikke komme til at gå.
Flyet med de såkaldte “Busby Babes” fik ikke luft under vingerne ved det 3. forsøg på at lette fra nødlandingen og resten af historie…
Idag mindes vi alle de folkekære unge spillere, som forårsagede landsdækkende sorg over hele det britiske kongerige.
The Flowers of Manchester
Kan hentes som sang her:
Terry Mechan – the Flowers of Manchester.
On one cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory,
Eight men who will never play again who met destruction there,
The flowers of British football, the flowers of Manchester
Matt Busby”s boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The Pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice returned back again.
The third time down the runaway disaster followed close,
There was a slush upon that runaway and the aircraft never rose,
It ploughed into the marshy, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed when the blazing wreckage burned.
Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England”s side.
And Ireland”s Billy Whelan and England”s Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie colman, and David Pegg also,
they lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.
Big Duncan he went to, with an injury to his frame,
And Ireland”s brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,
The great Sir Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team
Three long months passed by before he walked again.
The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
and one of them Big Swifty, who we”ll ne”er forget,
the finest English “keeper that ever graced the net.
Oh, England”s finest football team its record truly great,
its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester
Du kan læse mere om de fantastiske Busby Babes på Munich58.
