Today was the day when 50 years ago the Manchester United side of Sir Matt Busby, nicknamed the 'Busby Babes' for their relatively young age, struck disaster when returning from a game against Partizan Belgrade which they had drawn 3-3 and had gone through to the European Cup semis, as well as being top of the league as defending champions and being on course for the FA Cup.
Yes we were chasing a Treble back in 1958.
On a routine fuel stop at Munich, because of ice on the runway, the plane carrying the team, journalists, and other passengers crashed into the airport fence and ploughed into neighbouring houses on take-off.
23 people died, including 8 Manchester United players with some serious injuries to the survivors. A few players had to retire from the game because of them, with Sir Matt Busby who was hospitalised for weeks and couldnt manage the devastated team until almost a year after the disaster.
The survivors were scarred for life; notably future World Cup winner, European Footballer of the Year, and European Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton who to this day states that he feels guilty of surviving, and that he didnt deserve to live and succeed when comparing to a 21 year old all-rounder Duncan Edwards who died from his injuries after battling for 15 days in hospital after the crash.
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