Hundreds of Manchester United fans gathered outside Old Trafford this afternoon to mark the 65th anniversary of the Munich Air disaster.
The annual service was created by the supporter group Munich58 and honours those who perished in the crash.
The Munich Air Disaster of 1958 saw the team’s aircraft fail to take off a slush-covered runway, following United’s comfortable win against Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup.
Twenty-three of the forty-four passengers on board died, including eight Manchester United players, as well as staff members, sports journalists, and the aircraft’s pilot.
Service-goers included Eccles native Sean Welsh, 50, who said: “I live quite locally, so I always try to come over. I think it’s important to keep the Busby Babes in our minds – it’s a massive part of United’s history.”
‘Busby Babes’ refers to the infamous squad managed under Matt Busby (who was also critically injured in the crash), which was active between the late-1940s and throughout the 1950s.
With an average age of just twenty-two, the Busby Babes were largely Manchester-made and touted for international success.
The disaster derailed Manchester United’s promising future, and it took a decade for the team to re-establish itself as trophy contenders.
Consolidating the legacy of the Bubsy Babes was a common theme amongst attendees, including Phil, 29, who travelled from Crewe with his three-year-old son to attend today’s service: “We’ve just come down to pay our respects. I do it every year, as long as I’m off work.
“My lad’s turning four next week, so he’s getting to the age where he’s getting into football, so I’ve come to get him more into it as well now. It’s important to keep the buzz going.”
Not all service-goers were local. Rebecca Webster, 29, travelled to Manchester from Staffordshire for a tour of Old Trafford: “I came for a tour of the stadium, but we didn’t realise that today was the anniversary.
“The whole thing was really good. It was nice to hear from the older generation, and I like that the manager and captain turned up. And it was great to see the lads from the academy represented too.”
The hour-long service consisted of poetry readings from fans of the club, as well as the annual rendition of the folk anthem ‘The Flowers of Manchester’.
The song ends with the verse: ‘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’
The tradition was first established by lifelong fan Gez Mason, who passed away in September 2022. Mason’s contribution to the service’s longevity was commended by speakers.
Harry Maguire and Katie Zelem, captains for the men’s and women’s senior teams, laid wreaths on behalf of the club.
Representatives from the United Academy were also present, honouring the academy members who perished in the disaster.
A majority of the crowd kept within the parameters of Old Trafford after the ceremony had ended, including Tom and Paul Cross, 19 and 55. Tom said: “It’s the first time we’ve been, and I thought it was just so moving. It’s so great to remember the team so many years on.”
Paul echoed this sentiment: “It’s just great to be here, and it’s an honour to be part of the great United crowd.”
Service programmes and small souvenir storybooks outlining the story of the Busby Babes were distributed free of charge, as well as unique commemorative match-day programmes from Saturday’s Premier League match versus Crystal Palace.
Several teams, including regional rivals Manchester City, have taken to social media to pay their respects.
