In Memorial of Munich 6th Feb 1958
THE MEN WE LOST AT MUNICH
The Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958 claimed the lives of 23 passengers and crew. Here, ManUtd.com remembers the eight Manchester United players and three officials who died, through the words of those who knew them best.
Roger Byrne - aged 28, full-back. 277 appearances, 19 goals.
"An aristocratic footballer, majestic in his movement. Roger was so fast but at the same time he controlled his movement beautifully, like Nureyev." - Sir Matt Busby
Eddie Colman - aged 21, half-back. 107 appearances, 2 goals.
"Eddie was a chirpy lad and a terrific player. He pushed the ball - never kicked it - and he jinked past players. He was known for his swivel hips." - Wilf McGuinness
David Pegg - aged 22, forward. 148 appearances, 28 goals.
"David would have been a great asset to any team because he was a natural left-flank player. David was very, very clever. Our best left-winger by a mile." - Sir Matt Busby
Mark Jones - aged 24, half-back. 120 appearances, 1 goal.
"Yorkshireman Mark was a really lovely fellow, but my word he was a tough nut, and nobody took any liberties with him on or off the field." - Bill Foulkes
Tommy Taylor - aged 26, forward. 189 appearances, 128 goals.
"I rate him as one of the all-time, best centre-forwards in the game, and he had yet to realise all his potential. He was a typically bluff Yorkshireman in many ways, often acting the clown, and a great team man." - Bill Foulkes
Duncan Edwards - aged 21, half-back. 175 appearances, 21 goals.
"When I used to hear Muhammad Ali proclaim to the world he was the greatest, I used to smile. The greatest of them all was a footballer named Duncan Edwards." - Jimmy Murphy. "The only player who ever made me feel inferior." - Sir Bobby Charlton
Geoff Bent - aged 25, full-back. 12 appearances.
"When Geoff matured and reached his twenties there were many clubs after him but he stayed loyal. He could look after himself and was a great tackler. Roger Byrne was a consistent player and very brave, that was the reason Geoff got so few games, but he was good enough to hold a regular place in any team." - Jimmy Murphy
Liam 'Billy' Whelan - aged 22, forward. 96 appearances, 52 goals.
"Billy was a magician with a ball at his feet. I really don't think he knew how good he was and how much better he could have become. A world-class forward. There is no doubt about that. His vision and passing was sheer class." - Albert Scanlon
Walter Crickmer, club secretary / Tom Curry, trainer / Bert Whalley, coach
"Walter Crickmer always reminded me of a little dynamo, nothing was too much trouble. Tom Curry was someone we looked up to like a father. And Bert Whalley was certainly a tremendous help to me when I was a part-timer." - Bill Folks
Those were the days when our full back and half back were scoring goals like nothing so unlike now!
