Anniversary of the air disaster

[Gary James]

The Munich songs and chants were embarrassing, but in all honesty, a whole generation have grown up in a different world with City finishing above United on a regular basis, and aside from the odd individual remark, it's not something I've heard at a City match for a good while.

What grates me more is the mythology surrounding the 57-58 season, and the generally forgotten fact that by February 1958, Wolves were starting to pull away from the Busby babes in the title race
All very sad, but let's remember the whole story and not just the bits that embellish the legend.

Hence my article.

 

[BillCarlisle]

I wax 9 yrs old, walking home from School when I heard about it. I still remember our black & white TV that night showing news updates about it all evening. United's chairman was openly crying on telly. We were a family of Blues but we were all shell shocked. I'll never forget the impact it had on the whole community. Even as a young kid I understood what a tragedy it was. For the rest of my life I've despised the Rags and everything about them - apart from that day in February 1958 when it seemed that Manchester fell apart at the seams. RIP all those who perished in Munich.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I've told this story before but around 16 years ago, I was round at the late Sidney Rose's house. He had a huge fund of stories and I've got some stuff he gave me about his memories of supporting City.

It must have been about this time of year and we then got onto the subject of the crash, and he told me he'd flown out to help the medical care for the injured survivors. I think he said he spoke German, which obviously helped. He talked specifically about Duncan Edwards, who outwardly looked healthy but was clearly in desperate trouble, which puzzled the doctors somewhat. It was only after Edwards died that they realised his kidneys were badly damaged and that's what killed him.

We were nearly 50 years on from that moment then but he still had tears in his eyes when he spoke about it. It was a real first person insight into the tragedy.

 

[hammocity]

I've told this story before but around 16 years ago, I was round at the late Sidney Rose's house. He had a huge fund of stories and I've got some stuff he gave me about his memories of supporting City.

It must have been about this time of year and we then got onto the subject of the crash, and he told me he'd flown out to help the medical care for the injured survivors. I think he said he spoke German, which obviously helped. He talked specifically about Duncan Edwards, who outwardly looked healthy but was clearly in desperate trouble, which puzzled the doctors somewhat. It was only after Edwards died that they realised his kidneys were badly damaged and that's what killed him.

We were nearly 50 years on from that moment then but he still had tears in his eyes when he spoke about it. It was a real first person insight into the tragedy.

Brilliant but sad post, life is so precious, we have the craic, don’t want anyone to lose their life prematurely.

 

[Keep the Faith]

Wow. I am a regular visitor to Tenerife and have read a lot and watched documentaries about that awful disaster, so bad it led to the creation of an entirely new airport on the south of the island.
So sad and agree 100%. There is a lot of collateral damage in any disaster, not just those who lose their lives directly. I’m sure there are people who survived Bradford, Ibrox and Hillsborough who were never ever the same people again
When we were younger and dafter we all said and did things we wouldn’t be proud of today. So glad that this shite seems to have all but vanished

Actually the new airport in the South was well under construction in 1977. You could see them flattening out the land from the top of Mount Teide. That was 3 years before the Dan Air disaster at Los Rodeos, which still operates as Tenerife North. We landed at Los Rodeos 2 days after the 2 jumbos crashed, on descent the crew put all the window blinds down.

 

[hammocity]

I'm not going to pretend I've never said it. I was younger then, stupid and uneducated.

Great piece to read.

Well said, we all make mistakes, take’s a big person to admit it, doff’s cap.

 

[Eccles Blue]

I may have told you this before and if so I apologise:

I was a wages office junior at Gardner's the engine makers at Peel Green and there were many red supporters working there on the factory floor and in the offices. In those days people weren't allowed to wander around the site, you had to stay either at your desk or at the machines. As the junior though I was sent on errands and to check clock card readings etc.
The newsagents on the corner across from the security office put a board up in the back bedroom window and posted bulletins every hour. The office manager, who was a stickler for the rules and always wanted to know where you were going and why, made it a point of finding me some query or other every hour during that period. She would say, Miss Blue (no first names until you'd been there at least 3 years!!) go and check x or y and read the bulletin and tell the lads in the factory. I would then go and report how they were all doing. I can still remember the horror on their faces when I had to tell them about Duncan Edwards. I was sobbing when I went to tell the foreman.
It was one of the most horrendous experiences of my life. I wandered back to the office in a daze and I remember them making me a cuppa even though it wasn't break time.

The 50th anniversary day when Richard Dunne and the lads walked out in silence for the laying of the wreath and City fans, who the media were convinced would 'spoil' the moment, behaved perfectly was one of the proudest times for me of being a City fan. The way our fans were that day was impeccable.

 

[hammocity]

I may have told you this before and if so I apologise:

I was a wages office junior at Gardner's the engine makers at Peel Green and there were many red supporters working there on the factory floor and in the offices. In those days people weren't allowed to wander around the site, you had to stay either at your desk or at the machines. As the junior though I was sent on errands and to check clock card readings etc.
The newsagents on the corner across from the security office put a board up in the back bedroom window and posted bulletins every hour. The office manager, who was a stickler for the rules and always wanted to know where you were going and why, made it a point of finding me some query or other every hour during that period. She would say, Miss Blue (no first names until you'd been there at least 3 years!!) go and check x or y and read the bulletin and tell the lads in the factory. I would then go and report how they were all doing. I can still remember the horror on their faces when I had to tell them about Duncan Edwards. I was sobbing when I went to tell the foreman.
It was one of the most horrendous experiences of my life. I wandered back to the office in a daze and I remember them making me a cuppa even though it wasn't break time.

The 50th anniversary day when Richard Dunne and the lads walked out in silence for the laying of the wreath and City fans, who the media were convinced would 'spoil' the moment, behaved perfectly was one of the proudest times for me of being a City fan. The way our fans were that day was impeccable.

I’d normally leave at a “like” but this deserves more, fantastic

 

[hammocity]

Where was I when JFK was shot tick
Where was I when Armstrong walked on the moon tick
As for anything else I have no idea.

9/11?

 

[JGL07]

The Munich songs and chants were embarrassing, but in all honesty, a whole generation have grown up in a different world with City finishing above United on a regular basis, and aside from the odd individual remark, it's not something I've heard at a City match for a good while.

What grates me more is the mythology surrounding the 57-58 season, and the generally forgotten fact that by February 1958, Wolves were starting to pull away from the Busby babes in the title race
All very sad, but let's remember the whole story and not just the bits that embellish the legend.

My Wolves supporting father would have liked this post!