The "infamous" Busby babes

[dukyblue]

Duncan Edwards was he cracked up to what everyone says he was?

My dad is as big a blue as they come. He's never even owned a red piece of clothing (neither have I thinking of it, doesnt suit me!). He said DE was the best footballer he has ever seen in his life, so i'm inclined to think he was actually very good.

Its all down to personal prefference dukyblue...who is your favourite all time player ?? some will agree but I bet most wont.. But the ones who dont will be in the same boat as you..cos their favourite player might not be most others.

Of course it is, totally agree. I was just saying that for someone as hard nosed about the rags as my old man is, for him to say that DE was the best he's seen, when you consider that he's lived through the Pele, Maradonna, Eusebio yrs etc, he cant have been too shabby.

Oh, and mine is Zola. Loved the way he played the game, always with a smile, and one of only a handful of opposition players i've ever seen get a standing ovasion at Maine Road. Wasnt a bad little player either....!

 

[Northern3]

I'm the same as dukyblue never saw him myself but my dad said the same thing Duncan Edwards best player he ever saw.

 

[samharris]

Duncan Edwards was he cracked up to what everyone says he was?

My dad is as big a blue as they come. He's never even owned a red piece of clothing (neither have I thinking of it, doesnt suit me!). He said DE was the best footballer he has ever seen in his life, so i'm inclined to think he was actually very good.

Its all down to personal prefference dukyblue...who is your favourite all time player ?? some will agree but I bet most wont.. But the ones who dont will be in the same boat as you..cos their favourite player might not be most others.

Of course it is, totally agree. I was just saying that for someone as hard nosed about the rags as my old man is, for him to say that DE was the best he's seen, when you consider that he's lived through the Pele, Maradonna, Eusebio yrs etc, he cant have been too shabby.

He probably was as good as your dad remembers who knows what he could of done...But the real sticking point is that we are here in 2009 talking about a footballer who past away 50 years ago with no major honours ( as such) not much footage of him playing....But hes still remembered....Not a pun...but you cant buy that.

 

[Northern3]

I totally agree Samharris,I think sentiment comes into peoples choice when naming there all time greatest player.There have been great players in every era of football.Personally I think Pele was the best I have ever seen.

 

[fruitboiler]

My old man used to watch the Babes and was convinced had they lived would have won the European cup,They had won the old football league title 2 years running 1955/56 1956/57 and the average age was only 22,So who knows what they might of achieved

 

[Deleted member 14625]

Before I start i dont want this topic to descend into all out chaos about "rag this rag" that, "scum sing ****** songs", "united used it as a marketing tool" (which they did) because it bores me

How good actually were these so called "babes", United won the european cup 10 years later,

England won the world cup 8 years later, so did it really have such a huge affect on united and england?

Without being disrespectful they cant have been that bloody good

I heard somewhere only a few of them actually played internationally but they were young

and.. Duncan Edwards was he cracked up to what everyone says he was? or was it because they died peoples thoughts on them were blown completly out of proportion?

I watched a programme on ESPN Classic just last week that showed the first ever television shown and recorded European Cup final. it was between Real Madrid and some team ive never heard of. Anyway there were some interviews before and after and some French dude was talking about Di Stafano being the best player in the world in the 1950's before Pele came and took the world by storm, and he said that Duncan Edwards beat Di Stefano to European Player of the year in 1956 or 7 maybe! So he must have been some player!

 

[Dubai Blue]

I totally agree Samharris,I think sentiment comes into peoples choice when naming there all time greatest player.There have been great players in every era of football.Personally I think Pele was the best I have ever seen.

You only have to look as far as our own Paul Lake to know that sentiment plays a huge part in it, no matter how impartial we try to be.

When non-City fans ask me about our best ever players, I always mention Lakey and a lot have no recollection of him. It's all about the impressions that people make on you personally. For me, Lake was one of the best and COULD have gone on to be England's greatest ever footballer. I'm sure lots of older rags feel the same about Edwards. Maybe he didn't get the chance to fulfill his talent, but in their minds he already had.

 

[bluemoon32]

Before I start i dont want this topic to descend into all out chaos about "rag this rag" that, "scum sing ****** songs", "united used it as a marketing tool" (which they did) because it bores me

How good actually were these so called "babes", United won the european cup 10 years later,

England won the world cup 8 years later, so did it really have such a huge affect on united and england?

Without being disrespectful they cant have been that bloody good

I heard somewhere only a few of them actually played internationally but they were young

and.. Duncan Edwards was he cracked up to what everyone says he was? or was it because they died peoples thoughts on them were blown completly out of proportion?

Its the Human thing to Big up people after theyve gone...Van gough couldnt give his paintings away when alive....James Dean was a crap actor but still an Icon..Was George Best really that good seeing as he never played in a proper world cup game ??

It was Georges misfortune to play for Northern Ireland, if he'd been Brazilian, Italian or German and managed to play at World Cups then he'd be recognised as one of the best ever, same with the great John Charles for Wales.
You don't have to play for the great footballing nations to be a great player.

 

[Anonymous]

Same as a few others have said on here, my old man reckons Duncan Edwards was an incredible player. He insists that he could have been one of the very best.

 

[The Pink Panther]

Same as a few others have said on here, my old man reckons Duncan Edwards was an incredible player. He insists that he could have been one of the very best.

That's how I feel about Paul Lake
The lad could have been one of England's finest ever players. But we'll never know if he would've progressed or ended up like Ian Brightwell.