On 1 February 1958 United went to Highbury and won a sparkling match 5-4. The result kept them in second place in the league, looking ominously good to equal Huddersfield’s and Arsenal’s achievement of a hat-trick of championships. The team then headed to Belgrade to take on Red Star in the second leg of their European Cup-tie. Having won 2-1 at home, a 3-3 draw was enough to put United into the semis once again. On the return journey the plane stopped to refuel at Munich. In atrocious weather two attempted take-offs were aborted. The tliird attempt ended in disaster, the plane failing to get off the ground and slewing into the perimeter fence. There were 23 fatalities, including seven of the Babes. An eighth, Duncan Edwards, lost his battle for life two weeks later. Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower survived but never played football again.
No sentiment as United go down fighting
The heart had been ripped out of United, yet amazingly, a side made up of reserve and youth team players, together with a couple of emergency signings, reached that year’s FA Cup Final. There was no fairytale, however; two goals from Nat Lofthouse won the trophy for Bolton Wanderers.
Some suggested that the European Cup should be awarded to United as a mark of respect to the great players who had perished at Munich. But sentiment was not allowed to prevail and United’s semifinal clash with AC Milan went ahead as scheduled. United lost 5-2 on aggregate. Having built two championshipwinning sides, Busby immediately set about creating a third.
World History
