johno
10 Nov 2004, 12:41 PM
Hi guys. I am doing a memorial for Busby Babes, remembering the Munich disaster for a class project. I have a few photos and and a nice poem. But I was wondering if any of you had some photos, or if possible video clips of the players or of the crash site that i might be able to use.
Of course this could also just be our board's memorial to them period and not just a class assignment. I would be very grateful for any help I can get on this. So here is my contribution to the memorial... a poem that I found.
The Flowers of Manchester
One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
The flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester.
Matt Busby's boys were flying home, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family all masters of their trade.
The pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again.
The third time down the runway disaster followed close,
There was slush upon that runway and the aircraft never rose.
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed as the blazing wreckage burned.
Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor, who were capped for England's side,
And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died.
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman and David Pegg also,
They all lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.
Big Duncan he went too, with an injury to his brain,
And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again.
The great Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team,
Three long months were to pass before he walked again.
The trainer, coach and secretary and a member of the crew,
And eight great sporting journalists who with United flew,
And one of them was Big Swifty who we shall ne'er forget,
The finest English goalkeeper that ever graced the net.
Oh England's finest football team it's record truly great,
It's 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.
Of course this could also just be our board's memorial to them period and not just a class assignment. I would be very grateful for any help I can get on this. So here is my contribution to the memorial... a poem that I found.
The Flowers of Manchester
One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
The flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester.
Matt Busby's boys were flying home, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family all masters of their trade.
The pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again.
The third time down the runway disaster followed close,
There was slush upon that runway and the aircraft never rose.
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed as the blazing wreckage burned.
Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor, who were capped for England's side,
And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died.
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman and David Pegg also,
They all lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.
Big Duncan he went too, with an injury to his brain,
And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again.
The great Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team,
Three long months were to pass before he walked again.
The trainer, coach and secretary and a member of the crew,
And eight great sporting journalists who with United flew,
And one of them was Big Swifty who we shall ne'er forget,
The finest English goalkeeper that ever graced the net.
Oh England's finest football team it's record truly great,
It's 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.