February 6th, 1958 –The Flowers of Manchester

[Numquam Moribimur]

To everyday people the 6th of February does not have significant meaning, but to anyone that has connections to Manchester United Football Club its one of the darkest and saddest days in our club’s history. The day we lost eight of Matt Busby’s Babes, the day “The Team Died” along with 8 MUFC players, 15 others also lost there life including Manchester City’s Frank Swift who was there greatest goalkeeper ever. When you get a chance today, take a couple minutes and Remember our heros gone but NEVER Forgotten


RIP - ONE LOVE -THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTER
Geoff Bent
Roger Byrne
Eddie Colman
Duncan Edwards
Mark Jones
David Pegg
Tommy Taylor
Liam Whelan

[Numquam Moribimur]

.....

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, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade.
The pilot of this aircraft, the skipper Captian Thain,
Three times he 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 that team were killed when 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 this team,
Three long months passed by before he saw his team again.

The trainer, coach and secretary and a member of the crew,
Eight great sporting journalists who with United flew,
And one of them was Big Swifty who we will ne'er forget,
The finest English keeper that ever graced a 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.

[Numquam Moribimur]

.....

Forever and Ever,
We'll follow the boys,
Of Manchester United,
The Busby Babes,
For we made a promise,
To defend our faith,
In Manchester United,
The Busby Babes.

We've all sworn allegiance,
To fight till we die,
To stand by United,
And the Red flag we fly,
There'll be no surrender,
We'll fight to the last,
To defeat all before us,
As we did in the past.

For we're Stretford Enders,
With United we grew,
To the famous Red Devils,
We're loyal and true,
To part-time supporters,
We'll never descend,
We'll never forsake you,
We'll be here to the end.

For we all remember,
That '58 day,
And the plane that once stood on,
That Munich runway,
As it tried to take off,
For the third fatal time,
The immortal young babes were,
Cut down in their prime.

In the cold snow of Munich,
They laid down their lives,
But they live on forever,
In our hearts and our minds,
Their names are now legend,
For the whole world to see.
Why this club's a religion,
Spelt M.U.F.C.

So bow down before them,
And lift up your eyes,
For Old Trafford's glory,
Will always survive

[MtP07]

Has to be one of the saddest days in all sports. :( :( :(

[Teso Dos Bichos]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4827/feb19585ex.jpg

We'll keep the Red flag flying high;
'Cause Man United will never die.

RIP

[prymetyme]

United's flag is deepest red,
It shrouded all our Munich dead,
Before their limbs grew stiff and cold,
Their heart's blood dyed it's ev'ry fold.

Then raise United's banner high,
Beneath it's shade we'll live and die,
So keep the faith and never fear,
We'll keep the Red Flag flying here.

We'll never die, we'll never die,
We'll never die, we'll never die,
We'll keep the Red flag flying high,
'Cos Man United will never die


Rest In Peace.

[Dark Savante]

Try to imagine the feelings of the survivors when they discovered that so many of their comrades had perished. Now imagine yourself as a youngster, so inspired by these footballers only a few years older than yourself. Then try to feel the shock, pain and anguish and disbelief and utter helplessness of hearing about their sudden demise. This was not just the biggest tragedy in English football, it was the defining moment in the history of Manchester United. The groundswell of passion that followed was unbelievable. Millions of folks - some not even football addicts - wept openly. Schools were closed. Memorial services and tributes proliferated all over Europe. The greatest club side in English football history was wiped out at Munich. This is what moved Iain Matthews to write "Busby's Babes", a simple yet extremely poignant song:


I'll see you again my Red Devil friends
I'll hear you around my door
Touching my life like so many memories before


I was a child and so easily led
You were the leaders of men
Now I doubt in my life if this ever happens again


Oh, how I cried when my mama said
Busby's Babes, son, they're dead


Oh how I remember that miserable day
When something was taken from me
Out on a snow covered runway in West Germany


Oh, how I cried when my mama said
Busby's Babes, son, they're dead


(Iain Matthews, from the album "Pure & Crooked")



May all those that died Rest in Peace

Amen.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6715/munichmemorialplaque0zc.th.jpg (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=munichmemorialplaque0zc.jpg)
The Munich Memorial at Old Trafford
(click to enlarge)

[MtP07]

Download The Flowers of Manchester (http://s54.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1YQJF4GHRV0LA27MLWK9OCB90X)

[prymetyme]

History Behind The Disaster:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_air_disaster

[MtP07]

48 years ago
Our team lay in the snow,
battered and bloody, some of them died,
some of them survived,
Charlton and Matt Busby, took us to Wembley
we beat Benfica and we won the cup,
all those years ago

[MtP07]

Top site...

http://www.munich58.co.uk/index.asp

[Motterman]

"Forever and ever,
We'll follow the boys,
Of Manchester United,
The Busby Babes,
For we made a promise,
To defend our faith,
In Manchester United,
The Busby Babes,
We've all sworn allegiance,
To fight till we die,
To stand by United,
And the red flag we fly,
There'll be no surrender,
We'll fight to the last,
To defeat all before us,
As we did in the past,
For we're Stretford Enders,
With United we grew,
To the famous Red Devils,
We're loyal and true,
To part-time supporters,
We'll never descend,
We'll never forsake you,
We'll be here to the end,
For we all remember,
That '58 day,
And the plane that once stood on,
The Munich runway,
As it tried to take off,
For the third fatal time,
The immortal young Babes were,
Cut down in their prime,
In the cold snow of Munich,
They laid down their lives,
But they live on forever,
In our hearts and our minds,
Their names are now legend,
For the whole world to see,
Why this club's a religion,
Spelt M.U.F.C,
So bow down before them,
And lift up your eyes,
For Old Trafford's glory,
Will always survive..."


http://www.manutd.com/images/mediaworld/img_10_5424.gif


There is a plaque at Man United,
It's underneath the old main stand,
It bears the name of Duncan Edwards,
He was the finest in the land.

But he died on Munich's runway,
Without a tear, without a sound,
His strong body battered and broke,
As he lay helpless on the ground.

From Salford hailed Eddie Colman,
He'd been a Red for all his life,
For the team he'd played for and supported,
Our dear Eddie Colman died.

The oldest babe was Roger Byrne,
He was the captain of the team,
He gave his life for Man United,
With his best friend Liam Whelan.

The Barnsley boy was Tommy Taylor,
He cost nearly thirty thousand pounds,
He gave his life for Man United,
As the plane sleighed on the ground.

But one man survived the aircrash,
And he lived to tell the tale,
Of the boys who played in Red,
For they did not know how to fail.

So we'll drink a toast to Matt Busby,
And we'll drink one to that team,
They were acclaimed the whole world over,
They were the finest ever seen.

[prymetyme]

It is 10:03 EST right now

RIP

[Motterman]

http://www.thecaravanningsite.co.uk/mainstand.wmv

[Numquam Moribimur]

An amazing read from Red News that puts everything into perspective about today

Why We'll Never Forget
Monday, February 6, 2006

With each year, as time marches relentlessly on, there are more of us at Old Trafford who weren't around to see the Babes play live and can only dare imagine the indescribable burden of events that must have left such deep scars on supporters and staff alike who witnessed those tragic events unfold back in Manchester, let alone those present at Reim Airport to witness such suffering and heartache.

I can't imagine this United side being decimated in such a way. Of course I can't. We live in times where we are protected against death, have no real understanding or comprehension of wars, watching them on our tv news, protected from the real images with censorship and control. The thought of any of our team dying in their prime just doesn't bear thinking about. So I don't. But that it happened to a team of ours does bear thinking about, and often too.

I know of the Babes, their history, their impact and what happened before, during and after February 1958 because I am as passionate about the past as I am of the present for the club I support and adore. From an early age I immersed myself in as much United knowledge as I could. I may not win any quizzes, or remember the words to many of the Great United Songs which RN so admirably maintains but I have tried to educate myself as much as I can about OUR history. For ours it is. Mine, yours, and yours to pass on. Glazers come and Glazers go but we are here to stay.

Mod edit: unfortunately, for copyright reasons, we're not allowed to reproduce the entire thing. However, NM is right and its a great, great article, so please check it out at http://www.rednews.co.uk/. Its the first post for Monday, Feb 6, 2006.

[MtP07]

http://www.onemanutd.com/images/munich.jpg

RIP lads :(

[MtP07]

http://media.putfile.com/Matt-Busby

[Stud83]

If ever they are playing in your town,
You must get to that football ground;
Take a lesson come and see,
Football taught by Matt Busby;
Manchester, Manchester United;
A bunch of bouncing Busby Babes,
They deserve to be knighted.

We'll never forget you, guys. RIP.

[Numquam Moribimur]

From OT today........

http://www.munich58.co.uk/memorials/flowers/060206/video.asp