On 6 February 1958, British European Airways flight 609 crashed in a blizzard. On board were the Manchester United football team, returning from their 3-3 draw against Red Star Belgrade. Twenty-three of the forty-four passengers and crew aboard died. This book tells the story of this air crash, and the aftermath of the disaster.

On 6 February 1958, British European Airways flight 609 crashed in a blizzard on its third attempt to take off from an ice- and slush-covered runway at Munich Airport. The crash claimed the lives of twenty-three passengers and crew including eight Manchester United footballers. Affectionately known as the Busby Babes, with an average age of twenty-two, they were the cream of the crop and destined to reign over their rivals for the next decade. The German inquiry blamed the accident on pilot error. However, this book argues that this was not so. Based on his technical knowledge of aircraft accident investigation, years of research and interviews with those involved, the author shows that the pilot, Captain James Thain, performed heroically and was shamefully treated by the aviation authorities for many years. Munich swept away a generation of gifted footballers including the legendary Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor, Roger Byrne, David Pegg, and Liam Whelan from Dublin. Stephen Morrin's book is a story of tragedy, a pilot's heroism in adversity, legal treachery and one of the defining moments in the Manchester United story. It was a sporting disaster that gave birth to a legend - a legend which fifty years later shows no sign of diminishing.

A moving story of how a legendary football team was lost to tragedy – and how this disaster irrevocably altered the lives of the survivors and the bereaved families, and ultimately brought shame on the biggest football club in the world.

Uncover the true story behind the tragic Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958, the night that 8 of the Manchester United's 'Busby Babes' died They were players about to become legends, the famous Manchester United 'Busby Babes', the back-to-back title winning side of 1956 and 1957 on the hunt for a third successive league win and seeking glory in the European Champions Cup. With an average age of 22, the 'Busby Babes' were the cream of English football and seemed destined to dominate English and European football for years to come. Instead, on 6 February 1958, they were tragically cut down in their prime. On a fuel stopover on their way home from a Champions Cup fixture against Red Star Belgrade, British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off in a blizzard from an ice- and slush-covered runway at Munich Airport. The fatal crash claimed the lives of 23 passengers and crew, including 8 Manchester United footballers. 7 United players were killed instantly in the crash. Three weeks later, the legendary Duncan Edwards died in hospital while two other players, Jackie Blanchflower and Johnny Berry, were injured so badly that they never played again. What caused the plane to careen off the runway? Why did experienced pilot Captain James Thain insist on taking off in such treacherous conditions? Why were the Manchester United management under pressure to return to England as soon as possible? The German inquiry blamed the accident on pilot error. However, Stephen Morrin's The Munich Air Disaster establishes beyond any question that this was not so. Based on his enormous technical knowledge of aircraft accident investigation, years of research and interviews with those involved, Morrin shows that the pilot, Captain James Thain, performed heroically and was shamefully treated by the aviation authorities for many years. The crash at Munich airport swept away a generation of gifted footballers including Tommy Taylor, Roger Byrne, David Pegg, and Liam Whelan from Dublin. Stephen Morrin's authoritative book is a story of tragedy, a pilot's heroism in adversity, legal treachery and one of the defining moments in the Manchester United story. It was a sporting disaster that gave birth to a legend — a legend which fifty years later shows no sign of diminishing. The Munich Air Disaster: Table of Contents Introduction - In the Beginning - Birth of the Babes - Kid Dynamite - Passport to Europe - The Last Season - End Game - Prelude to Disaster - Runway - Blood in the Snow - Dealing with Disaster - Aftermath - Scapegoat - Captain Thain's Ordeal - Fifty Years OnEpilogue

One of the greatest players of all time, Duncan Edwards's story is one of tragic heroism. From a working class Dudley upbringing, Edwards rose to great heights at Manchester United. In only five years, he helped United to win two League Championships and to reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. Edwards made his England debut in a game against Scotland at the age of 18 years and 183 days, becoming the youngest player for England since WW2 - a record which stood until Michael Owen's debut over forty years later. He went on to play 18 games for his country, including all four of the qualifying matched for the 1958 World Cup, in which he was expected to be a key player. Sir Bobby Charlton described him as 'the only player that made me feel inferior' and Terry Venables claimed that, had he lived, it would have been Edwards, not Bobby Moore, who would have lifted the World Cup as captain in 1966. Page-turning and poignant, author James Leighton tells a story of a magnificent sportsman and great man - the perfect antidote to the headline-grabbing footballers of today.

The authors look at soccer disasters across the globe from air crashes to overcrowding. The causes, consequences and legacies are explored in this book which reveals frightening parallels and important lessons.

Reprint of a 1986 title in softback records twelve of the most significant air disasters during the last fifty years, from the crash of the R-101 airship in 1930 to the two 747 disasters of 1985 - the Japan Air Lines crash near Tokyo and the Air India flight disappearance off the Irish coast. Many maps and drawings.

Football.

'For me, he is England's greatest ever player' Gary Lineker 'Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world' Manchester United FC Sir Bobby Charlton was Manchester United through and through. He was a member of the original Busby Babes and devoted his career to the club, playing in 754 games over 17 years. During that period he won everything the game had to offer, played alongside some of the greats such as Best and Law, suffered devastating defeats and was involved in one of the greatest football tragedies of all time. Here is his story of those United years in his own words. With his beloved Reds he tasted FA Cup victory in the emotional final of 1963, won three first division championships and in 1968 he reached the pinnacle of club success, winning the European Cup. Inevitably, such highs are balanced with no less dramatic lows, such as the 1957 European Cup semi-final, the highly charged 1958 FA Cup loss which followed only weeks after the horrors of the Munich Air disaster, and the 1969 European Cup defeat by Milan. He was one of the true gentlemen of football and the legacy that Sir Bobby Charlton gave to United is beyond compare. RIP Sir Bobby Charlton 1937-2023