HISTORY / MANCHESTER UTD .. Munich, February 6, 1958

MANCHESTER UTD .. Munich, February 6, 1958

The clock hanging on the walls of Old Trafford is never stopped three hours and three minutes. The flight back to Manchester United in England would not take off that day . The Red Devils returned from a trip to Belgrade after a match of the quarterfinals of the C1, February 6, 1958 . We note in this connection that Manchester United qualified for the semifinals of the major competition in Europe. A competition held out his arms . Fate would break the future of this team was nicknamed the " Busby Babes " the name of their legendary manager Matt Busby . The latter was among the 18 survivors of this tragedy on Munich Airport after a stopover for refueling. The plane had already tried two takeoffs , would attempt a third . Fateful decision .

The aircraft can not take off and crashed off the track against a house and a shed full of diesel. This is fire. We are 6 February 1958 . A date forever etched in the history of the club and its supporters . The goalkeeper Harry Gregg behave as heroes that day . Having eradicated the carcass, he decided to return to try to save a fire baby and his mom seriously injured , risking his life. Then, despite the risk of explosion , he pulls Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet carcass burning . Two weeks later , one of the survivors , Duncan Edwards, will die . He was considered one of the greatest English hopes of the time: " This is the best I've seen or am likely to see " Bobby Charlton said of him , became the memory of the club.

Football resumes its rights soon . Thirteen days later , Manchester United played again. Life should continue even if nothing would be as before . Since then, every year, the anniversary of the disaster, the club's supporters gather and sing " The flowers of Manchester ." A song sent anonymously to a music magazine and recorded in 1962 by the Spinners . A commemorative plaque is attached to the outside of the West forum Old Trafford. Sunday, at the Manchester derby between City and United, will be honored for the fiftieth anniversary of this tragedy. Both teams will wear a special jersey for this game , and a minute of silence will be observed before the game in honor of the dead of this sad Feb. 6, 1958 .