Pat McDonald
The Babes' Last Lineup
6 February, 1958
This my personal version of that famous photograph of the Manchester United football team on the 5th February 1958 as they lined up to play Red Star Belgrade. The average age of the players was 23. The Busby Babes.
The following day, on the 6th, the plane carrying the Manchester United team landed at Munich airport. It had taken off earlier from Belgrade on route to Manchester and on a cold, snowy and slushy afternoon had stopped at Munich to refuel.
On attempting to take off the plane crashed killing eight players, three club staff, eight football journalists, two flight crew and two other passengers.
Because football teams live in that region of our imagination inhabited by myth and legend the death of these football players has a particular resonance for those of us who remember it.
The Babes' Last Lineup
6 February, 1958
This my personal version of that famous photograph of the Manchester United football team on the 5th February 1958 as they lined up to play Red Star Belgrade. The average age of the players was 23. The Busby Babes.
The following day, on the 6th, the plane carrying the Manchester United team landed at Munich airport. It had taken off earlier from Belgrade on route to Manchester and on a cold, snowy and slushy afternoon had stopped at Munich to refuel.
On attempting to take off the plane crashed killing eight players, three club staff, eight football journalists, two flight crew and two other passengers.
Because football teams live in that region of our imagination inhabited by myth and legend the death of these football players has a particular resonance for those of us who remember it.