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Published 19:33 IST, February 6th 2020

Manchester United footballers react to Munich Air Disaster anniversary

Eight players and three members from the Manchester United staff passed away in the Munich Air Disaster on 6th February 1958. Here's how the players reacted.

Reported by: Sreehari Menon
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6th February will always be remembered as a dark day in the history of Manchester United. On this day in 1958, 23 people (including eight players and three members of the club's staff) suffered fatal injuries in the Munich Air Disaster. Manchester United players and staff were returning from a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade when their plane stopped in Munich to refuel. The first two attempts to take off from the Munich airport were abandoned. Following the third attempt, the plane crashed.

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Manchester United and the horrific Munich Air disaster

Eight Manchester United players, famously termed as the ‘Busby Babes’, perished in the crash. They were Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam Whelan. Edwards, considered by many to be the most exceptional player of his generation, died a fortnight after the accident. The Munich Air Disaster is an ineradicable part of United's history. Astonishingly, Sir Matt Busby overcame his crash wounds to work in conjunction with his assistant Jimmy Murphy. He built another set of 'Busby Babes' that won Manchester United the European Cup in 1968, 10 years after the Munich Air Disaster. 

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Liverpool, Sevilla pay tribute to Manchester United's Busby Babes

Many of the current and former Manchester United players paid tribute to the victims of the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. Clubs across Europe also joined in paying their tribute to the Flowers of Manchester. It included Liverpool, Sevilla and the Northern Ireland national team. Former Manchester Captain Wayne Rooney, full-backs Patrice Evra and Gary Neville also paid their tributes to the Busby Babes. Current Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, Dan James and Marcus Rashford were also noticed paying their tributes to the victims of the Munich Air Disaster.

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Manchester United players pay tribute to the flowers of Manchester

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19:33 IST, February 6th 2020