The Busby Babes: Manchester United's young champions and the Munich air disaster of 1958
The story of the Busby Babes, the young Manchester United team built through the club's youth ranks, their title-winning seasons and the Munich air disaster that ended so many of their lives in February 1958.
The Busby Babes were the young Manchester United side built through the club's own youth ranks, who won back-to-back league championships in the mid-1950s before players from their number died in the Munich air disaster of February 1958.
Building a young team
The group was recruited and trained by assistant manager Jimmy Murphy and chief scout Joe Armstrong, and the players advanced from Manchester United's youth ranks into the first team under manager Matt Busby during the late 1940s and 1950s. Johnny Berry arrived from Birmingham City in 1951 at the age of 25, while goalkeeper Ray Wood had joined from Darlington in 1949 as an 18-year-old. Tommy Taylor came from Barnsley in 1953, a 21-year-old signed for £29,999.
Manchester Evening News journalist Tom Jackson gave the group its name in 1951, calling them the Busby Babes.
Champions at a young age
The Manchester United teams that won the league championship in 1955–56 and 1956–57 had average ages of 21 and 22 respectively. The squad for the 1957–58 season also had an average age of 22.
The title wins of 1955–56 and 1956–57 came in successive seasons, built on players who had come through together at the club.
The Munich air disaster
On 6 February 1958 the aircraft carrying the Manchester United party crashed in Munich. Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, Duncan Edwards, Liam Whelan, Tommy Taylor, David Pegg and Geoff Bent died as a result of the crash. Duncan Edwards, born in Dudley on 1 October 1936, died in Munich on 21 February 1958.
Jackie Blanchflower and Johnny Berry suffered injuries in the crash that ended their playing careers. Bobby Charlton was 20 years old at the time of the accident. Not everyone connected with the squad was on the flight: Wilf McGuinness and Colin Webster were not travelling, and John Doherty had already been sold by Manchester United to Leicester City before the crash occurred.
Life after Munich
Harry Gregg had signed for Manchester United from Doncaster Rovers in December 1957 for a fee of £23,500, shortly before the disaster. He went on to transfer to Stoke City during the 1966–67 season. Albert Scanlon was sold to Newcastle United in November 1960.
Wilf McGuinness suffered a broken leg during a reserve match in the 1959–60 season and did not play for the first team again. He later managed Manchester United for 18 months after Matt Busby retired in May 1969. Bill Foulkes was a member of the Manchester United team that won the European Cup in 1968.
Bobby Charlton left Manchester United in 1973 and retired from football in 1975, having held the club's all-time goalscoring record until it was later broken by Wayne Rooney. Matt Busby, born in Bellshill on 26 May 1909, had earlier played for Manchester City, Hibernian and Liverpool before becoming Manchester United manager; he died in Manchester on 20 January 1994. Sammy McIlroy moved to the club in 1969 as Matt Busby's final signing.
Key numbers
- 1955–56 and 1956–57: consecutive league championships won by the Busby Babes. - 21 and 22: average ages of the title-winning squads of 1955–56 and 1956–57. - 22: average age of the 1957–58 squad. - 6 February 1958: date of the Munich air disaster. - £29,999: fee paid for Tommy Taylor from Barnsley in 1953. - £23,500: fee paid for Harry Gregg from Doncaster Rovers in December 1957.