On 6 February 1958, a plane carrying the Busby Babes crashed at Munich. This is what happened, who was lost, and how United rebuilt to win the European Cup ten years later.
The Munich air disaster is the darkest day in Manchester United's history. On 6 February 1958, a plane carrying the club's young team, staff and journalists crashed on take-off, and 23 people died. This is a short, respectful account of what happened and how the club recovered.
The flight home
United had just played Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup quarter-final. The 3-3 draw in Yugoslavia sent them into the semi-finals on aggregate. The chartered British European Airways flight stopped in Munich to refuel on the way home. After two aborted take-offs, the pilots tried a third time in heavy snow and slush. The aircraft failed to gain height, ran off the end of the runway and struck a house and a fence.
Who was lost
Eight players died: Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Liam Whelan and Duncan Edwards, who died in hospital 15 days later.
Three members of the club's staff also died, along with eight journalists and other passengers and crew.
Manager Matt Busby was gravely injured and spent weeks in hospital, but recovered. Survivors included Bobby Charlton and goalkeeper Harry Gregg, who helped rescue others from the wreckage.
Rebuilding the club
Assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who had not travelled, held the club together and rebuilt a team from what remained, using young players and reserves. United reached the FA Cup final in May 1958, where they lost to Bolton. Busby returned to the dugout the following season and gradually built a new side around Charlton, and later Denis Law and George Best.
Ten years after Munich, in 1968, United beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to become the first English club to win the European Cup. Busby, who had survived Munich, watched Bobby Charlton, another survivor, score twice in the final.
Remembering Munich today
The club marks the anniversary every year on 6 February. At Old Trafford, a memorial plaque and the Munich clock, stopped at the time of the crash, stand on the south-east corner of the stadium. Read more about the ground in our Old Trafford guide and about the players of that era on the legends page.