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.
The team that was lost
The young side that travelled to Belgrade is remembered as the "Busby Babes", after the manager who built them largely from players developed at the club. United won the Football League in 1955/56 and 1956/57, and in 1956/57 became the first English club to enter the European Cup, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Real Madrid. They were widely seen as the future of English football, and Duncan Edwards, who died fifteen days after the crash, was regarded by many as the most gifted of them all.
How the club responded
The response was as important as the loss. Jimmy Murphy, who had stayed behind to manage Wales and so was not on the plane, kept the club going while Matt Busby recovered. Players who had been reserves became first-team players overnight, and the club's survival in the weeks that followed, including reaching the FA Cup final that May, became a symbol of resilience. Busby's later rebuilding produced the side that won the European Cup in 1968, ten years after the crash, a result that gave the disaster a different meaning for those who lived through it.
Remembering today
- The Munich clock: on the south-east corner of Old Trafford, stopped at the time of the crash, with a plaque listing those who died.
- The Sir Bobby Charlton Stand: the South Stand was renamed in 2016 in honour of a survivor of the crash (see our stadium guide).
- 6 February: the anniversary is marked every year with a ceremony at the club.
The disaster is also part of how supporters understand the club's identity. Read about the greats of the era on our legends page, and about the later success of homegrown players in the Class of 92 story.