Glory Glory United: October 2008

Louis Saha

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:36 PM

Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978 in Paris, France) is a French international footballer.Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.8 million in 2004 having scored 15 goals so far that season and impressing Sir Alex Ferguson in Fulham's 3-1 win at Old Trafford. Fulham were reluctant to sell Saha but he pushed for a deal and it eventually went through on 23 January 2004.
He currently plays for the English Premier League club Everton.

Download:
1."Mtv Footballers Cribs Louis Saha"
http://rapidshare.com/files/85416767/Mtv_Footballers_Cribs_Louis_Saha.avi
2."Never Surrender"
http://rapidshare.com/files/85416645/Louis_Saha-Never_Surrender.wmv
3.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85416157/saha_rendol.wmv
4.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85416125/saha_reyes.wmv
5.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85415849/louis_saha_magic_9_by_fabieen48.mpg

Paul Scholes

1 comments Posted by koolkandy at 4:01 AM

Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. Scholes has been called the best midfielder of his generation,and was praised for his modesty and attitude towards the game.Like Francesco Totti of Roma, Paolo Maldini of Milan and his Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs, Scholes is a one club man, having spent his entire professional career with a single club.

Scholes represented England for a period of seven years, having been handed his début in 1997. He went on to represent his country at four major tournaments; the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and the 2000 and 2004 European Championships. Following Euro 2004, Scholes announced his retirement from international football, citing his intentions to focus on his club career with Manchester United and spend more time with his family. Scholes went to Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton Manchester. At his final period of school he was selected to represent Great Britain National Schools in Football.

Rio Ferdinand and Sir Alex Ferguson considered Scholes to be the club's best player, and former Netherlands star Edgar Davids called him the best midfielder in the world.

Download:
1.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84458492/Scholes_by_Armadillo.wmv
2.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84458775/scholes_makma.wmv
3.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84458814/scholes_kowal.wmv
4.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84458950/scholes_0002.wmv
5.By MUTV
http://rapidshare.com/files/85405507/Scholes_MUTV_Bentex_TV.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/85403878/Scholes_MUTV_Bentex_TV.part2.rar
6.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84458992/scholes_true__devil_by_rafus.wmv

Tavez

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 3:56 AM

Carlos Alberto Tévez (born Carlos Alberto Martínez, 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. He was described by Diego Maradona as the "Argentine prophet for the 21st century.

Download:
1.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85493263/carlos_tevez.wmv
2.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85498801/tevez.mpg
3.Tevez compilation
http://rapidshare.com/files/85667516/Tevez_comp.wmv
4."Torres vs Tevez"
http://rapidshare.com/files/85667288/Torres_vs_Tevez_by_tomixx.wmv
5.
http://rapidshare.com/files/85666769/tevez_kompilacja.wmv
6."Tevez The Class"
http://rapidshare.com/files/85666587/Tevez_The_Class.flv

Van Der Sar-Compilation

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:44 AM

Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970 in Voorhout) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League team Manchester United.
Van der Sar is the most capped Dutch player of all-time. He played his last international match at Euro 2008, in a quarter-final loss against Russia, and is now retired from international football.
On 24 June 2008, he announced that the 2008–09 club season will be his last in the Premier League, but it is not clear whether he plans to retire or whether he plans to play elsewhere.

Download:
1.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84459262/vds_by_jaceks_21_1_.wmv
2.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84459451/valdes_vs._van_der_sar_by_mlody.wmv
3.
http://rapidshare.com/files/84459736/Van_der_Sar.wmv
4.Van der Sar vs. Valdes
http://rapidshare.com/files/84459451/valdes_vs._van_der_sar_by_mlody.wmv

Vidic-Compilation

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:34 AM

Nemanja Vidić (born October 21, 1981 in Užice, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional footballer. He plays for the English club Manchester United in the Premier League and for the Serbian national football team.

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/85746175/Nemanja_Vidic.wmv

Eric Cantona Documentary

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 1:54 AM

Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born May 24, 1966) is a French former footballer of the late 1980s and 1990s. He ended his professional footballing career at Manchester United where he won four English Premiership titles in five years (being suspended the season without title), including two League and FA Cup "doubles". Cantona is often regarded as having played a major talismanic role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing powerhouse and he enjoys iconic status at the club. In 2001 he was voted their player of the century, and to this day United fans refer to him as "King Eric". He is the current manager of France Beach Soccer Team.

Download:
CD1:
http://rapidshare.com/files/82268629/Eric_Cantona_CD1_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/82282918/Eric_Cantona_CD1_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/82297529/Eric_Cantona_CD1_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/82308867/Eric_Cantona_CD1_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part4.rar

CD2:
http://rapidshare.com/files/82465724/Eric_Cantona_CD2_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/82462606/Eric_Cantona_CD2_upload_by_bramkarz_MU.part2.rar

Manchester United Official History 1878-2002

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 1:42 AM

"Manchester United Football Club started life as Newton Heath, a team founded by workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1878. This is where
this program starts, recounting the history of Manchester United. Honors soon followed and the first of seven First Division titles was won in 1908. With an FA Cup win the following year, and another league title two years later, Manchester United were firmly establishing themselves as a force in English football. The era of great success and tragedy under the inspirational management of Sir Matt Busby and the Busby Babes. Charlton, Best and Law won the European Cup. Sir Alex Ferguson built the team of the nineties that have gone on to win seven premiership titles over the last ten years. Built around home-grown talent and inspirational signings (such as Eric Cantona), Manchester United moved into an era of unrivalled success which culminated in the remarkable treble of 1999. But Manchester United's history does! not stop there. Further championships followed in both 2000 and 2001 and this program finishes at a time when Ferguson, through the signings of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and Rio Ferdinand is building another team worthy of success at home and in Europe."

Download:
CD1:
http://rapidshare.com/files/75796694/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75941787/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/76979725/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/76993624/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/77009431/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/77022124/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/77033879/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75708766/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd1.part8.rar

CD2:
http://rapidshare.com/files/75462086/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75476235/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75538602/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75565563/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75573741/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75674268/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75705047/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/75677063/cowiso-xvid-manutd-cd2.part8.rar

Manchester United- The Album

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 1:37 AM

Track List

1. Manchester United - Glory Glory Man Utd (Fight Song) ver 1 (2:30)
2. Manchester United - Song For The Champions (3:44)
3. Manchester United - We’re Gonna Do It Again (3:30)
4. Manchester United - United We Love You (3:14)
5. Manchester United - Come On You Reds (3:26)
6. Manchester United - United Calypso 98 (2:29)
7. Manchester United - Ruud van Nistelrooy (3:52)
8. Manchester United - Lift It High (4:05)
9. Manchester United - Manchester United Vs Frankee F.U.R.B (Hilarious remix) Skit Chelsea - Liverpool - Arsenal (Dirty) (3:46)
10.Manchester United - Glory Glory Man Utd (Fight Song) ver 2 (2:27)

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/79869461/Manchester_United_-_The_Album.rar

Manchester United Music

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 1:23 AM

Manchester United

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 8:44 AM

SIR BOBBY CHARLTON

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 1:24 AM

Full name: Sir Robert Charlton, CBE
Date of birth: 11 October 1937 (1937-10-11) (age 70)
Place of birth: Ashington, England
Playing position: Midfielder, Striker (retired)

International:
* World Cup: 1966
* European Championship Third Place 1968
* British Championship Winner 1958 (shared), 1959 (shared), 1960 (shared), 1961, 1964 (shared), 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970 (shared)

Club:
* The Football League Champion 1957, 1965, 1967
* FA Cup Winner 1963
* European Cup Winner 1968
* FA Community Shield 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967

Individual:
European Player of the Year: winner: 1966; 2nd: 1967, 1968
1966 World Cup: winner
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year winner: 1966

Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton, CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is a former English professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot.

He began to play for United's first team in 1956, and over the next two seasons gained a regular place in the team, during which time he survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. After helping United to win the Football League in 1965, he won a World Cup medal with England in 1966 and another Football League title with United the following year. In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup, scoring two goals in the final to help his team be the first English side to win the competition. He has scored more goals for England and United than any other player. He had made more appearances for Manchester United than any other player (758 [1]), a record superseded by Ryan Giggs at the Champions League Final in Moscow on 21 May 2008, and who is still an active player. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest English players of all time.

At the time of his retirement from the England team in 1970, he was the nation's most capped player, having turned out 106 times at the highest level. This record has since been eclipsed by Bobby Moore and then Peter Shilton.

He left Manchester United in 1973, becoming player-manager of Preston North End,but decided management was not for him and left after one season. After assuming the post of the director at Wigan Athletic F.C. for some time, he became a member of Manchester United's board of directors in 1984 and remains one as of February 2008. He set goalscoring records for both the England team and Manchester United, with both records remaining intact some 35 years after the end of his playing career. He was knighted in 1994.

Early Life:
Charlton was related to several professional footballers on his mother's side of the family: his uncles were Jack Milburn (Leeds United and Bradford City), George Milburn (Leeds United and Chesterfield), Jim Milburn (Leeds United and Bradford City) and Stan Milburn (Chesterfield, Leicester City and Rochdale), and legendary Newcastle United and England footballer Jackie Milburn was his mother's cousin. However, Charlton credits much of the early development of his career to his grandfather Tanner and his mother Cissie. His elder brother, Jack, initially went to work applying to the Police Service before also becoming a professional footballer with Leeds United.

On 9 February 1953, Bedlington Grammar School pupil Charlton was spotted playing for East Northumberland schools by Manchester United chief scout Joe Armstrong. Charlton went on to play for England schoolboys, and despite offers that followed from several other clubs, the 15-year-old signed with United on 1 January 1953, along with Wilf McGuinness, also aged 15.Initially his mother was reluctant to let him commit to an insecure football career, so he began an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer; however he went on to turn professional in October 1954.

Charlton became one of the famed Busby Babes, the collection of precociously talented footballers who emerged through the system at Old Trafford in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as Matt Busby set about a long-term plan of rebuilding the club after the Second World War. He worked his way through the pecking order of teams, scoring regularly for the youth and reserve sides before he was handed his first team debut against Charlton Athletic in October 1956. At the same time, he was doing his National Service in Shrewsbury, where Busby had advised him to apply as it meant he could still play for United at the weekend. Also doing his army service in Shrewsbury at the same time was his United team-mate Duncan Edwards.

Joining The First Team:

Charlton played 14 times for United in that first season. They won the League championship but were denied the 20th century's first "double" when they controversially lost the 1957 FA Cup final to Aston Villa. Charlton, still only 19, was selected for the game which saw United goalkeeper Ray Wood carried off with a broken cheekbone after a clash with Villa centre forward Peter McParland. Though Charlton was a candidate to go in goal to replace Wood (in the days before substitutes, and certainly before goalkeeping substitutes), it was team-mate Jackie Blanchflower who ended up between the posts.

Charlton was an established player by the time the next season was fully underway, which saw United, as current League champions, become the first English team to fully embrace the European Cup, reaching the semi finals where they lost to Real Madrid. Previously, the Football Association had scorned the competition but United's progress in the competition earned a great deal of continental respect.[citation needed] Their reputation was further enhanced the next season as they reached the quarter finals to play Red Star Belgrade. In the first leg at home, United won 2-1. The return in Yugoslavia saw Charlton score twice as United stormed 3-0 ahead although the hosts came back to earn a 3-3 draw. However, United maintained their aggregate lead to reach the last four and were in jubilant mood as they left to catch their flight home, thinking of an important League game against Wolves at the weekend.

Munich Experience:

You can find more of his story in the Munich Disaster section of this site.

Idol for United And For England:

At the same time, Charlton's emergence as the country's leading young football talent was completed when he was called up to join the England squad for a British Home Championship game against Scotland at Hampden Park. It would be the start of a long, prolific, record-breaking and globally respected career for his country.

Charlton was handed his debut as England romped home 4-0, with the new player gaining even more admirers after scoring a magnificent thumping volley dispatched with authority after a cross by the left winger Tom Finney. He scored both goals in his second game as England beat Portugal 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley; and overcame obvious nerves on a return to Belgrade to play his third match against Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, England lost that game 5-0 and Charlton played poorly. He was selected for the squad which competed at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, but didn't kick a ball, something at which critics expressed surprise and bewilderment,even allowing for his lacklustre performance in Belgrade.

Charlton began to settle back into his footballing life with Manchester United and England and enhanced his reputation as a scorer of great goals as well as a great goalscorer - rarely is a player regarded as both. In 1959 he scored a hat-trick as England demolished the USA 8-1; and his second England hat-trick came in 1961 in an 8-0 thrashing of Mexico. He also managed to score in every British Home Championship tournament he played in except 1963 in an association with the tournament which lasted from 1958 to 1970 and included 16 goals and ten tournament victories (five shared).

He played in qualifiers for the 1962 World Cup in Chile against Luxembourg and Portugal and was named in the squad for the finals themselves. His goal in the 3-1 group win over Argentina was his 25th for England in just 38 appearances, but his individual success could not be replicated by that of the team, which was eliminated in the quarter final by Brazil, who went on to win the tournament.

Further success with Manchester United came at last when they beat Leicester City 3-1 in the FA Cup final of 1963, with Charlton finally earning a winners' medal in his third final. Busby's post-Munich rebuilding programme continued to progress with two League championships within three seasons, with United taking the title in 1965 and 1967. In between, there was the pressing matter for Charlton of the 1966 World Cup for which England, as hosts, had not needed to qualify. A successful (though trophyless) season with Manchester United had seen him take the honours of Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and European Footballer Of The Year into the competition.

By now, England were coached by Alf Ramsey who had managed to gain sole control of the recruitment and team selection procedure from the committee-based call-up system which had lasted up to the previous World Cup. Ramsey had already cleared out some of the older players who had been reliant on the loyalty of the committee for their continued selection - it was well known that decorum on the pitch at club level had been just as big a factor in playing for England as ability and form.Luckily for Charlton, he had all three.

Charlton had remained the attacking midfield player around whom Ramsey had intended to build his team. He was still scoring and creating freely and as the tournament was about to start, he was expected to become one of its stars and galvanise his established reputation as one of the world's best footballers.

The Success Of 1966:

Picking up the ball in the centre circle of the Wembley pitch, Charlton issued a Mexican challenger with a body swerve which sent his opponent the wrong way and opened up a sizeable gap ahead of him. His reputation for long-range finishes now the stuff of legend, everyone braced themselves for a shot - and Charlton memorably obliged.(weasel words) It arrowed straight into the top corner of the Mexico net, finally opening England's goal account in the tournament and setting them up for a 2-0 win. This was followed by an identical scoreline against France and England were in the last eight.

There they overcame a thuggish Argentina side with a slender 1-0 win - the game was the only one in which Charlton received a caution - and Portugal awaited in the semi finals. This turned out to be one of Charlton's most important games, for both himself and those for whom he played.

Charlton opened the scoring with a crisp side-footed finish after a run by Roger Hunt had forced the Portuguese goalkeeper out of his net; the second was a sweetly struck shot after a run and pull-back from Geoff Hurst. Charlton and Hunt were now England's equal-highest scorers in the tournament with three each, and a final against West Germany was to come.

Though the game had drama, great team performances and some breathtaking individual displays, it actually turned out to be one of Charlton's quieter days. He had a young Franz Beckenbauer marking him and vice versa, and the two ultimately seemed to cancel each other out. However, the team did what was required and won 4-2 (although controversy still exists as to whether the 3rd goal ever crossed the line), with Hurst's hat-trick entering football folklore (and overtaking Charlton and Hunt as England's top marksman). Charlton was playing alongside his brother Jack and the two openly embraced and wept as the greatness of their achievement sank in.

World Cup 1970 And Retirement From Playing Football:

England began the tournament with two victories in the group stages, plus a memorable defeat against Brazil. Charlton played in all three, though was substituted for Alan Ball in the final game of the group against Czechoslovakia. Ramsey, confident of victory and progress to the quarter final, wanted Charlton to rest.

England duly reached the last eight where they again faced West Germany. Charlton controlled the midfield and suppressed Beckenbauer's runs from deep as England coasted to a 2-0 lead. Beckenbauer pulled a goal back for the Germans and Ramsey replaced the ageing and tired Charlton with Colin Bell who further tested the German keeper Maier and also provided a great cross for Geoff Hurst who uncharacteristically squandered the chance. West Germany, who had a habit of coming back from behind, eventually scored twice - a back header from Uwe Seeler made it 2-2 after which Gerd Müller's goal finished England off. England were out and, after a record 106 caps and 49 goals, Charlton decided to end his international career at the age of 32. On the flight home from Mexico, he asked Ramsey not to consider him again. His brother Jack, two years his senior but 71 caps his junior, did likewise.

Despite populist opinion the substitution did not change the game as Beckenbauer had scored before Charlton left the field, hence Charlton had failed to cancel out the German. Charlton himself conceded that the substitution did not affect the game in a BBC documentary. His caps record lasted until 1973 when Bobby Moore overtook him, and Charlton currently lies third in the all-time England appearances list behind Moore and Peter Shilton, whose own England career began in the first game after Charlton's had ended. The goals record still stands, however it is possible Michael Owen, on 40 goals as of June 2008, may surpass it and Gary Lineker's total of 48 in the near future.

During the early 1970s, Manchester United were no longer competing among the top teams in England, and at several stages were battling against relegation. At times, Charlton was not on speaking terms with United's other superstars George Best and Denis Law, and Best refused to play in Charlton's testimonial match against Celtic, saying that "to do so would be hypocritical".Charlton left Manchester United at the end of the 1972-73 season, having scored 249 goals and set a club record of 758 appearances, a record which Ryan Giggs broke in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final. His goalscoring record, however, is still intact by a comfortable margin.

His last game was against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and before the game the BBC cameras for Match Of The Day captured the Chelsea chairman handing Charlton a commemorative cigarette case.

Life After Football:

Charlton became the player-manager of Preston North End in 1973, taking United and England team-mate Nobby Stiles with him as player-coach, but his first season was not a success and he left at the end of it. However, he was awarded the CBE that year and began a casual association with the BBC for punditry on matches which continued for many years. In 1975 he scored 18 goals in 31 appearances for Waterford United.

He then joined Wigan Athletic as a director, and was briefly caretaker manager there. He then spent some time playing in South Africa.He also built up several businesses in areas such as travel, jewellery and hampers, and ran soccer schools in the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and China. In 1984, he was invited to become member of the board of directors at Manchester United, partly because of his football knowledge and partly because it was felt that the club needed a "name" on the board after the resignation of Sir Matt Busby.He remains a director of Manchester United as of 2008. Charlton led the Manchester United side in receiving the European Cup in 2008, 50 years on from the Munich air disaster.

Charlton helped to promote Manchester's bids for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, England's bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.He received a knighthood in 1994 and was an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. On accepting his award he commented “I’m really proud to be included in the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame. It’s a great honour. If you look at the names included I have to say I couldn’t argue with them. They are all great players and people I would love to have played with." He is also the (honorary) president of the National Football Museum, an organisation about which he said “I can’t think of a better Museum anywhere in the world.”.

Charlton is involved in a number of charitable activities including fund raising for cancer hospitals, and the land mine clearance charity Mines Advisory Group.

SIR MATT BUSBY

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:31 AM

Nationality: Scottish
Manager From: 01 Oct 1945
Years as Manager: 28
Football League Titles: 1952,1956,1957,1965,1967
FA Cup: 1948,963
European Cup: 1968
FA Charity Shield: 1952,1956,1957
FA Charity Shield Joint holders:1965,1967

The man who was to become one of English football's greatest-ever managers was born in Scotland, in the village of Orbiston, Lanarkshire, on 26 May 1909.

As a player, he represented two English clubs. He joined Manchester City on 11 February 1928, and made his debut the following year against Middlesbrough. Busby was then transferred to Liverpool for a fee of £8,000 in March 1936.

Busby became United's first boss after the war, having turned down the job of assistant manager at Liverpool. He accepted the position on 19 February 1945, and then joined the club full-time

on his demobilisation from the armed forces in October 1945. In doing so he filled a post left vacant since the resignation of Scott Duncan in 1937 and temporarily filled by club secretary Walter Crickmer.

Following demob, Busby took charge of a club with a bomb-damaged stadium and a £15,000 overdraft. His first signing for United was Jimmy Murphy, his great assistant manager who served the club until 1971. Together they created United's first great post-war team built around the defensive capabilities of Johnny Carey, John Aston and Allenby Chilton and the attacking skills of Charlie Mitten, Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson.

United were FA Cup winners in 1948, defeating Blackpool 4-2. Then, after finishing runners-up four times in 1947-49 and 1951, Busby's men brought the title to Old Trafford in 1952.

Far from being blinded by their success, Busby and Murphy had the foresight to plan ahead and prepare for the day when their first great team would need replacing. The club's scouting system was expanded and reorganised and in the early 1950s, the new youth policy bore its first fruit as Jeff Whitefoot, Jackie Blanchflower and Roger Byrne stepped up to the first team. By 1953 a new team was being blooded in the First Division as

Bill Foulkes, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Liam Whelan, Eddie Colman and Duncan Edwards all broke through. League success soon followed as this new young side, soon christened the 'Busby Babes', won the League title in both 1956 and 1957 and reached the FA Cup final in 1957.

Busby was still looking to the future, trailblazing the way for English clubs by entering the European Cup in 1956/57 - initially against the wishes of the Football League. United reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Real Madrid.

The following season, 1957/58, bristled with promise and United were stillchallenging in all three competitions by February when disaster struck. On 6 February 1958, the aeroplane bringing the team home from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade crashed after refuelling in Munich. Twenty-three people were killed, including eight of Busby's players - Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan. Three club officials also perished - secretary Walter Crickmer, trainer Tom Curry and coach Bert Whalley.

Busby almost lost his life as well - he was twice given the last rites while lying gravely ill in a German hospital.

Fortunately, he survived and returned to Manchester 71 days after the crash. In the meantime, Jimmy Murphy - who missed the tragedy because of his commitments as manager of the Welsh national side - brilliantly guided a patched-up team to an emotionally charged FA Cup Final. Bolton Wanderers beat United 2-0 at Wembley.

After taking up the managerial reigns again in August 1958, Busby began to add some big money purchases to his homegrown talent. The likes of Albert Quixall, Noel Cantwell, Denis Law and Pat Crerand joined United in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This group of players reached the FA Cup final in 1963 and beat Leicester City 3-1 to claim the club's first trophy after Munich.

League titles followed in 1965 and 1967, giving Busby the chance to conquer Europe in the following seasons. In 1965/66, United reached the semi-finals, just as they had done in 1956/57 and 1957/58. But in 1967/68 they went further, to the final at Wembley where they faced Portuguese side Benfica.

On another night of great emotion, United triumphed 4-1 after extra-time to win the European Cup for Busby. It was a fitting tribute to the players and staff killed and injured 10 years before and was

Busby's crowning achievement as United manager. They almost retained the Cup in 1968/69, before bowing out to AC Milan in the semi-final.

Busby retired at the end of the '68/69 season, but stayed on as general manager while Wilf McGuinness became the man in charge of the team on a day-to-day basis. The new arrangement lasted little more than a year - on 28 December 1970, Busby was invited by the Directors to return to his old job and replace McGuinness until the end of the season.

A respected figure throughout his career, Busby was awarded the CBE in 1958 and made the 66thFreeman of Manchester in 1967. In 1968, he was named Manager of the Year and was knighted following United's European Cup triumph.

In 1972 he was made a Knight Commander of St. Gregory by the Pope. He became President of Manchester United in 1980, was elected Vice-President of the Football League in 1982 and went on to become a life member. In 1993 Warwick Road North, the road which runs past the front of Old Trafford, was renamed Sir Matt Busby Way in honour of the man described as 'Mr Manchester United'.

In addition to managing United, Busby also guided the British Olympic football team

to a semi-final place in the 1948 Olympics and in 1958 was manager of Scotland, giving an 18 year-old by the name of Denis Law his first cap.

Sir Matt Busby died on 20 January 1994 at Alexandra Hospital, Cheadle, after a short illness. His funeral a week later saw thousands line the streets of Manchester as his cortege drove from Chorlton to Old Trafford and finally to Manchester's Southern Cemetery. Tributes to Sir Matt came from around the world and supporters of many different clubs sent thousands of shirts, wreaths, pictures and scarves to create a multi-coloured memorial. A bronze statue of Sir Matt wasunveiled on 27 April 1996 at the Scoreboard End of Old Trafford as Manchester United remembered the man who epitomised the club.

Five years after Busby's death, the modern United side emulated his greatest feat by winning the European Cup. Poignantly, the date of that triumph, 26 May 1999, would have been Matt's 90th birthday.

Ryan Giggs : Learning About The Past (Giggs Interview)

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:27 AM

"It was really important that the squad learned about what happened. Not only about the crash itself but also the success United had before it and how the team moved forward in the aftermath."

- Ryan Giggs

Can you recall when you first learned about Munich?
As a fan growing up, you’re aware of Munich but as a kid you don’t really know too much about it. I gradually learned more as I joined the club full-time and began to see Sir Matt Busby around Old Trafford. I used to see him regularly because the room where we used to pick up our wages as apprentices was near to his office. Then we had Sir Bobby Charlton coming down to watch the youth team, which he still does today. We had never seen Sir Matt manage or Sir Bobby play so we used to ask what they were like. Inevitably, Munich began to come up around those questions and I began to learn more about it.

Patrice Evra has talked about United's "strong identity" and his urge to learn about the club. Do you agree current players need to understand the history?
Yes, I do. New players, especially the foreign players, are joining a club which they think is great and offers them everything that comes from United being successful over the last 10 to 15 years. But also when you actually come to the club, you learn more about the support that we’ve got worldwide and you gather more information about the history. We all watched a DVD about Munich recently. It was really important for the squad to watch that and learn about what happened. Not only about the crash itself but also the success they had before it and how the team moved forward in the aftermath, from winning the next game to winning the European Cup 10 years later.

Did anything surprise you when you watched the DVD?
Yes, there were things I didn’t know about the crash. I didn’t know how soon United played again afterwards, just 13 days later, and that players like Bill Foulkes and Harry Gregg who survived the crash were in the team. I thought that was unbelievable. But it wasn’t just the DVD that surprised me. Sir Bobby also spoke that day as someone who witnessed every thing first hand. It was great to hear him speaking about his experiences of playing in Europe at the time and how different it was then. He gave us a picture of how the players prepared for games, for example. Now if we’re playing in a big game like a Champions League semi-final, we’ll watch videos and know everything about the opposition. Everything. Then I think Sir Matt would go on one scouting mission and that would be it. The Babes couldn’t see videos of the players they were up against and the system they used. Once Sir Matt went to watch Real Madrid and when he came back, his players asked him what they were like. He didn’t want to tell them because Real Madrid were that good! It was great to hear stories like that from Sir Bobby. His talk was a real insight into how football has changed and how good that team was.

It must be difficult to appreciate how good the Babes were, when you can only watch a few minutes of footage from the era…
It is difficult. The first thing that struck me was how big Duncan Edwards was, he was massive! Sir Bobby played with Denis Law and George Best but he still regards Duncan as the greatest he played with. He must have been some player, equally at home playing centre-half or centre-forward.

What was the general response from the squad after your meeting on Munich?
It was quiet. At the end, Sir Bobby asked if there were any questions but nobody spoke up. I think the players were still in awe of Sir Bobby talking and still affected by the DVD. I’m sure everyone had a question though and if one person had asked theirs, then everyone else would have done the same. A lot of the players didn’t know beforehand what they were coming in for, they didn’t know a lot about it. After all, some of the players who’ve joined us are from different countries and are still young at 19 or 20. It was interesting to see the effect it had on them. Everyone was moved.

How important is it for everyone - players and supporters - to know what happened at Munich and the story of how the club recovered?
I think it’s very important, to know how the Busby Babes played and how successful they were before the air disaster and to know how Sir Matt built another great team. There are so many things that are relevant to us today and we need to carry on their legacy. For example, fans want to see young players coming through and doing well which they do on a regular basis at this club. And both as individuals and as a team, we have to play in the right manner, to excite supporters and get people off their seats. That has got to go on because it’s one of the things that sets this club apart. It’s also a club that never stands still, it always goes forward. Sir Alex keeps producing great teams, just like Sir Matt did, and that will go on throughout the future of this club.

Sir Alex: My respect for Sir Matt

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:25 AM

Sir Alex Ferguson admires the qualities which enabled Sir Matt Busby to rebuild United after the Munich air crash decimated his talented young team...

Obviously the crash had a huge impact on everyone - and Scottish people particularly, with Matt Busby being such a respected figure. Matt had gathered a great affection for the way his United side were playing, but the esteem in which he was held up there wasn’t just down to that alone - it was also because of how he’d built his teams. I’d gone to see them as a teenager in 1953 play in the Coronation Cup against Rangers and Celtic - but United were the main attraction.

What we see at United today has its foundations back in that era - in particular, the way it was done with young players. And that’s really the saddest part of all; that these young men lost their lives almost before they’d started to really enjoy their football: Duncan Edwards, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, just young lads at the start of their careers; such a terrible tragedy. I was lucky enough to see Duncan play for England U23s against Scotland - he scored a hat-trick. I trust Bobby Charlton’s opinion without question, and when he says Duncan, at just 21, was the best he ever played with, that tells you everything.

I recall reading that it took Matt a long time to deal with how he would face the players again, of how he’d lain there in hospital knowing he’d lost all these young lads, but had to go back to those that had survived. He felt commitment to do something about it, which gave him the drive and purpose to rebuild. But it takes special people to do what he did, to come through that and carry on. I think if he’d retired there and then, people would have understood.

It tells you something about the man’s character and thesteel he had. It’s about having a foundation you can rely on - and I think Matt had that: the concept of loyalty, a work ethic and the trust of and in those around him. I think you bring these things to your job; be it sport, business, or whatever - and I think it’s an asset, because you’ve got something to fall back on during trying times. And that’s what ultimately saw him through. If I’d have been there that day, I’d have had a bet on him doing it, because he had the will.

Of course, Matt lovingly rebuilt his team to win the European Cup in 1968 - again in all the right ways - with all but a handful of that side homegrown. It was a staggering achievement: one that, in part, has helped to create the romance associated with United today; an affection across the world engendered by playing the game in the right way, with entertaining and attacking footballers.

Manchester United was the perfect club for me (to join in 1986), particularly as Bobby Charlton was desperately keen to have a rebirth in developing the young players. He, along with (former chairman) Martin Edwards, saw the right way in terms of rebuilding, and I needed that support because, like them, I felt this wasn’t so much a football team as a football club.

"Keep the flag flying, Jimmy."

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:19 AM

From sorrow to success

As Matt Busby lay immobile in Munich, his trusty assistant Jimmy Murphy - who missed the trip to Belgrade because of his duties as Wales manager - had to pick up the pieces. Busby had told him, "Keep the flag flying, Jimmy."

As goalkeeper Harry Gregg recalled in his autobiography, the players who were left and able needed to play again. He wrote: “It (playing football) saved my sanity. I couldn’t get to the ground quick enough for training. Those brief moments spent running, diving, kicking, arguing and fighting were my escape valve.”

United’s chairman Harold Hardman was in full agreement. Just 13 days after the crash, the rescheduled fifth-round FA Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday went ahead in front of a highly charged Old Trafford crowd of 59,848, with thousands more fans locked outside. Beneath the headline ‘United will go on’, Hardman’s message on the front of United Review (the club's match programme) was simple, yet effective.

“Although we mourn our dead and grieve for our wounded, we believe that great days are not done for us… Manchester United will rise again.”

The teamsheet in the United Review was poignantly blank. But Jimmy Murphy had followed his boss’s instructions and somehow put together a side to face Sheffield Wednesday. Crash survivors Gregg and Bill Foulkes were in the line-up, alongside new signings Ernie Taylor from Blackpool and Stan Crowther from Aston Villa, the team that had beaten United in the 1957 FA Cup final. Crowther signed just over an hour before kick-off and was given special dispensation to play having already appeared in the Cup that season for Villa.

The remainder of the team was a mixture of juniors and reserves: Ian Greaves, Freddie Goodwin, Ronnie Cope, Colin Webster, Alex Dawson, Stan Pearson and Shay Brennan, who scored twice on his debut as United won 3-0. Brennan would go on to play in the 1968 European Cup final ten years later.

For central defender Ronnie Cope, the game was a defiant stand, the chance to show all was not lost. “We’d lost some of the best players and the greatest players, but we hadn’t lost the spirit - that was what carried us through, the spirit.”

Riding the tide of goodwill, United made it through to Wembley where they met Bolton Wanderers in the final. The frail Busby sat on the bench and watched his team finally run out of steam, losing 2-0.

Murphy and his charges had pulled off a minor miracle to get that far. In the weeks and months following the crash, they had proved beyond any doubt that United would indeed go on. In the European Cup semi-final they beat Milan 2-1 at Old Trafford, before a valiant, yet comprehensive 4-0 defeat in the San Siro.

Though Busby had considered quitting, wrongly blaming his own sense of ambition for the chain of events that had ended in tragedy, his wife Jean and son Sandy convinced him to continue. Having overseen the building of greatness from an uncertain future, they believed he could - and should - aim for the sky again.

Success in '68

On 29 May 1968, ten years after Busby’s brave boys were lost in the snow, a tense night in north London climaxed with the knowledge that Matt had paid a debt to their memory.

Fittingly, the exuberance of local youth - the driving force behind Busby’s dream - played a full part in United winning the European Cup final at Wembley. Brian Kidd, a young striker from Collyhurst, Manchester - deputising for the injured Denis Law - celebrated his 19th birthday with United’s third goal in the 4-1 win over Benfica.

Another Collyhurst boy, Nobby Stiles, became one of only two Englishmen to win both the European Cup and the World Cup - the other was Bobby Charlton. As a kid, Stiles had idolised Eddie Colman; on this night, he tackled and ran for all the Babes. Another young man from Manchester, John Aston Jr, whose father had played in Busby’s FA Cup-winning side of 1948, was man of the match.

As they continue to do today, United had taken the crowd at Wembley from ecstasy to despair - and ultimately back again. And as Busby collapsed into the exhausted embraces of Charlton, Foulkes and Brennan, he felt a weight had been lifted.

“When Bobby (Charlton) took the cup, it cleansed me,” he said. “It eased the guilt of going into Europe. It was my justification.”

How We Took The News: The Reactions From The Player

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 9:13 AM

It Felt Like The World Has Fallen Apart

Seven men connected with the crash or the club recall how they learned of the tragedy...

Ronnie Cope, former player - left United in 1961, three years after the crash

“It had been my wife’s idea to go shopping in Manchester, to take my mind off the disappointment of not going with the team to Belgrade. We were in the city centre when I heard this man shouting, ‘Plane crash! Plane crash!’ I didn’t take any notice at first. We walked halfway down the street and then… I couldn’t believe what happened next... an old lady walked in front of a bus and was killed. I was mesmerised, but I had to take my two children away from the scene and as I was doing so, I saw the placard - ‘Manchester United plane crash.’ When I got home, my next door neighbour told me what had happened. It took me a long time to get over it. Geoff Bent lived up the road from me. We used to go out together with our wives and kids. I just couldn’t bear to meet Geoff’s wife after the crash because he’d taken my place in the team and he’d been killed as a result.”

Noel McFarlane, former player - left United in 1956, two years before the crash

“I was at home when my wife came in and said, ‘Have you heard the news?’ I said, ‘What news?’ My wife replied, ‘A plane’s crashed, United were on it.’ It's difficult to say how I felt. Obviously I was sad because the players who died were my friends and some of them were very good friends. But in a way I suppose I felt lucky, not to have been there with them. I can’t really say any more about it.”

Pat Crerand, former player - joined United on the 5th anniversary of the crash

“I remember I was going to Celtic Park (Glasgow Celtic’s ground) to train. I was travelling on what we called a trolley bus when it went past a newspaper stand and the placards read ‘Manchester United in plane crash’. Even in those days, you just thought, ‘Oh, they’re just trying to sell papers with that headline.’ When I got to Celtic Park, it was about quarter to six. The conversation then was about who had been killed and we knew that Duncan Edwards, the big hero of young kids like us in Glasgow, was seriously ill.”

Sir Alex Ferguson, United manager - aged 16 at the time of the tragedy

"I'd been studying in the library that afternoon, so my first awareness of the crash came at about half past six when I arrived for training at my local football club. I remember seeing grown men in a terrible state. Training, of course, was cancelled."

David Meek - became the Evening News' United reporter after the crash

“I was working at the Manchester Evening News, then reporting on politics, not sport, when suddenly word went round about the United plane being in a crash. The atmosphere in the office was suddenly highly charged. The editor Tom Henry knew it was a major story. He cleared the office except for a few senior people who would bring out a special edition of the newspaper. They kept updating it as more news came in from Munich."

Mike Jackson, son of victim Tom Jackson, Evening News journalist

“I was walking home from the school bus stop when I heard some lads shouting amongst themselves, ‘The United plane’s crashed.’ It was Thursday and I knew my father was expected home that night. I thought, ‘That can’t be right, they’ve got that wrong.’ So I quickened my step, got home and found the house full of neighbours and relatives and my mother looking extremely distraught. My mother and I eventually settled down to watch the television and see what news was coming through. I remember saying, ‘No news is good news’, thinking there was still a possibility he’d survived because his name hadn’t yet come up. But clearly the authorities were still sifting through the remains, trying to name people.”

Bryan Hughes, lifelong United supporter

“I was standing at a bus stop and this lady said to me, ‘Isn’t it terrible about that crash?’ I couldn’t believe it. When I got home, I asked people who lived nearby, was she right? We didn’t have a television then, we couldn’t afford one. We couldn’t even afford what we called a wireless (a radio) so we had to rely on other people telling us the news or wait for the evening newspaper to be delivered. When the headlines appeared on placards outside the newspaper shop, I knew it was true. It was one of the worst moments of my life. I felt the same kind of sadness as when my dear old mother died. It took me ages to get over it.”

Sir Bobby Charlton: A Survivor's Story

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 3:35 AM

"There was a young lad in my hospital room with a newspaper. His English wasn’t great, but as I went through the list of players in my mind, he told me if they were alive or dead."

- Sir Bobby Charlton

Sir Bobby Charlton survived the Munich air disaster to become one of the most renowned players in world football, an ambassador for his club and country. His personal recollection of the crash, as told in an exclusive interview with MUTV, begins with the fateful European Cup fixture away in Yugoslavia...

The battle of Belgrade

The two games against Red Star Belgrade were tight. We were only a goal ahead after the home game, which was strange because we normally took control at home. Confidence was high that we could beat them, but they had good players like Šekularac and Kostic, who scored from a free kick, bending it over the wall. We were ready for the tie because we’d had tough games already. But when we were drawn against Red Star it was a new challenge for us because we’d never played anyone from that part of the world before. They were very efficient and had a volatile crowd. But we were well prepared and within the first half hour were 3-0 up against one of the best teams in Europe, and this was to get into the quarter-finals!

The pitch was bad. It was muddy, it had been drained and had thawed, but there was a crust of snow and ice on the top - making the ball ping about. It was great for shooting, though. And then we started cruising, taking things easy and got ourselves into all sorts of trouble. I think it was inexperience, playing in Europe was new to us. Back at home, we’d never lose a three-goal lead. Then, with five minutes to go they equalised and it was very tense, thankfully the referee blew his whistle and we were through - it was fantastic.

The crash at Munich

The weather was bad. There was snow on the runway and the facilities airports have these days were not available. The pilot had three attempts at taking off. After two we came back and stayed in the airport. Eventually the officials said it was okay to go. The slush on the runway was the problem. The plane, the Elizabethan, took a long time to take off as it needed a long runway but it didn’t make it. Even now it’s hard to take in.

We went through the outer fence and everyone knew then something wasn’t right. It was a dreadful thing, the worst thing to happen in a sporting context - young players at their peak taken away. People were so excited about what United were doing in Europe - we were representing our country.

I didn’t know where I was. I was still sitting in my seat - which had somehow been ripped from underneath the plane. I thought I’d just closed my eyes. Afterwards, Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes said I’d been unconscious for quarter of an hour. In that time they’d been going in and out trying to help people out. It was a very brave thing to do - the plane was on fire and broken in half. Those two ought to be thanked for what they did.

The first two times we failed to take off I had taken my coat off leaving the plane. For the third time I didn’t, because I thought if I have to get off the plane again I wanted to have it with me because of the cold. After the crash, when I saw Matt Busby near me in a pool of water, I put my coat underneath him. It was clear he was seriously injured.

The news sinks in

We reached the hospital and tried to see the rest of the players. I remember it very clearly, sitting in that waiting room. I had concussion and cuts on my head, but I started ranting and raving at this poor lad. A medic put an injection in my neck – and I don’t remember anything else until the next morning.

There was a young lad in the same room as me the following day and he had a newspaper – he told me all about the accident. His English wasn’t great, but he was gesturing. Then I went through the list of players in my mind – and he told me if they were alive or dead.

There were a lot of men on the flight who were just guests. There were people on the plane such as journalists, representatives from the embassies and their staff from Belgrade coming to England for a stay. They were all killed, too. Frank Swift – a great goalkeeper who played for England and Manchester City, a great name in the football world, then a journalist, also died. I’m just so fortunate that I was able to walk away from it. Duncan [Edwards] was seriously ill – but he didn’t pass away immediately. People tell me that perhaps with today’s medical advances he could have been saved.

He was in the Army with me and it was a huge shock for him to die. We lost staff members, too. Bert Whalley, Jimmy Murphy’s assistant, Tom Curry, the old trainer who organised the boots, equipment and training and, of course, the club secretary Walter Crickmer – we lost them as well.

The recovery

Once the accident happened we suddenly thought about how it would never be the same again. By that we meant would we repeat performances that resulted in us beating Arsenal twice that season by playing excellent football with confidence? We were so good as a team that when Munich happened it was so bad. It was demoralising for everyone; the families, the players, the fans. It was unbelievable. You hear about these things and think it’ll never happen to you.

Looking on the brighter side - Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes came back to play, I followed after that and we had to pick ourselves up. It was our quest that Manchester United win the European Cup because if it hadn’t been for that accident we would have done it that year - of that I’m certain. We feared no-one, no challenge was too big.

The comeback: 1968

We knew it would take a long time to rebuild. Matt Busby said it would be five years before we would win a major trophy. Almost five years to the day we lifted the FA Cup. And 10 years later we were champions of Europe. Winning the European Cup was a debt of gratitude to those that died - they had started the cause that we were fighting.

That night in 1968 was something special. Everyone in the world wanted us to win at Wembley and doing so was part of the history - it was important we managed it.

Birth And Rise Of The Babes

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 3:31 AM

Roger Byrne was one of the first two players to have the nickname of "Busby Babe" bestowed on him by the press. The other was Jackie Blanchflower. Both made their debuts during the 1951/52 season.

During the 1930s, the club was twice relegated from the top division and was close to bankruptcy. Then in 1941, during the Second World War, the Luftwaffe (Nazi Germany’s air force) bombed Old Trafford, leaving United to play their home games at Maine Road - the ground of local rivals Manchester City.

Such matters were, however, incidental to Matt Busby when he agreed to take charge at United on 19 February 1945. For Busby had a glittering vision: he saw beauty in that bombed-out stadium, and the chance to create a phoenix from those flames.

A native of Bellshill, a coal-mining community in Lanarkshire, Scotland, Busby knew the value of hard work, and recognised what honest endeavour could achieve. Crucially, too, he knew both Manchester and its people, having played for Manchester City in their 1934 FA Cup success. His partnership with United would change the face of English football.

Liverpool wanted Busby back after the war as player-coach. But Busby wanted to shape the future - he dreamed of younger, fresher legs, players to mould in his image. He knew youth held the key, not only to United’s success, but the future of the game. He found a kindred spirit in his predecessor Walter Crickmer, who remained club secretary. Crickmer helped to establish the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club (MUJACs) in 1938 and from those seeds Busby’s empire was born.

Busby set up an office two bus rides from Old Trafford. “In that small office there was not much room for dreaming, or much time but dream I did,” Busby reflected. He quickly appointed an assistant, his old army mate Jimmy Murphy, who took charge of the reserves, paying special attention to the youth team.

Within two years, Busby’s pioneering, hands-on management delivered United’s first trophy for almost 40 years. The FA Cup was won in 1948 with attacking football against a Blackpool side featuring the legendary English player Stanley Matthews.

After a couple of near misses, United won the league title in 1952. But the team was ageing - the time was coming for Busby to bring young, homegrown players into his senior squad.

Roger Byrne - who had excelled in the latter stages of 1951/52 on the wing - soon became a regular at full-back. Jackie Blanchflower, who alongside Byrne had been the first players to be called “Babes”, was joined more regularly by centre-half Mark Jones, who’d also made a few appearances for 1952’s title winners. Next came Eddie Colman and a boy in a man’s body - Duncan Edwards, who made his first team debut at the age of just 17.

Rise of the Babes

Not all of Busby's players were homegrown "Babes". In March 1953, he signed centre-forward Tommy Taylor from Barnsley for £29,999. He was to form a formidable partnership with Dennis Viollet, especially in 1955/56, when at least one of them scored in 21 of the 27 games they played together.

United ran away with the title, clinching it on Saturday 7 April 1956 against Blackpool, the club they’d beaten to win Busby’s first trophy (the 1948 FA Cup). The average age of the team was just 22. “The marks of the nursery cradle were on them, but they did not show,” said Busby, glowing with pride.

The challenge was to prove that the title success in 1955/56 was no flash in the pan. But Busby wasn’t satisfied with domestic domination alone: he sought a new test in the shape of the European Cup. United entered it for the first time in the 1956/57 season, initially without the blessing of the Football League. In the preliminary round, they demolished Belgian club Anderlecht 10-0 under Maine Road’s floodlights after a 2-0 away success. The result remains United’s biggest win in a competitive match. Having also beaten Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao, United exited in the semi-final, that great Madrid side proving too wily in a 5-3 aggregate win.

At home, the Red army marched on. A fresh young hopeful, Bobby Charlton, scored twice on his debut, appropriately enough against Charlton Athletic – and was promptly dropped, such was the quality at Busby’s disposal. A fifth consecutive FA Youth Cup trophy was secured as the conveyor belt of talent continued to move.

The league title was retained as Taylor and Viollet once again teamed up admirably, but the top scorer was Ireland’s Liam Whelan who hit 26 goals. United had became an irresistible force – almost. Aston Villa prevented them winning the first league and FA Cup double of the modern age with a controversial 2-1 win at Wembley. The scorer of Villa’s goals Peter McParland was the villain, his shoulder barge on Ray Wood resulting in the United goalkeeper fracturing a cheekbone.

Despite that disappointment, time was on United’s side. Thoughts soon turned to capturing a third title in a row and another assault on Europe. Busby bolstered his Babes with another big signing, paying a world record fee for a goalkeeper to bring in Harry Gregg.

The season unfolded much like the previous two with smooth progress both domestically and in Europe. February opened with a thrilling encounter against Arsenal at Highbury. In an absorbing match, United edged out the Gunners 5-4; ideal preparation for the daunting European Cup quarter-final second-leg trip to meet Red Star Belgrade...

The Men We Lost At Munich

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 3:21 AM

The Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958 claimed the lives of 23 passengers and crew. Here, ManUtd.com remembers the eight United players and three officials who died, through the words of those who knew them best.

Roger Byrne - aged 28, full-back. 277 appearances, 19 goals, 33 England caps.

"An aristocratic footballer, majestic in his movement. Roger was so fast but at the same time he controlled his movement beautifully, like Nureyev." - Sir Matt Busby

Geoff Bent - aged 25, full-back. 12 appearances.

"When Geoff matured and reached his twenties there were many clubs after him but he stayed loyal. He could look after himself and was a great tackler. Roger Byrne was a consistent player and very brave, that was the reason Geoff got so few games, but he was good enough to hold a regular place in any team." - Jimmy Murphy

Eddie Colman - aged 21, half-back. 107 appearances, 2 goals.

"Eddie was a chirpy lad and a terrific player. He pushed the ball - never kicked it - and he jinked past players. He was known for his swivel hips." - Wilf McGuinness

David Pegg - aged 22, forward, 148 appearances, 28 goals, 1 England cap.

"David would have been a great asset to any team because he was a natural, left-flank player. David was very, very clever. Our best left-winger by a mile." - Sir Matt Busby

Mark Jones - aged 24, half-back, 120 appearances, 1 goal.

"Yorkshireman Mark was a really lovely fellow, but my word he was a tough
nut, and nobody took any liberties with him on or off the field." - Bill Foulkes

Duncan Edwards - aged 21, half-back, 175 apps., 21 goals, 18 England caps, 5 goals.

"When I used to hear Muhammad Ali proclaim to the world he was the greatest, I used to smile. The greatest of them all was a footballer named Duncan Edwards." - Jimmy Murphy

"The only player who ever made me feel inferior." - Sir Bobby Charlton

Tommy Taylor - aged 26, forward, 189 apps., 128 goals, 19 England caps, 16 goals

"I rate him as one of the all-time, best centre-forwards in the game, and he had yet to realise all his potential. He was a typically bluff Yorkshireman in many ways, often acting the clown, and a great team man." - Bill Foulkes

Liam 'Billy' Whelan - aged 22, forward, 96 apps., 52 goals, 4 Republic of Ireland caps

"Billy was a magician with a ball at his feet. I really don't think he knew how good he was and how much better he could have become. A world-class forward. There is no doubt about that. His vision and passing was sheer class." - Albert Scanlon

Walter Crickmer, club secretary / Tom Curry, trainer / Bert Whalley, coach

"Walter Crickmer always reminded me of a little dynamo, nothing was too much trouble. Tom Curry, the trainer, was someone we looked up to like a father. And Bert Whalley was certainly a tremendous help to me when I was a part-timer." - Bill Foulkes

The Darkest Day: 6th Feb 1958

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 3:14 AM

February 6th will forever be circled on the calendars of everyone connected with Manchester United.

On that day in 1958, the darkest day in United's history, 23 people - including eight players and three members of the club's staff - suffered fatal injuries in the Munich air crash.

Flying back from a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade, the team plane stopped in Germany to refuel. The first two attempts to take off from Munich airport were aborted; following a third attempt, the plane crashed.

Twenty-two of the people on board died instantly, while Duncan Edwards - one of the eight victims from the team - died 15 days later as a result of the injuries he sustained.

The tragedy is an indelible part of United's history, as is Sir Matt Busby overcoming his injuries to build another great team which won the European Cup 10 years later.

Roger Byrne (28), Eddie Colman (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26), Geoff Bent (25), Liam Whelan (22) and Duncan Edwards (21) all died, along with club secretary Walter Crickmer, trainer Tom Curry and coach Bert Whalley.

Eight journalists died - Alf Clarke, Tom Jackson, Don Davies, George Fellows, Archie Ledbrook, Eric Thompson, Henry Rose, and Frank Swift who was a former Manchester City player. Plane captain Ken Rayment perished, as did Sir Matt's friend Willie Sanitof. Travel agent Bela Miklos and passenger Tom Cable also died.

We will never forget.

2000-2007

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:37 AM

The Ferguson Era

United started the new decade, century and millennium in typical pioneering fashion. They entered a brand new competition – the FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil – but at the expense of their participation in the FA Cup, of which they were the holders.

The January jaunt to South America didn't result in any silverware but it gave the Reds valuable relaxation time in the sun. Rejuvenated by this, they raced ahead of their rivals in the title race when they returned to England. They achieved their sixth Premiership title early, in April, and still without a convincing replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

Several goalkeepers including Mark Bosnich tried and failed to establish themselves during the 1999/2000 season. So it was hardly surprising when World Cup and European Championship winner Fabien Barthez joined United in July 2000.

The eccentric but brilliant French goalkeeper helped United to win their third successive title in 2000/01, a feat that had previously been achieved by only a handful of clubs in England. Liverpool had been the last team to do it, in 1982, 1983 and 1984, but this was under the supervision of two different managers - Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan.

Sir Alex Ferguson had been at the helm for all three of United's back-to-back titles, and was the first manager in English football to achieve the hat-trick. On the back of this latest trophy, he announced his impending retirement, only to backtrack and decide to stay.

Ferguson's major signing in the summer of 2002 was Rio Ferdinand, one of England's best performers at the World Cup Finals in Japan and Korea. The £30m acquisition from Leeds added the steel that had arguably been missing from United's defence since the departure of Jaap Stam to Lazio.

Ferdinand helped the Reds to recapture their Premiership title in May 2003 but the calendar year ended on a low note for the defender - he was punished by the FA for failing to attend a mandatory drugs test at Carrington and was suspended for eight months.

In the period without Rio, the Reds lost their title - to Arsenal again - but won the FA Cup for a record eleventh time, beating Millwall 3-0 in the 2004 final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. A year later United were back in Wales to face Arsenal for the trophy. Chelsea had taken the Premiership and Carling Cup, and it was the Gunners who triumphed on penalties despite a dominant display from United - for whom Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were outstanding. The following season brought maiden silverware for the pair as the Reds beat Wigan Athletic in the Carling Cup final.

For Sir Alex and his players, the main aim remained Premiership glory, which was duly snared the following season as United notched a 16th league title, finishing six points clear of former incumbents Chelsea. While the whole squad performed admirably to snatch the title back from Stamford Bridge, the man who took most of the plaudits was Ronaldo, who collected 13 personal honours during the campaign - including the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year award.

1990-1999

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:33 AM

The Treble Era

The dawn of the 1990's saw Alex Ferguson collecting his first silverware as Manchester United manager, and Liverpool winning their last League Championship with an ageing team. The tide was turning…

Fergie's first FA Cup, achieved after a replay against Crystal Palace, seemed at the time to be a stand-alone success, one that possibly saved his job after another poor season in the League. But nine years later, it seemed that Lee Martin's winning goal against Palace lit the fuse for an explosion of unprecedented success.

First and foremost, winning the FA Cup in 1990 allowed United to make their return to European competition after an absence of five years. Far from being rusty, they went all the way to the final of the European Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam where their opponents were Barcelona, the former club of United striker Mark Hughes. Two goals by Hughes sealed the match 2-1 in Fergie's favour in May 1991, 23 years after the club's previous triumph in Europe.

The other long wait, for that elusive League Championship, very nearly ended in April 1992. The Reds had already won Fergie's third trophy in March, the League Cup, and were in a two-horse race with Leeds. Liverpool were out of the running, but they still had a say in the destiny of the title, beating United 2-0 at Anfield to ruin their challenge.

The 1991/92 title would be remembered in Manchester as the title that United lost, rather than the one that Leeds actually won. Leeds, after all, were not the greatest of football powers in the 1990's and their star quality was further reduced when they allowed one of their best players to join Manchester United in December 1992.

In selling Eric Cantona to Old Trafford, the Yorkshire club practically handed over the keys to the League Championship. The Frenchman brought that little extra bit of magic that had been missing from United's previous campaigns and was an instant hit with the Mancunian faithful, scoring nine goals to help the Reds win their first title in 26 years.

In the following season 1993/94, the team virtually picked itself en route to an historic League and FA Cup Double, with Cantona sporting the number seven shirt that had been Bryan Robson’s property for so long. The number one, meanwhile, was undoubtedly Peter Schmeichel, arguably the best goalkeeper ever seen at Old Trafford.

Cantona’s eight-month absence from January 1995, following his clash with a fan at Crystal Palace, proved to be United’s undoing as they tried to defend their Double. They lost the title by one point to Blackburn Rovers and then lost the FA Cup final by one goal to Everton. The former champions were hampered at Wembley by an injury to Steve Bruce, the brave captain who was a defensive rock in the early 1990’s.

Bruce also missed the following year's FA Cup Final, at the end of the 1995/96 season, but this time the result was rather different. Liverpool stood between United and a first-ever ‘Double Double’ and were holding out for extra-time, when Cantona struck home a sublime shot in the 86th minute. The French skipper had throughout the season been an inspiration to the talented young players in the team, including David Beckham and Gary Neville.

In May 1997, Cantona helped the club to its fourth League Championship of the decade. It was to be his last, as he surprisingly retired from football later that same month. The shock waves of Eric’s decision seemed to last for a whole year, as the Reds went empty-handed in 1997/98 while Arsenal won the Double. Again, injuries to key players, especially Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane were cited for United’s downfall.

The influence that Giggs could have on results was never more apparent than in the 1998/99 FA Cup semi-final replay, when he scored perhaps the goal of the decade – a solo run and finish that left Arsenal's defenders grasping at thin air. It booked United's place in their fifth FA Cup final of the 1990's, and this time they won it, beating Newcastle United 2-0 with goals by Paul Scholes and substitute Teddy Sheringham.

That result clinched United's third Double, six days after the Premiership title had been wrapped by Andy Cole's goal against Tottenham at Old Trafford. But still there was more to come from a remarkable campaign.

After an epic Champions League semi-final against Juventus, when Keane inspired the team to fight back from 2-0 down in the second leg, United marched into an epic final against Bayern Munich in Barcelona.

United's attempts to win the European Cup for the first time since 1968 looked to be doomed when Bayern took an early lead through Mario Basler and defended it with typical German resilience. But then, in injury time, the Reds produced one of the most stunning revivals in sporting history – Sheringham equalised, and moments later his fellow substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fired in the winner to make the score 2-1. United had won the Treble; their manager Alex Ferguson was subsequently knighted as his fans around the globe basked in the glory.

The Treble became a quadruple later in the year when Sir Alex Ferguson's men travelled to Tokyo to compete for the Inter-Continental Cup. Keane's goal against Palmeiras of Brazil bestowed upon United the title of World Club Champions. Officially, at the end of the millennium, the biggest football club in the world had also become the best in the world!

1980-1989

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:32 AM

United made a poor start to the 1980's. Following an early FA Cup exit to Spurs and a First Division hammering at Ipswich, however, Dave Sexton and his team recovered to win eight of their last ten league games, and finish just two points behind Liverpool in the title race.

United produced another blistering finish at the end of the following season, 1980/81, when they won their last seven league games in a row. This time, however, they could only finish eighth in the table – a position which the club's board could not tolerate. Sexton was sacked on 30 April 1981, after four seasons in the hotseat.

Sexton’s replacement Ron Atkinson brought in Mick Brown as assistant manager and Eric Harrison as youth coach. But it was his on-the-field acquisitions that really excited the fans. He broke the British transfer record to recruit Bryan Robson from his old club West Bromwich Albion for £1.5m and he spent around a third of that again to add another ex-Albion man, Remi Moses, to the United squad.

In midfield the new arrivals wonderfully complemented the finesse of Ray Wilkins, the ball-playing England star. But still there was something missing. United needed a forward who could match the strike rate of Ian Rush at Liverpool, who again won the Championship in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Atkinson’s men were never far behind, finishing third or fourth in every season of his reign. But they were never that close either.

The domestic cups offered United their best chances of silverware, and in 1983, they reached Wembley in both competitions. Liverpool beat them 2-1 after extra-time to win the Milk (League) Cup, while little-fancied Brighton and Hove Albion were beaten in two attempts in the FA Cup final. A shock 2-2 draw was followed up by a thumping 4-0 win for United through goals from Robson (2), Arnold Muhren and Norman Whiteside.

Whiteside’s habit of rising to the big occasion was never more gratefully received than in 1985, when he curled in the only goal of the FA Cup Final to beat Everton 1-0. United had earlier been reduced to ten men by the dismissal of Kevin Moran, who formed a great defensive partnership in the 1980’s with Paul McGrath.

It was Atkinson’s second FA Cup success in three seasons, but eighteen months later he was sacked for his inability to break Merseyside’s monopoly of the League Championship. Not even ten straight wins at the start of 1985/86 could lead him to the Holy Grail.

In November 1986, United at last appointed a proven winner. At Aberdeen, Alex Ferguson had claimed every prize that Scotland had to offer, not to mention the added bonus of the European Cup Winners Cup when his team defied the odds to beat Real Madrid!

Fergie clearly had the talent for the job, but he also needed time to turn United round. The club remained patient as the Reds finished eleventh in 1986/87 and again in 1988/89. After all, the season in between, 1987/88, had offered encouraging signs as United finished second to Liverpool by winning eight and drawing two of their last ten games.

The promise of that season, and some of the signings made, would soon be fulfilled.

1970-1979

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:32 AM

With memories of the European Cup triumph beginning to fade, Manchester United's attentions turned to their managerial vacancy. Sir Matt Busby had led the club to the promised land but had now retired, leaving the board with a problem.

Their first solution was to appoint from within, by promoting one of Busby's coaches and former players Wilf McGuinness to the senior position. A combination of ageing players and the lack of overall control in team affairs meant that McGuinness struggled with Sir Matt looking over his shoulder. Putting players like Denis Law and Shay Brennan on the transfer list didn't help matters, neither did George Best's off-field antics.

Wilf wasn't allowed to struggle for too long. On Boxing Day 1970 he was relieved of his duties and Sir Matt was put back in temporary charge. Frank O'Farrell was the next man to take charge in June 1971 but, despite a promising start, United's 5-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on 16 December 1972 was the Irishman's last match in charge.

Although O'Farrell's reign was short, he still left his mark by signing Martin Buchan for a record fee of £125,000. The former Aberdeen captain was to become a key player for O'Farrell's successor, Tommy Docherty, who was appointed at Christmas in 1972.

The Doc's first challenge was to keep the team up while gradually replacing the legends of the 1960's. Sir Bobby Charlton had announced he would retire at the end of the 1972/73 season, George Best was veering off the rails once again and Denis Law had passed his peak. Law, in fact, was given a free transfer in July 1973, a move which later came back to haunt Docherty. The striker joined Manchester City and scored at Old Trafford in April 1974, on a day when United's relegation to the Second Division was confirmed.

To Docherty's credit, the Reds bounced back very quickly. They won the Second Division Championship in 1974/75, with top scorer Stuart 'Pancho' Pearson scoring 17 league goals. Lou Macari scored the goal that clinched promotion, at Southampton on 5 April 1975.

United then reached successive FA Cup finals, losing to Southampton in 1976, but beating Liverpool 2-1 a year later. The Doc's men rose perfectly to the challenge of destroying Liverpool's Treble hopes – the Merseyside club won the League Championship and the European Cup on either side of United's triumph. The joy of that win didn't last very long for the Doc, however. Just 44 days later, he was sacked when it emerged he had set up home with his lover Mary, the wife of the club physiotherapist Laurie Brown.

QPR manager Dave Sexton stepped into the breach, and although he finished no higher than tenth in the table in his first two seasons 1977/78 and 1978/79, he again guided the side to Wembley in 1979. Unfortunately the Reds lost there, 3-2 to Arsenal in one of the most memorable finishes to an FA Cup Final. Gordon McQueen and then Sammy McIlroy scored in the last five minutes to bring United back from 2-0 down, only for Alan Sunderland to grab Arsenal's winner on the brink of extra-time.

Those frenetic last few moments at Wembley summed up the 1970's for United, a decade of high drama when great highs and lows were never far apart.

1960-1969

0 comments Posted by koolkandy at 2:29 AM

Best, Law, Charlton And Euro Glory

After building one of the greatest teams seen in England, Matt Busby had to start all over again at the start of the 1960's. The Munich air disaster had robbed him, and football, of some of the era's greatest players. But once the great manager had recovered from his own injuries, he set about building another side to take the world by storm.

Dennis Viollet was one of the leading names within this team. In 1959/60, the Munich survivor broke Jack Rowley's club record by scoring 32 goals in one league season. The team in total scored 102, but they conceded 80 and finished in seventh place.

Viollet wasn't the only Munich survivor to enjoy a great Old Trafford career; others included Bill Foulkes, and Bobby Charlton, who came through the club's youth ranks to break goalscoring records for club and country. Nobby Stiles also rose through the ranks, while Denis Law came via a record £115,000 transfer from Torino.

United's form was erratic at the start of the decade, while new names settled in, but then everything came together with a run to Wembley for the 1962/63 FA Cup Final. Busby's new-look team beat Leicester 3-1, with two goals from David Herd and one by Law.

The next season saw United build on the foundations of FA Cup success to challenge for the title – finishing second, only four points behind the champions Liverpool, to whom they lost both at home and away. The 1962/63 season was also notable for the signing and debut of George Best, the young man from Belfast who would become football's first superstar. His incredible skill, pace and control left opponents in knots, making him a hit with the fans, while his filmstar looks made him a hit with the ladies.

In 1964/65, the famous trio of Best, Law and Charlton took United to new heights. They won the League Championship, pipping Leeds on goal difference, and reached the semi-finals of the European Fairs Cup and the FA Cup. Law plundered goals galore and was named the European Footballer of the Year.

The title-winning team seemed to be the finished article, but they finished a disappinting fourth the following season, and exited both the FA and European Cups in the semi-finals. The season's highlight had been the 5-1 away thrashing of Benfica in the European Cup quarter-finals, when Best had been in blistering form.

In 1966/67 United were crowned League Champions again and another season of European Cup football was guaranteed. This time, United would go all the way, beating Benfica in the final at Wembley. Jaime Graca equalised Charlton's headed goal to take the game into extra-time, but further goals from Best, Brian Kidd and Charlton gave United their first European Cup. Just 10 years after Sir Matt had seen his dream team destroyed, he had performed the impossible. He was knighted soon afterwards.

The following season saw the European Champions finish eleventh in the league and fail to win a trophy. They also lost the World Club Championship 2-1 on aggregate to Estudiantes. Despite the anti-climatic end to the decade, United fans could feel delighted with the 1960's. Few could begrudge Sir Matt Busby's retirement in 1969, after all he'd achieved.

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The Men We Lost At Munich

The Darkest Day: 6th Feb 1958

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