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The lost Babes

This article is more than 18 years old
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster, when eight Manchester United players, the club secretary and two coaches, two members of the plane's crew, a travel agent, a supporter and eight journalists died when their chartered airliner crashed into a house after failing to leave the runway. Here Daniel Taylor profiles the eight lost players
Tue 5 Feb 2008 12.11 EST
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The Busby Babes memorial poster at Old Trafford
The Busby Babes memorial poster at Old TraffordPhotograph: John Peters/Getty
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Billy Whelan
Billy Whelan, 22, was a Republic of Ireland international who had signed for United from the Dublin club, Home Farm. An inside-forward, he was an impressive finisher, scoring 43 times in 79 league games, although he was not a fixture in the team and had not featured in the fateful game against Red Star Belgrade. As the plane went out of control, Whelan is said to have leaned across to his team-mate Albert Scanlon and uttered the words, "Albert, this is the end, but I'm ready for it."Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Eddie Colman
After being spotted playing for the local Salford Boys, Eddie Colman was the youngest player to die in Munich, at the age of 21 years and three months. After playing in the team that won the FA Youth Cup in three successive seasons, he made his first-team debut at the age of 19 and made 107 appearances, scoring twice. He was affectionately known as "Snakehips" by the Old Trafford crowd, because of his trademark body swerve to elude defenders.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Roger Byrne
Had he returned to Manchester alive, Roger Byrne, 28, would have discovered that his wife, Joy, was expecting their first child. Byrne, a Mancunian, was regarded as one of the most accomplished defenders in the country and had played in 33 successive England matches, not bad for someone who was once informed he was not good enough for his RAF team. Eight months after his death, Roger junior was born.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Geoff Bent
Another player born in Salford, Geoff Bent, 25, was on the fringes of the team and would probably not have been on the plane had Roger Byrne not taken a knock in the previous game against Arsenal. Bent, who had joined United after leaving school but made only 12 senior appearances, was called up as cover but did not take any part in the game after Byrne passed a fitness test. His death left his wife, Marion, alone with their baby daughter, Karen.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was undoubtedly the star of the United team and, in terms of his style and ability, the Roy Keane of his day. "The one player who made me feel inferior," according to Sir Bobby Charlton. "If I had to play for my life and take one man with me, it would be him." Edwards suffered devastating internal injuries and the doctors believed a lesser man would have died within a few hours of the accident rather than survive another 15 days.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Duncan Edwards
Edwards fought with the courage that had brought him so far in football but eventually died of kidney failure. Born in Dudley, he had joined United from school in 1952 and, after breaking into the team at the age of 16, he was an England international by the age of 18. "He played with tremendous joy and his spirit stimulated the whole England team," the manager Walter Winterbottom said on the day Edwards died.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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David Pegg
One of football's first pin-up boys, David Pegg, 22, was a stylish, handsome winger whose ability to trouble even the most accomplished opponents had, it was said, compelled Real Madrid to sign a defender specifically to nullify his threat. Pegg, from Highfields near Doncaster, had broken into the England team and was tipped to take over from Tom Finney. At the time of the disaster he had lost his place in the team to Albert Scanlon.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Tommy Taylor
A tall, powerful centre-forward, Tommy Taylor, 26, scored 16 goals in his 19 England appearances. That record prompted a £65,000 world record transfer bid from Milan, but Matt Busby refused to sell a player he had bought five years earlier from Barnsley. That transfer fee at the time was a record £29,999 - Busby had not wanted to saddle the Yorkshireman with the tag of being the world's first £30,000 footballer, so he gave the other pound to a tea lady.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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Mark Jones
Mark Jones, like Tommy Taylor, was another strong and fearless Barnsley lad, the kind of centre-half for whom the word "uncompromising" could have been invented, and widely regarded as one of the best headers of the ball in the game. Jones, 24, was working as an apprentice bricklayer before United gave him his chance and he was in the team at the age of 17. His wife, June, was expecting their second child at the time of the tragedy - Lynne was born in June 1958.Photograph: PA wire/PA
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