Inside Track: United carried on after Munich crash with a much-changed side

Last week, we had a story on the 70th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster, how a star Manchester United side was decimated, losing seven players in the crash, and Duncan Edwards succumbing to the injuries he had sustained a number of weeks later.

It would have been understandable had United withdrawn from all competitions after that, but the decision was taken to keep going. There was a European Cup semi-final to be played, as well as domestic league and Cup competitions.

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Prior to taking the ill-fated trip to Belgrade to play Red Star, United had beaten Shamrock Rovers in the opening round. Rovers, the first League of Ireland team play in Europe, lost the first leg 6-0 before a 45,000 Dalymount Park crowd, but put up a much better performance at Old Trafford, losing by only the odd goal in five.

Maxie McCann and Tommy Hamilton were their scorers.

United beat Red Star 2-1 at home, and by drawing 3-3 in Prague, qualified to meet Milan in the semi-final. However, by the time that match came around, the English League champions from the previous year had a much-changed side on view.

After Munich, they’d be given special permission to sign new players on the spot, and among those to come in were Blackpool’s Ernie Taylor and Stan Crowther, the latter, signed from Aston Villa just a half-hour before United’s first outing on the domestic scene.

Taylor scored in the first meeting with Milan in a 2-1 win, but United were no match for the home side in the second leg, losing 4-0.

Milan went on to be beaten in the final by Real Madrid, who had won each of the Cup’s first two runnings before going on to complete a five-timer.

While Matt Busby lay critically ill in hospital, his assistant, Jimmy Murphy, took charge. Murphy’s first game, a Cup tie, featured debutants Taylor and Crowther.

There was another first-timer included, but by then the 21-year-old Shay Brennan was part of the United set-up.

There was a crowd of 60,000 at Old Trafford for the fifth round meeting with Sheffield Wednesday, and on a night of high emotion, Brennan brought much-needed cheer, scoring twice in a 3-0 win.

Munich survivors, Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes, were also involved.

United progressed to the final, playing Bolton Wanderers. Gregg was again in goals, Foulkes at centre-half, and up front were two other crash survivors, Bobby Charlton and Dennis Violett. Shay Brennan wasn’t included.

United lost 2-0, Bolton’s goals coming from Nat Lofthouse, the second after he’d shoulder-charged Gregg. This was a reminder of the previous year’s final, in which United played Aston Villa.

Villa won 2-1, both goals coming from Newry-born Peter McParland, who had won an FAI Cup medal with Dundalk four years previously.

McParland did more than shoulder-charge Ray Wood – he broke the United goalie’s jaw in a tackle, leaving him unconscious. Also on the Villa side was Stan Crowther.

Defeat for United for the second year running was more than compensated for with the presence of Matt Busby in the Wembley dug-out, the legendary manager having made a miraculous recovery.