SIR ROBERT CHARLTON (11 OCTOBER 1937 – 21 OCTOBER 2023)

 

Born in Ashington, Northumberland

Bobby Charlton played up front

For Manchester United and England

One of the greatest players of all time,

Winning the Ballon d'Or in 1966

And finishing runner up in 67 and 68

Renowned for his attacking instincts,

Passing abilities from midfield,

And ferocious long-range shooting

From both left and right foot,

Along with his fitness, and stamina

A true gentleman of the game

Cautioned only twice in his career

Once against Argentina in 1966

And against Chelsea in Division one

His first-team debut was in 1956

The following year United became

The First Division Champions

February the following year

He survived the Munich air disaster

After being rescued by Harry Gregg

He played 606 games, scoring 199 goals

And for England 106 games 49 goals

During his 17 years with United

He won three division 1 titles

A European Cup in 1968, FA Cup in 1963

And two Charity Shields, and a World Cup

He left Manchester United in 1973

Charlton was one of the United Trinity

Along with George Best and Denis Law

Sir Bobby is an Old Trafford Legend

SEAMUS ANTHONY “SHAY” BRENNAN (6 MAY 1937 – 9 JUNE 2000)

 

Manchester born Shay Brennan

Played 355 games for United

And was the first player to score

For Manchester United

Post the Munich air disaster

Scoring a brace on his debut,

Not a bad start for 20 year old

During his 14 years with them

He won two division 1 titles

A European Cup in 1968

And two Charity shields

SHAY BRENNAN’S BITTERSWEET BEGINING

 

Seamus Anthony “Shay” Brennan (6 May 1937 – 9 June 2000)

 

Shay’s first game for the Reds

Was Manchester United's first,

After the Munich air disaster 

It was in an FA Cup match

On the 19th of February 1958

Against Sheffield Wednesday

On an emotionally charged night

Shay Brennan scored two goals

While playing as an outside-left

Which was not his natural position

But in an odds and sods team sheet

Following the death of David Pegg

And Albert Scanlon crash injuries

He abandoned his fullback position

And secured a famous victory

On the most bittersweet night

In Old Trafford’s long history

ALBERT JOSEPH SCANLON (10 OCTOBER 1935 – 22 DECEMBER 2009)

 

Manchester born Albert Scanlon

Played 115 games for United

Scoring 34 goals as an outside left

He was one of the “Busby Babes”

Who sustained severe injuries

Following the Munich air disaster

It was a long road to recovery

And didn’t play until the next season

But the injuries took their toll

THE LAST OF THE BUSBY BABES – JEFF WHITEFOOT

 

(31 December 1933 - 2 July 2024) 

 

On hearing about his passing

A statement from United read:

“There were few more perceptive

And precise passers of a football

In England than Jeff Whitefoot

During the mid-1950s”

 

In April 1950,

Aged 16 years and 105 days,

Jeff Whitefoot debuted as one

Of the original Busby Babes,

A team that, in the 1950s,

Took the First Division by storm

Known for its youth

And exciting football

Under legendary manager

Sir Matt Busby.

Jeff Whitefoot won two

First Division titles

As one of the Babes

In 1952 and 1956

He transferred to Grimsby

At the end of 1957.

Three months before the

Munich air disaster,

Which claimed the lives

Of eight of his former teammates.

GO NOW HARRY (Hero of Munich)

 

HARRY GREGG OBE - (27th October 1932 – 16th February 2020)

 

Go now Harry

Lay down your keepers’ gloves

You’ve earned your rest

Our tower of strength

Straight backed

Rugged and dependable

Hero of Munich

Take your place

Among your equals

And be at peace

 

Your strong facade

Oft betrayed

By sadness in your eyes

The sadness of survival

So, go now Harry

And join the Babes

The band of brothers

You’ve missed so much

And take your place

Among immortals

HARRY GREGG, THE HERO OF MUNICH

 

In the wake of tragedy

Harry Gregg arose

From the snow

And twisted wreckage

With no thought of himself 

Pulled survivors

From the burning plane

Assisted latterly

By Bill Foulkes,

Another heroic figure.

Though Harry thought

His actions unremarkable

On that cold February day

George best, said of him

“Bravery is one thing,

But what Harry did

Was about more than bravery,

It was about goodness”

Now the Hero of Munich

Has left us to mourn his passing

As he has gone to join the Babes

But he lives on in the legend

MANCHESTER UNITED’S UNDERGROUND HEATING

Manchester United’s underground

Heating hasn’t been restored

So they’re planning to rename

The stadium Cold Trafford

JOHN JAMES "JOHNNY" BERRY (1 JUNE 1926 – 16 SEPTEMBER 1994)

 

The Forgotten Babe

John James "Johnny" Berry

Survived the wreckage

Amidst the snows of Munich

Though the crash didn’t end his life

He never played again

JOHN "JACKIE" BLANCHFLOWER (7 MARCH 1933 – 2 SEPTEMBER 1998)

 

Nicknamed "Twiggy"

John "Jackie" Blanchflower

Survived the wreckage

Amidst the snows of Munich

Though the crash didn’t end his life

It did bring his footballing career

To an untimely end

GO NOW BILL

 

WILLIAM ANTHONY "BILL" FOULKES - (5 JANUARY 1932 – 25 NOVEMBER 2013)

 

Go now Bill

Lay down the captain’s armband

You’ve earned your rest

Our tower of strength

Straight backed

Rugged and dependable

Take your place

Among your equals

And be at peace

 

Your strong facade

Oft betrayed

By sadness in your eyes

The sadness of survival

So go now Bill

And join the babes

You’ve missed so much

And take your place

Among immortals

 

IN TRAGEDIES WAKE – MUNICH 1958

 

At Old Trafford

In tragedies wake

In the eerie quiet

The terraces echoed

The mournful silence

And even the empty

Seats shed tears

For The busby babes

A MARK OF RESPECT – ARE YOU LISTENING LEEDS UTD

In the aftermath of Munich

All of football felt the loss

In an altogether more

Caring and respectful time

When fans of all teams

Out of respect, wore black

And stadia were universally quiet 

CALLOUS UNITED - GREGG AND FOULKES

 

Manchester United’s

Callous attitude

So cold and harsh

Towards the survivors

Beggared belief

And was never more

Keenly felt than when,

Only days after

The Munich Disaster

Gregg and Foulkes,

Though traumatised

And grieving and feeling

The guilt of the survivor

Were forced to play

Afterwards Harry Gregg

And Bill Foulkes

Forced to play too soon

With the guilt of the survivor

Sat in the dressing room

Staring with empty eyes

THE HERO OF MUNICH

 

In the wake of tragedy

Harry Gregg arose

And with no thought

Of himself 

Pulled survivors

From the burning plane

Assisted latterly

By Bill Foulkes

Though he thought

His action unremarkable

George Best, said of him

“Bravery is one thing

But what Harry did

Was about more than bravery.

It was about goodness”

 

THE BUSBY BABES - THE HOLLYWOOD OF BRITISH FOOTBALL

 

Bright lights

Shining like stars

In the twinkling

Football firmament

Sparkling lights

From gritty towns

In the shadow of the

Dark satanic mills

Shining out from

Industrial heartlands

Like beacons

Bright lights of youth

Illuminating the lives

Of the terraced fans

Young men from the dark

Industrial landscapes

Youth’s bright flames

Snuffed out

In the snows of Munich

CALLOUS UNITED – BLANCHFLOWER AND BERRY

 

Manchester United’s

Callous attitude

So cold and harsh

Towards the survivors

Beggared belief

And was never more

Keenly felt than when,

They could no longer play

Jackie Blanchflower

And fellow survivor Berry

Were forced to vacate

The homes they lived in

A TALE OF HEROES

 

Young heroes returning

From a far off foreign field

With hard fought victory won

Where the valiant refused to yield

 

Like heroes from Homers Iliad

Exalted in the legends

But in the Germanic snows

The heroes journey ends

 

As the Gods of winter struck

Fire and ice took its toll

And the names were duly writ

Upon an eternal honour roll

 

Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne (Capt)

Duncan Edwards, Billy Whelan

David Pegg, Tommy Taylor

Mark Jones and Eddie Colman

QUIET PLEASE

 

If you are a City fan

Keep silent if you can

As you stand at Old Trafford

As silence falls in accord

Please don’t speak out

Please don’t scream or shout

Acknowledge the silence

For those who lived once

Don’t think about the “Babes”

Cold and dead in the carnage

If hatred in your heart and head

Stops you honouring United’s dead

Give your silence as a gift

In remembrance of Frank Swift

MANCHESTER UNITED’S DARKEST HOUR

 

Broken in he twisted wreckage

The victims of Munics winter carnage

Crashing in the snow and ice

There would have to be a fearful price

And when the bill was finally reckoned

Deaths reaper grimly beckoned

Towards the twenty three poor souls

That appeared on his fearsome rolls

Young men cut down in their prime

Older ones who thought they’d more time

Were all taken from that grissly place

To feel the breath of heaven on their face

Taking the souls who died in the snow

To where the innocents and the heroes go