Munich – A Manchester Tragedy

Manchester City travelled to Munich in Germany today before their second Champions League game against Bayern on Tuesday. Before the game however, Bernard Halford and a delegation of City Officials will lay a wreath at the Air Crash memorial.

It is a nice touch by Manchester City who realise that this went beyond City and United, it affected Manchester as a whole. On that plane that night was legendary Manchester City keeper, Frank Swift, in a journalistic role. Swift was one of the dead at the end of that night, Below is what I could find about the others on that plane.

Players:

Duncan Edwards (21) 18 England caps, 5 goals. Recommended to Busby by Joe Mercer! Youngest post war England debutant until Owen broke that 43 years later(since broken by Rooney then Walcott). He suffered multiple leg fractures and severely damaged kidneys. Doctors gave him an artificial kidney but this reduced his bloods ability to clot and he began to bleed internally. Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Died 15 days after the crash

Roger Bryne (28) Captain. Manchester born and won 33 caps for England. Mark Jones (24) England schoolboy international. Tommy Taylor (26) 19 England caps, 16 goals. Also played for Barnsley Eddie Coleman (21) Player. Liam Whelan (22) R.O.I. 4 caps. David Pegg (22) 1 England cap. Geoff Bent (25) Player.

Staff:

Walter Crickmer Club secretary.

Bert Whalley Chief coach, youth development

Tom Curry Trainer Played for Utd and Newcastle

Media:

Alf Clarke Journalist, Manchester Evening Chronicle. Don Davis Journalist, Manchester Guardian. George Follows Journalist, Daily Herald. Tom Jackson Journalist, Manchester Evening News. Archie Ledbrooke Journalist, Daily Mirror. Henry Rose Journalist Daily Express. Eric Thompson Journalist, Daily Mail

Frank Swift Journalist, News of the World (City player) 376 games for City from 1933-49 and 33 England caps (14 coming during war time). Named in the Football League 100 Legends in 1998 celebrating 100 seasons of league football in England (Alongside Meredith, Bell and Trautmann)

Others:

Cpt Kenneth Rayment, Co-pilot. Survived the crash but suffered multiple injuries and died three weeks later as a result of brain damage.

Bela Miklos, Travel agent.

Willie Satinoff, Supporter.

Tom Cable, Steward

Survived:

Players:

Bill Foulkes (26) Only played for Utd and only once for England. He has managed Witney Town, Chicago Sting, Tulsa Roughnecks, San Jose Earthquakes, I.L Bryn, Steinkjer FK, Lillestrom S.K, Viking Stavanger and F.C. Mazda.

Harry Gregg (24) went back into wreckage to rescue passengers.

Johnny Berry (31) Never played again. Played for Birmingham and Man Utd. Got four England caps. Suffered a fractured skull. When he woke up he was totally unaware of the plane crash. Died in 1994.

Jackie Blanchflower (24) Never played again. 12 Northern Irish caps. Suffered fractured pelvis and crushed kidneys. Died of cancer aged 65 in 1998.

Bobby Charlton (20) Scored twice the night before.

World Cup winner. Played for Utd, Preston and Waterford. Managed Preston (player manager) and Waterford (caretaker). Knighted in 1994.

Ken Morgans (18) Never recovered his form after Munich Went on to play for Swansea and Newport Co.

Albert Scanlon (22) Suffered terrible head injuries, recovered and played well for several years at Utd, Newcastle, Lincoln and Mansfield. Was about to sign for Arsenal before the crash but that move was cancelled.

Dennis Viollet (24) Striker 59-60 scored 32 goals. Played for Utd and Stoke. Got just the 2 caps for England. Came out of retirement to join NASL team Baltimore Bays. Then he returned to Britain to play for Witton Albion then Linfield. Went on to coach Preston and briefly Crewe in 1971. Moved to Florida to coach Jacksonville University Dolphins, then onto Richmond Kickers in the USISL before returning to Jacksonville to coach A-league side Jacksonville Cyclones. Died in 1999 age 65 from cancer in Florida.

He was inducted into the USL Hall of Fame in 2002 and now the annual University of North Florida/Jacksonville Uni soccer match has been contested for the Viollet cup since 1991.

Ray Wood (26) Suffered terrible head injuries and rarely played again. Played for Darlington, Utd, Huddersfield, Bradford and Barnsley before managing APOEL FC in 1971. Finished his career with 3 England caps. Has managed teams in the following countries: USA, Ireland, Zambia, Canada, Greece, Kenya, Kuwait, UAE. Also coached Cyprus and Kenyan national teams and NASL team LA Wolves. Died in 2002 aged 71.

Utd Staff:

Matt Busby (manager) read his last rites twice

Media and Others:

Frank Taylor Journalist Died in 2002

Peter Howard Photographer Died 1996

Ted Ellyard Photographer

Vera Lukic and baby- passengers rescued by Harry Gregg

Mrs Miklos Wife of travel agent

Mr Tomas Vic – passenger

James Thain – Captain. Blamed by German authorities for crash. Died 1975.

Rosmary Cheverton – Stewardess

Margaret Bellis – Stewardess

George Rodgers – radio officer

An interesting fact is that back in the airport terminal for barely ten minutes then the call to reconvene on the plane came and a number of passengers began to feel nervous. Charlton and team-mate Dennis Viollet swapped places with Tommy Taylor and David Pegg, who had decided they would be safer at the back of the plane. This would prove a fatal decision for Taylor and Pegg.

So with this in mind, City fans remember Frank Swift but also members of the Manchester and National media as well as the people staffing the flight and players that we never got to see fulfill their role for England.

Written By: PA Cityboy