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I believe most of you know about the famous "Munich Tragedy". As it is one of the most tragic events in the history of football. It took place on 6th of February. Some 64 years ago. February 6, 1958. Back then the champions league was called as the European cup. And the Busby Babes, which is essentially the team of Manchester United which was handpicked by Sir Matt Busby. This team to till date one the best teams in the record books of history. And the fans loved this team and it's creator so much that they called the team "Busby Babes". So Manchester United reached the semifinals of the European Cup after winning their quarter final tie against the then Yugoslavian team Redstar Belgrade. Sir Matt Busby formed one of the best teams in United history at that time with young players from the Manchester United Academy. The Red Devils dreamed of becoming the first English team to conquer Europe as well as winning the domestic title. And they dreamt this while relying on none other than the Busby Babes. But then destiny wrote something else in their handbook. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, until many many years later. Here's why.
The English League authorities at the time had strong objections to allowing English clubs to play in any European competition. The reason what may have been was the mismatch of schedule between the English League and the European cup. The previous year's league champions Chelsea were also not allowed to participate in the European Cup. But Sir Matt Busby was adamant about it. He was gutted to make his team the best team in Europe. His monotony and the combined influence of the United Board, the league committee finally settled on letting teams leave for the European cup. But the authorities still continued not to cooperate in any aspect of the game for the teams playing in Europe. This includes flexible scheduling, accomodations and transportations. That is why when United were requesting a league match to be rescheduled for the game against Redstar Belgrade, the league authorities didn't heed to their requests.
In order to keep the league schedule intact, the Busby Babes left for Manchester on British European Airways Flight 609 at the end of the match, ignoring the hostile weather. But there was no chance to go directly to Manchester from Belgrade on Flight 609. On the way the flight had to stop in Munich to get refueled. Munich Airport was covered with ice then. The pilots of the plane still attempts to fly the plane in such a situation after taking the refuel. The pilot of the aircraft, Captain James Thein, failed to take off twice due to engine problems. 3:04 in the afternoon then. The pilots attempted to fly the aircraft for the third time. But the service could not be lifted to a sufficient height due to the slippery runway. The plane crashed into the airport boundary. Then it crashed into a house nearby and was devastated then and there. Twenty passengers, including six United players, died on the spot. Although injured, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Bobby Charlton survived. But Duncan Edwards, one of the most promising footballers in English football at the time, was seriously injured in an accident and later died on 21 February. In this tragic event, where the whole world, including football fans, is in mourning, the Manchester United rivals were mesmerized and celebrating like a ferocious hyena. West Brom fans dropped the first joke on the devastating state of the club [1/2]