Man City released names of players involved in a plane crash this morning as FIVE pronounced D€AD
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Munich air disaster
plane crash, Munich, Germany [1958]
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Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster Wreckage of a British European Airways plane, chartered by Manchester United, that crashed on its third attempt to take off from Munich-Riem Airport, West Germany, February 6, 1958.
Munich air disaster, airplane crash that occurred on February 6, 1958, after a British European Airways plane slid off the runway during takeoff from Munich, West Germany. The plane had been chartered by the Manchester United football (soccer) club, and 8 players were killed along with 15 other people.
In the second half of the 1950s, Manchester United was on the rise in European competition. On February 5, 1958, the club secured its place in the semifinals of the 1957–58 European Cup with a 3–3 draw against Red Star in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now in Serbia). The next day Manchester United team members, as well as journalists and others, boarded a plane to take them first to Munich—for refueling—and then back to England. Europe was in the grip of winter, and, by the time they reached Germany, conditions were dreadful.
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Location: Germany Munich
After two aborted take-offs in near-blizzard conditions at Munich-Riem Airport, another attempt was made. However, the plane was unable to attain enough speed for takeoff and instead slid off the runway. After breaking through a fence, the aircraft struck a home and then a shed that contained fuel, causing an explosion. Of the 44 passengers, 23 lost their lives, including 8 players.
Warm water fuels Hurricane Katrina. This image depicts a 3-day average of actual dea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005.
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A singular act of heroism stands out: Harry Gregg, the United goalkeeper, rescued several people, including Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet. Others were not so lucky, and among the dead was Duncan Edwards, one of the greatest footballers of his era, if not of all time, according to his contemporaries. He survived the crash but died two weeks later. Manager Matt Busby was so badly injured that last rites were read for him, but he eventually recovered after months in hospital.
An investigation was subsequently launched into the crash. Officials ultimately determined that slush on the runway had slowed down the airplane, preventing it from taking off.
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Soccer
Manchester United
English football club
Also known as: Man U, Manchester United Football Club, Newton Heath LYR, the Red Devils
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Manchester United, English professional football (soccer) team based in Manchester, England. Nicknamed “the Red Devils” for its distinctive red jerseys, it is one of the richest and best-supported football clubs not only in England but in the entire world. The club has won the English top-division league championship a record 20 times and the Football Association (FA) Cup 12 times.
The club was formed as Newton Heath LYR in 1878 by workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Renamed Manchester United in 1902, the club won its first English league championship in 1907–08. In 1910 the club moved from its old Bank Street ground into Old Trafford stadium, which has served as the team’s home ever since.
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In full: Manchester United Football Club
Also called: Manchester United FC
Bynames: Man U and the Red Devils
Manchester United’s history since World War II has been dominated by two long-serving managers. Sir Matthew Busby was appointed manager in 1945 and over the next 24 years steered the club to five English league and two FA Cup victories. The club had to contend with tragedy in 1958 when an aircraft carrying the team crashed in Munich, killing 23 of the 44 onboard. In the 1960s the team, rebuilt by Busby, included the highly talented attacking trio of Bobby Charlton, George Best, and Denis Law. In 1968 this team became the first English club to win the European Cup (now known as the Champions League) with a 4–1 victory over Benfica of Portugal in the final.
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The former coach of the Scottish team Aberdeen, Alex Ferguson, managed the club from 1986 to 2013 and presided over an unparalleled spell of dominance in the English league. Manchester United has won 12 Premier League titles since that league’s inaugural season in 1992–93. In the 1998–99 season the club secured the first “treble” in English football history by winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. A second Champions League victory came in the 2007–08 season. Dramatically, the club lost another possible title on the last day of the 2011–12 season, when the other top Premier League team in the city, Manchester City FC, snatched the league title on point difference. The two Premier League clubs have elevated the city’s status worldwide.
Manchester United is renowned for its youth team program, which has generated many notable homegrown players who later performed for the club’s first team, including David Beckham. The club has also brought in a number of major transfer signings over the years, such as Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, Patrice Evra, Dimitar Berbatov, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Clive Gifford
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