The Munich Air Disaster was one of the worst sports-related tragedies ever and on its 55th anniversary, Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson and England manager Roy Hodgson took time on Wednesday to remember the victims.
According to ESPN.com, Sir Alex Ferguson said that he will never be able to forget the horror of the disaster and that he was "inspired by the way Sir Matt Busby rebuilt Manchester United after the deaths of eight players who were destined for greatness."
The 55th anniversary of the crash came on Wednesday, February 6th, and Ferguson said that when he was a 16-year-old in Glasgow, the crash affected him deeply.
Now 71, he told the BBC: "I've been affected since a young boy. It was a sad time. For many it's probably long forgotten but for someone like me who remembers the day, you won't forget it."
The crash occurred when a British European Airways plane attempted to take off on a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. The plane was transporting United back from a European Cup quarter-final second leg against Red Star Belgrade when the crash occurred. The accident killed 23 people, including eight United players that were nicknamed 'the Busby Babes'. The accident had 21 survivors.
"I was in the library, swotting for an exam, and I used to train with a local team on a Thursday night. I came in and one or two players were crying, older players and I had no idea what happened," Ferguson remembered.
"About half past six at night. They cancelled the training. When you are caught up in that and the aftermath of it and the publicity of it, the papers detailed what had happened, you couldn't help but feel that enormous loss and that has carried on for a long, long time. Every year, you have to remember that."
The players that dies in the crash included United and England captain Roger Byrne, 28, as well as defenders Mark Jones, 24, and Geoff Bent, 25 and wing-half Eddie Colman, 21. England striker Tommy Taylor, 26, also died along with left winger David Pegg, 22, and the Irish inside-forward Liam Whelan, 22.
Two weeks after the crash, 21-year-old wing-half Duncan Edwards, died in a Munich hospital as a result of injuries sustained during the crash. All the young players were considered to have immense talent for the club.
"It was a fantastic group of young men who were destined to be great and that was the tragedy of it in how it was taken away from them," Ferguson added.
Two of the players that were injured, Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower, could never play again due to the traumas they suffered. According to ESPN.com, United played just 13 days after the crash, with survivors Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes playing, and the team was managed by Busby's assistant, Jimmy Murphy.
The team recovered eventually and won the European Cup 10 years after the disaster in 1968 under busby and the roster included both Foulkes and Sir Bobby Charlton, two players who were in the crash.
England manager Roy Hodgson younger than Ferguson the disaster happened, and it also left its mark on him.
"I remember that night extremely well," he said. "I remember sitting at home as an 11-year-old and hearing the news and being absolutely devastated. It is a sobering thought but it is important to remember those things."