Busby Babes- Remembered

This is 51st year of the greatest disaster in the history of the greatest club of the world.
The Munich air disaster took place on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes", along with a number of supporters and journalists. 23 of the 44 people on board the aircraft died as a result of the crash.

The team was returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, but had to make a stop in Munich for refuelling, as a non-stop trip from Belgrade to Manchester was out of the range of the flight. After refuelling, the pilots,attempted to take off twice, but had to abandon both attempts due to boost surging in the port engine. Fearing that they would get too far behind schedule.
By the time of the third attempt, it had begun to snow, causing a layer of slush to build up at the end of the runway. When the aircraft hit the slush, it lost control, making take-off impossible. It ploughed through a fence past the end of the runway, before the port wing hit a nearby house. There were a lot of fears that the aircraph would explote but the brave United goalkeeper Harry Gregg remained behind to pull survivors from the wreckage.
Due to the rules of the time, after defeating Red Star Club of Yugoslav which the club drew to make it to the semifinals, Manchester united had chartered an airlinethrough British European Airways.
Young Players of ages between 21-28 in the start of some of the greatest careers in the history passed away.
1 Duncan Edwards

Died at Munich, aged 21. Towered above all other members of the Busby Babes, and clung on to life for 13 days after the crash. He was widely hailed as the greatest player in the making.

2 Eddie Colman

Died at Munich, aged 21. Was still working as an army signaller when he made his debut soon after his 19th birthday. What he lacked in stature, the wing-half made up for in skill. They called him "snakehips" after his inimitable body swerve – and his understanding with Edwards was a stuff of history.

3 Mark Jones

Died at Munich, aged 24. Widely acknowledged as one of the best headers of a ball in the history of English football after giving up his bricklaying career to join Busby's United. Until the crash, the centre half's long-awaited England call-up was rumoured to be imminent.

4 Kenny Morgans

Survived. Still traumatised by the crash, he left hospital in Munich in late March, and within a few weeks was pressed to play again for the depleted Manchester United, though his legs still felt "like matchsticks" during his comeback against Wolves reserves. The youngest player involved in the crash, Morgans was never the same again: after two unhappy years at United, he left for his home town team, Swansea, moved to Newport in 1964 and retired in 1970 after three years as Cwmbran Town player/manager.

5 Bobby Charlton

Survived. Manchester United board director since 1984, Charlton was only two years into his first team career before the crash occurred. Later, he became seen as a symbol of the indomitable spirit which saw the club lift the European Cup inside 10 years. His two goals in that 1968 final were among 249 for United, for whom he has played more times than any other player. Sir Bobby, as he is now known, was knighted in 1994.

6 Dennis Viollet

Survived crash but lost fight with cancer, aged 65, in March 1999. One of the best-loved United players of all, despite almost signing for Manchester City, his 32 league goals in a season just two years after Munich remains a club record. Viollet was, surprisingly, transferred to Stoke City for £22,000 in 1962 and eventually emigrated to the US where he coached several sides before his death there.

7 Tommy Taylor

Died at Munich, aged 26. Signed from his home town club, Barnsley, by Busby for a world record £29,999 in March 1953 (Busby had not wanted him to be saddled with the pressure of being the first £30,000 footballer so, the story goes, he gave the other pound to a tea lady). Indomitable at centre forward, Taylor was seen as a natural replacement for Nat Lofthouse in England's side until the crash occurred.

8 Billy Foulkes

Survived crash, now aged 76. Few players epitomise the different world United occupied back then more vividly. When the crash occurred, Foulkes was a part-time player, working down the mine in St Helens most of the week, and training Tuesdays and Thursdays with United. For Foulkes, returning to action soon after the crash was a financial necessity – and so it was that, still a skeletal figure with pains in his head, he acceded to stand-in manager Jimmy Murphy's pleas to take over as captain from Roger Byrne, who died. Retired in 1969, Foulkes coached United's youth team until 1975 and had spells coaching in the US, Norway and Japan. Not in the best of health, he still shows groups of fans around Old Trafford.

9 Harry Gregg

Survived crash, now aged 75. They call him "the hero of Munich" because of the way he crawled, bleeding, from the wreckage and then returned – ignoring the pleas of rescue workers – to pull passengers clear. Gregg, considered by some to be United's finest goalkeeper, saved a woman and her baby as well as team-mates. Returned to the side, though never collected a medal before leaving for Stoke in 1967 and managing Shrewsbury, Swansea and Carlisle. Now runs a hotel in his native Northern Ireland. Awarded MBE in 1995.

10 Albert Scanlon

Survived crash, now aged 72. About to sign for Arsenal when the crash occurred, leaving him with a fractured skull. Returned to the side, but did not flourish, playing another two seasons and finding himself dropped three games into the next. He never played for United again, moving to Newcastle and after that, Lincoln and Mansfield. Still struggles to talk about the events of 1958.

11 Roger Byrne

Died at Munich, aged 28. Busby's captain won three championship medals, and had played 33 times for England before he lost his life, two days short of his 29th birthday. A natural leader of men, the full back had switched to rugby during his war years in the RAF, after he was not deemed good enough at football.

Friends forver

We have shared many a special episode,
And also chased some common goals ,
And passed life's joys and sorrows,
And walked many miles down the road.

I can't foresee the future
Nor know how our lives will blend,
But I can say with certainty
That more and more I've known you
Something from my heart
Keeps telling me,
I'm glad you have been
My best companion for the ride.
And I pray sincerely, that we remain
LIFE-TIME FRIENDS.

Prizes - A review

A TALE OF THREE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

Adam Coopersmith- is a combination of a researcher par excellence and caring physician who are almost extinct nowadays . Adam goes on to complete a project left midway by his dead mentor. His marriage which is on the rocks completely dies when he falls in love with another woman. This almost kills his career too. And then a series of events leads to his life being threatened for no mistake of his.He has Alzeimer's

Sandy Raven- Another researcher par excellence,devoted to his work and a unmatched genius in his field. Yet at the moment of his greatest discovery, he is betrayed by someone- a disaster that every scientist fears. What will this betrayal make him do, will he abandon his dreams for the ultimate prize and settle for lesser prizes?


Isabel da Costa- a child genius who is recognised by her father and is constantly pushed by her father to become something he could never be.Though he nurtures her talent but pushes her to the hilt. In the process, she becomes well known as her father wanted but at what price. In the end of her story she has to make a choice between her father and a young man who could provide her all the hapiness in this world. And just when you thought its moving towards a close a shocking revelation changes her life forever.
ADAM, SANDY, ISABEL are torn apart in their personal lives but Segal brings their story together when they compete for the ultimate PRIZE of them all- the NOBEL . Segal weaves a brilliant story of these 3 genius, their dedication which wins them laurels but not the greatest PRIZE of them all.

Two of them recieve the biggest honour of their lives. But all 3 find out that life has other ways of giving us the PRIZES we desire.
A brilliantly written book by Segal whose Love Story i personally hated. All the characters are brilliant especially Adam, probably because of the end. I would recommend this book to all the people whether you liked Love Story or not. We spend so much time on seeking worldly pleasures while conviniently forgetting what gives us joy.
A book for everyone who has a dream.

Park Ji Sung-A perspective

A lot was said and written about how Asian football was on a rise when Park Ji Sung the South Korean hit headlines with his performance at the world cup and his much hyped transfer to one of the biggest clubs in the world - MANUTD.

The first Asian player to score on the biggest stage for European club football AND also the first Asian to win a Champions League medal one would expect that his name would be mentioned as one of the players who reshaped the history of Asian football.Signed by Manchester United in 2005 and being picked over Scholes and Giggs Park was a instant hit with the Manchester United faithfuls.

Sceptics would say that a closer look on his career with his club shows that he has never lived up to the standards though.A regular feature on the substitutes bench and an injury probe last year has made many question -Was the hype around an Asian justified?But aren't these achievements in themselves to stand toe to toe with some of the best players and giving them a good run for their money in the team which lead to the extension of his contract till 2010 and being a nominee of Uefa Football awards in the year 2005.The person has always performed brilliantly for club and country alike ,unlike some of his contemporaries. A person of extreme humility he claims that all his success was because of his then manager Guss Hiddink.

Whether Park has done anything else or not he has given hope to a young Asian who aspires to be on the world stage and perform like a champion he truly is.

He deserves all the accolades he gets and has surely changed the face of Asian Football

Someone to lean on

Someone to cry with
Laugh with and smile
Someone to make
Every moment worthwhile

When times get rough
And my world falls apart
You're someone I run to
You offer your heart

From tearful shoulders
To stomach-aching laughs
You're someone I need
And someone everyone should have

You're someone who can always
Show me the brighter side
And I can always tell you
What I feel inside

Someone to be thankful for
Someone to never forget
You're someone special I'll always love
You're the best friend I've ever met





Another poem from an unknown author..