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Manchester United 1958-Part 1 of 3
by Robert (Bob) Moore © 2015

I remember the 6th February, in 1958, 
the day before my 16 birthday, everything was great
I was working at the CIS, an Insurance mob in town
I’d finished work at Deansgate, and I was heading home

I joined the queue at Market Street, and I noticed some were crying
they were talking in hushed tones, about some people dying
then I saw the headlines, of the paper a man was reading what’s this I thought, that can’t be true, I could not catch the meaning

UNITED DISASTER. GRIM FIGHT FOR LIFE, is what the headline read
this could not happen to Man U, were any of them dead
these were thoughts ran through my mind, as tough men cried around me
I caught the bus, and hurried home, that’s where I felt I should be

The Busby Babes were flying home, from their game in the Euro Cup
they’d drawn with Red Star in Belgrade, which meant they would move up
to  play Milan in the Semi’s, at Old Trafford their home ground
but now that fate had played its hand, that meant nothing to those around

They had flown out on the Monday, Lord Burghley was the plane
and then on the Wednesday, it would fly them home again
because the plane could not carry, all the fuel it needed
it landed at Munich Airport, and re-fuelling then proceeded

At 14:19 GMT, the plane was cleared for take-off
everyone was ready, and the Captain let the brake off
the take-off was abandoned, when a gauge was fluctuating
and the engine did not sound right, when they were accelerating

They tried a second take-off, just 3 minutes later
but had to call it off, problems with the accelerator
the passengers then left the plane, and retreated to the lounge
heavy snow was falling now, the plane may not leave the ground.

Duncan Edwards sent a telegram, to let his landlady know
the flights have all been grounded, because of all the snow
The Captain told the engineer, the problems with their flight
the engineer said I suggest, you should all stay the night

I think that we can make it said the pilot Captain Thain
and 15 minutes later, they were all back on the plane
if we use the throttle slowly, we can build to take off speed
we have a lot of runway, much more than we should need

The less confident of fliers, and Billy Whelan he was one
said “!’m ready if this means my death”, and then it was done
Duncan Edwards and some others, had moved back into the plane
they believed it would be safer, if something happened once again

a decision now was needed, and soon one had been made,
they were going for a take-off, and everybody prayed
The pilot slowly moved the throttle, and then released the brake
As the plane moved down the runway, and began to accelerate

“Zulu Uniform is rolling”, was their message to the tower
it threw up slush, and increased speed, as they slowly built up power
the Captain called velocity, and then he heard the engine falter
he pulled back a bit, then forward slow, til he heard the heartbeat alter

V1 was called at 117, take-off could not be aborted
V2 was next at 119, the least to get us started
then he could lift us off the ground, and climb towards the heaven
however it was not to be, the speed stayed round 117

velocity dropped to 112, and the engine could not take it
the plane began to slip and slide, they knew they would not make it”
it skidded off the runway, and crashed into a fence
then crossed a road, and hit a house, the feeling was intense


Continued:- part two
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