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INSPIRATION FOR MANCHESTER UNITED'S SUCCESS: The Busy Babes, eight of whom died in Munich in 1958, are commemorated in a giant mural on the 50th anniversary of the plane crash. It has been placed behind the statue of the legendary manager Matt Busby at the main entrance to the Old Trafford stadium. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANCHESTER - BOBBY Charlton recalls the worried silence of his teammates as the plane roared down the snowy runway for the third time.
Kenny Morgans remembers being hurled backwards into the luggage compartment when the plane hit a fence.
Albert Scanlon does not recall the crash at all. When he came to in the hospital, no one told him seven of his Manchester United teammates were dead.
For the three and the other survivors of the Feb 6, 1958, Munich air crash that took away the heart of the so-called Busby Babes, the 50th anniversary of one of soccer's worst tragedies is more of an ordeal than simply remembering lost teammates.
'I'm now 72,' said Scanlon, a winger who suffered a fractured skull, broken right leg, kidney damage and broken shoulder in the accident. 'For 50 years I've gone around with this. The hardest part of my life since the air crash is meeting relatives.
'I hate meeting families. I used to meet Eddie Colman's dad and I always had the feeling he would look at me and be thinking, 'Why is he standing there and my lad's dead?''
Colman was one of the seven United players who were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at Munich Airport.
The others were Tommy Taylor, Roger Byrne, David Pegg, Liam Whelan, Geoff Bent and Mark Jones.
Duncan Edwards, considered the best of the lot at age 21, died in a hospital 15 days later. The rest of the 23 dead included eight reporters.
To mark the anniversary today, the five crash survivors who are still alive - manager Matt Busy and four others died over the years - will join the current Manchester United players and families of those who died in a memorial service at Old Trafford.
On Sunday, when United face neighbours Manchester City in a Premier League game at Old Trafford, there will be a minute's silence to honour the dead.
Both sides will wear special shirts, with the United players donning a replica of the jersey worn by the 1958 team.
The Munich crash was more than just a tragedy for the families of those who died. In soccer terms, it effectively robbed the game of a team who seemed destined for greatness.
The young United team looked capable of matching star-studded Real Madrid, who had already won the first two European Cups, beating United in the 1957 semi-final.
Busby knew that his young stars were a year older and stronger. Charlton believes that, if the Munich accident had not happened, the team had the players to win the European title.
'Manchester United could have won it in 1958. But there was no Duncan Edwards, no Tommy Taylor, no Roger Byrne. No David Pegg,' Charlton said.
'So it was just such a massive tragedy. It was so bad because the team were so good.'
Busby, who was twice given the last rites in the Munich hospital, recovered to rebuild the team.
The likes of George Best and Denis Law teamed up with Charlton in a standout strikeforce.
And the Red Devils realised Busby's dream by winning the European Cup in 1968 - 10 years after Munich.
Today, United are right up there with Real and the other giants of European soccer.
Under Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils have won nine Premier League titles in 15 years, and the club's five FA Cup titles under the Scot have taken it to a record 11.
United also picked up the European Cup - now called the Champions League - in 1999.
'What we see today has its foundation from back in those days, particularly the way it was done with young players,' Ferguson said.
'It brought a great deal of sympathy at the time and, from then on, the romance was built purely because of the way Matt rebuilt the team and won the European Cup in '68 and did it the right way.
'That's created the romance of what we see today, the affection around the world because the club has always played the right way with entertaining, attacking footballers.'
The crash still resonates with today's United stars.
'The air disaster had an effect not just on the UK but around the world,' said winger Ryan Giggs. 'And then the rebirth of the team under Busby was one of the greatest success stories in the history of the game.
'That is something Manchester United have always prided itself on, the history and carrying on that legacy.
'Playing in the right manner, exciting supporters and getting people off their seats, that has got to go on because that is one of the things that sets this club apart.
'You never stand still. It always goes forward.'
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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