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A WHO`S WHO of MANCHESTER UNITED FC

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EDWARDS, DUNCAN :   Sound click 

Half back 1952-58 5ft 11" 13st 0lbs
b.Dudley,Worcs., 1st October 1936
d.Munich,21st February 1958
Debut v Cardiff City (h) 4/4/53
Career: Dudley Schoolboys / UNITED am. June 1952, pro.October 1953

Signed as a full-time professional on his 17th birthday, he became a
regular first-team player during season 1953-4, when he took over at
left half-back from Henry Cockburn. Capped on nine occasions by England
Schoolboys, Duncan Edwards also represented his country at Youth level,
appeared for England B, made 6 appearances for England u-23 and won 15
full England Caps.

Click on pic for FULL SIZE
Duncan Edwards autograph taken in Madrid in 1957. Alongside Duncan's autograph
the autographs of Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Eddie Colman and others.
Kindly sent in by Eddie Gonzalez <gonzoedd@gibnet.gi>

He made his first full International debut against Scotland at the age
of 18 years and 183 days and celebrated the occasion by helping his
country to an extraordinary 7-2 victory. By the time he reached his majority
(21 in those days) he had, in addition to his International honours, represented
the Football League on 6 occasions, won 2 League Championships, an FA Cup finalists` medal
and 3 FA Youth Cup winners` medals.

Duncan Edwards had just about every attribute necessary to become
the complete footballer. He was naturally blessed with size, speed,
control, power and courage. He was wonderful in the air and a stunning exponent
of the cross-field pass - with distance no object. His bold
buccaneering upfield sorties and fierce accurate shooting with either
foot caused havoc in the best of defences. He also dearly loved the
game and had the ideal temperament to cope with the special gifts of genius.

Shortly after Duncan Edwards died in February 1958, Englands manager
Walther Winterbottom (qv) said " It was in the character and spirit
of Duncan Edwards that I saw the true revival of British football." He
lost his battle for life at 01.16 gmt on 21st February 1958, as a
result of the multiple injuries he had sustained in the Munich air crash.

He had put up a wonderful fight to survive, doctors at the
Munich hospital marvelling at his stamina. He nevertheless became the
eighth UNITED player to fall victim to the crash, when his circulation
failed as his kidney condition worsened.

A permanent memorial to him is contained in a stained-glass window in
St.Francis` Church in Dudley, Worcestershire. The greatest tragedy is,
surely, that such an awesome potential remained largely unrealised.

Appearances:
FL 151 - 20 g
FAC 12 - 1 g
EUR 12 - 0 g
Total: 175 apps 21 goals

Article: Sunday Times:    
           by Terry Venables

BY THE time I was 15, it looked like I was going to be a good footballer. I was a big lad for my age, and the newspapers were calling me the new Duncan Edwards, the young hero at Manchester United. I was so flattered

that I have kept those cuttings to this day. In the restaurant at my club, Scribes West, there is an oil painting of Edwards. He was my hero and an inspiration. When I was growing up, there was no televised football to speak of,

and if you wanted to see a particular player or team, it meant going to one of their matches. It was February 1958 and United had just caused a stir by beating Bolton 7-2, and everyone was talking about Duncan Edwards. So I

persuaded my dad, Fred, to come with me to Highbury to see United play Arsenal. It was an unusual trip for two committed Spurs fans, and a day I will never forget. United won a smashing match 5-4, but what happened

afterwards gave the occasion a dreadful poignancy that still lingers. Just four days later, the Busby Babes were decimated by the Munich air crash. Along with everyone else, I was devastated. So many died so young - my hero

among them. It was a terrible tragedy, too awful to dwell on. I prefer to remember that lovely day out with my dad, standing behind the goal at the old Clock end at Highbury. It took Duncan Edwards less than 10 minutes to show

us what all the fuss was about. I remember I was a bit disappointed that United weren't at full strength. With the European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade only four days away, Matt Busby rested his centre-half, Jackie

Blanchflower, the two wingers, David Pegg and Johnny Berry, and the clever, creative inside-forward, Liam Whelan. Mind you, it was still a hell of a team, with a forward line that included Bobby Charlton, Tommy Taylor

and Dennis Viollet, supported from half-back by Eddie Colman and the man I couldn't take my eyes off, Duncan Edwards. Jack Kelsey, a legend at Highbury, was in goal for Arsenal but, good as he was, he was beaten all the way when Duncan opened the scoring with a cracking shot. That was my moment. We had travelled in to see

him and, with the latecomers still arriving, he had me turning to my dad with a "Did you see that" look. Edwards had taken a pass from Viollet and strode forward like an unstoppable giant before shooting past Kelsey from 25

yards. There were eight more goals in a fantastic match, but Duncan's, and his overall performance, are all I really remember. Afterwards, I just couldn't get it out of my head how good United were. Duncan was marvellous.

Everything he did comes back to me as if it was yesterday. Such strength, such poise. We are talking about a long time ago - nearly 40 years - but I can still see him, and that tremendous power of his, even now. He was only 21,

but already he had played for England 18 times, and there were far fewer internationals played in those days. I was always Tottenham through and through, and it was not so much the Busby Babes as the Spurs Double side that

gave me a feeling for how I wanted to play the game, but I stood there that day thinking Edwards was a wonderful player, and that I wanted to play like him. United were the best around at the time, and he was their star man. I

had heard tales of this real-life Roy of the Rovers a few years before. People at Chelsea spoke of a Youth Cup tie against United. Chelsea had an outstanding team that day, Jimmy Greaves and Peter Brabrook included, but the

story goes that a storm broke during the game. Edwards scored two goals playing at centre-forward, then when United turned round at half-time, and had the storm against them, they played him at centre-half, and he won

everything. He was blessed with an all-round ability no one had ever seen before. This was a guy who played for England at 18, unheard of in those days. Physically, he was an impressive specimen, with legs like tree trunks,

which gave him unmistakable power. He usually played at left-half, but centre-half or centre-forward was no problem for him because he had everything. He was a great tackler, he was a good passer, he scored goals and he

was a rock in defence. He was left-footed, but he could use the right, too. It was exciting to look at him and think how good he was going to be, and for him to be cut down like that was too tragic for words. No one can know what

he might have achieved had he lived and gone on. It is a great disappointment to me, not knowing what he might have become. He was potentially the greatest player I've seen. Duncan played in the same position as Bobby

Moore, and we'll never know what might have happened in 1966 if he had still been around. He would have been only 29. Perhaps Bobby would have got in the team in another position, because he was a great player, too, but you

would never have picked Moore in front of Edwards. Duncan had the edge everywhere, with his remarkable power, pace and strength in the air.

Quite simply, Duncan Edwards had the lot.

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Duncan Edwards Article from The Times - Monday, September 30 1996

It would have been Duncan Edwards' 60th birthday tomorrow.

Manchester United and England's young colossus died in Munich's Rechts der Isar hospital 15 days after the team's BEA twin-engined Elizabethan failed to get airborne from the icy slush of a German runway on February 6, 1958.

He was 21. Edwards is buried in a cemetery at his home town of Dudley in the West Midlands. This week, as there usually are, a fresh bunch of red and white carnations fill the black granite vase below the 6ft-high headstone on his grave. The other granite vase is in the shape of a football. A red United replica shirt, brand new, has also been left there. John Phillips, Dudley borough council's assistant cemeteries and crematorium manager, said: "Visitors come to the grave all through the year. It is still a shrine. It is hard to put a figure on the numbers who come here each year. It's not only individuals who come to stand in silent respect at the grave, but whole parties, as if on a pilgrimage." Edwards is buried with his sister, Carol Anne, who was 10 years his junior and died after only 14 weeks of life. Their parents, Gladstone and Sarah, had no other children.

After his son's death, Gladstone gave up his job as a factory metal-polisher and became gardening assistant and general factotum at the cemetery. He died in 1978, aged 70, and is buried in the same row as his son. Not far from the cemetery is St Francis' Church where above the font, a stained glass window is dedicated to Edwards. It shows the athletic manchild in football kit, genuflecting, with a scrolled caption saying "God Is With Us For Our Captain."

BLOODED    

He, not Bobby Moore would probably have been England's captain in the World Cup of 1966. He would have been only 30. He captained Worcestershire Boys, Birmingham Boys, and England Schoolboys - having first played for the national team at only 13. He signed for United on October 2, 1952, the day after his 16th birthday. The boy was already 6ft tall and weighed 12st 6lb. By the following spring he was blooded in the league side. Two Aprils later, at Wembley against Scotland, he was picked for England at left half. He was 18 years and six months, England's youngest ever. England won 7-2.

Less than three years of Edwards' life remained, during which heady time he won 17 more England caps. He played 151 matches for United, won two League Championship medals and a losers' medal in the 1957 FA Cup Final. But it was not so much what he did, but how he did it. He played like a gayle, but a gale garlanded with wispy skills and fearlessly daring originality. He could play anywhere.

When England picked him at inside left, in 1957, his heroes, Matthews and Finney, were on each wing. They admit it was they who were awestruck. After MAtt Busby had tearfully unveiled Edwards' graveyard headstone in 1961, he spoke of his "grand, great boy who breathed goodness and who had no side, no swagger, no airs nor graces." Then the secretaryof the PFA, Cliff Lloyd, spoke for the still grieving confraternity of footballers. He said: " When any group of colleagues get together and say 'Matthews and Finney are the greatest English players of all time,' someone will always interject 'yes, but...' Short as his career was, you never hear a peep of dissent if you begin 'Duncan was the greatest of them all..'."

When the Elizabethan attempted to take off from the Munich slush at the third time of asking, Edwards was in the back two rows, three seats by three, facing each other, preparing to play cards with Mark Jones, Tommy Taylor, Eddie Colman and David Pegg. They were all to die along with seven others from the club, although Edwards hung on for fully 15 days. At first it seemed he would pull through. After six days he was put on an artificial kidney machine.

FLEETING  

He began to slip in and out of consciousness. United's assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who had not been on the flight, sat for hours at the bedside, soothing his restless giant.

On February 20, Duncan woke from his delirium and for a fleeting moment recognised Murphy. He smiled. "What time's kick-off against Wolves on Saturday?" he asked. "Two thirty as usual," said Murphy. "Get stuck in, lads," whispered Edwards in a soft, contented reverie, and then his eyes flickered, and closed for the final time.

He died that night.
The gravestone inscription reads: "A Day of Memory, Sad to Recall. Without Farewell, He Left Us All"

Personal Article "Duncan Edwards"  by Pete Hargreaves:

Duncan Edwards was the greatest footballer I have ever seen, but then you'll all have heard that before from boring old farts like myself. What you don't know, of course, is whether I'm of the 'the old days were best' brigade or whether I really do happen to believe what I've said about Duncan.

Let me tell you that I have a recording of a television programme about Bobby Charlton and no less a man than Bobby said of Duncan, and I quote, "People ask me what Duncan Edwards was like and I tell them that he was the best player I ever saw, and they say "he couldn't have been that good"......... but he was".

I was only a young boy when Duncan Edwards died. It IS altogether possible that time and his death have shaped my view and if that is the case then I make no apologies, for he was truly a very great man and footballer. I remember Duncan best from the training ground which was very close to where my gran lived, and somewhere we went every day in the summer holidays in the hope of seeing our idols. He was ALWAYS laughing and messing about. He would pick up the little lads and chuck them about (in a playful, friendly sense, obviously) and ruffle your hair. That was nice for a young boy. He and Tommy Taylor were always together. That is my overriding memory - of Tommy and Duncan, two absolutely huge men (well at least to a young boy), but both as gentle as anyone could be.

Duncan Edwards was a very big man, his nickname was 'The Tank'; it was not without some foundation. From a distance he did not look like a natural athlete as he looked ever so slightly overweight, but once he began to move there could be no doubting his athleticism. He had legs like Mark Hughes in that they seemed to be as thick at the ankle as they were at his thigh.

Positionally Duncan would (in modern terms) be considered a midfield player. However I have always considered that he, like John Charles before him, was really anything that his team required at any given moment - be it defender or attacker. Perhaps Robson comes closest in that respect but, and with all due respect to Bryan, a player for whom I had the greatest respect, Bryan was a short-ball passer. It was rare to see him hit a fifty-yarder. Duncan, on the other hand, could pass long or short. His long ball passing was, without doubt, the equal of Charlton or Giles (two of the best).

I know this might sound daft but Duncan took all the corners and all the throw-ins. Like Eric Cantona (albeit in a different way) everything seemed to revolve around him. But imagine a BIG man (say May or Stam) taking corners, it's a daft idea, but Duncan was the best man for the job.

Very soon after the crash happened they started to give out the names of those who had died and those who had survived. OBVIOUSLY Duncan had survived. It would take more than a plane crash to end Duncan's life. Then we began to get news that he wasn't getting better, unlike most of the others. And after what seemed like a lifetime (it was agony waiting every day) he died. I was so sad, I'm still so sad. In a way it was easier to take the news about Roger, who was my absolute idol, than to have to wait to hear about Duncan. Nearly forty years after the crash and it still affects me so badly - I will never recover.

I do not believe that we will ever see his like again. He truly was 'simply the best'.

Copyright © 1999 Peter Hargreaves.
All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission of the author.