You are Red no  since July 1996.
A Tribute to Peter Howard

On behalf of Laura Steeples, Lancaster.


In memory of Peter Howard who died in hospital 12th Feb.1996 only six days after the 28th anniversary of the Munich air crash which had claimed the lives of 27 people including eight Manchester United players and three club officials. Peter Howard was the official Manchester United Photographer at the the time and he helped save the lives of many of the United players and of the Great Sir Matt Busby.

In loving memory all true Reds will say a prayer, whatever their belief is.

Some fitting quotes:

Sir Matt Busby thoughts on returning to OT for the first time after the crash:

"Resting in Interlaken, Germany was one thing and facing Old Trafford another. When I approached the ground and moved over the bridge along which our supporters had squeezed fifty abreast in there tens of thousands to shout for us I could scarcely bear to look. I new the ghosts of the babes would still be there, and there they are still, and they will always be there as long as those who saw them still cross the bridge, young, gay, red ghosts on the green grass of Old Trafford."

United Review, the first match after Munich

- the FA Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday, when the United team sheet was left blank:

"They shall not grow old As we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun And in the morning,

We will remember them."

(Laurence Binyon)

Peter Howard Gone But Not Forgotten.

THE FLOWERS OF MANCHESTER


One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,

Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory,

Eight men will never play again who met destruction there,

The Flowers of British football, the Flowers of Manchester.

Matt Busby's boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,

This great United family, all masters of their trade,

The pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,

Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again.

The third time down the runway disaster followed close,

There was slush upon the runway and the aircraft never rose,

It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned,

And eight of the team were killed when the blazing wreckage burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England's side,

And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died,

Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also,

They lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.

Big Duncan he went too, with an injury to his frame,

And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,

The great Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team,

Three long months passed by before he saw his team again.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,

Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,

And one of them Big Swifty, who we will ne'er forget,

The finest English 'keeper that ever graced the net.

Oh, England's finest football team its record truly great,

Its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate,

Eight men will never play again,who met destruction there,

The Flowers of English football, the Flowers of Manchester.

Anon.

Back to Old Trafford.