The Aftermath Of Munich

 "Although we mourn our dead and grieve for our wounded we believe that great days are not done for us. 

The sympathy and encouragement of the football world and particularly of our supporters will justify and inspire us. 

The road back may be long and hard but with the memory of those who died at Munich, of their stirring achievements and wonderful sportsmanship ever with us, Manchester United will rise again"

Harold Hardman - former Chairman of United. February 1958.

Twenty people, including seven of Manchester United's players, died at the scene of the crash. The 21st victim was Frank Swift, a journalist and former goalkeeper who played with Busby at Manchester City; he died on his way to hospital. Duncan Edwards died from his injuries on 21 February at the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich, and the final death toll reached 23 several days later when co-pilot Ken Rayment died as a result of serious head injuries. 

Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower were both injured so severely that they never played again. Matt Busby was seriously injured and had to stay in hospital for more than two months after the crash, and was given the Last Rites twice.

After being discharged from hospital, he went to Switzerland to recuperate in Interlaken. At times, he felt like giving up on football, until he was told by his wife, Jean:

 "You know Matt, the lads would have wanted you to carry on." 

Meanwhile, there was speculation that Man United would fold, but a threadbare United team managed to complete the 57/58 season, with Busby's assistant Jimmy Murphy standing in as manager; he had not travelled to Belgrade for the European Cup Quarter Final as he was in Cardiff managing the Welsh national team at the time. 

A team largely made up of reserve and younger players beat Sheffield Wednesday 3–0 in the first match after the disaster. 

Watch: Manchester United v Sheffield Wednesday (1958)

The programme for that match showed simply a blank space where each United player's name should have been. With seven players dead (Duncan Edwards died just over 24 hours later), and with only Harry Gregg and Bill Foulkes fit to play out of the surviving players, United were desperate to find replacements with experience, so Murphy signed Ernie Taylor from Blackpool and Stan Crowther from Aston Villa.

19th February 1958. 1st match after Munich. Manchester United vs Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup Programme. pic.twitter.com/wGNk3Rzgxg

— Man Utd Collectors (@MUFCMemorabilia) February 19, 2019

Three players, Derek Lewin, Bob Hardisty and Warren Bradley, were transferred to United on short-term contracts by non-League club Bishop Auckland. Bradley was the only one of the three players to play for the first team, and the only one to sign a permanent contract. The remaining places in the team were filled by reserve players including Shay Brennan and Mark Pearson.

In the aftermath of the crash, Manchester United's fierce rivals Liverpool offered United five loan players to help them put a side together. Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann also aided United by acting as a mediator and translator with German authorities to the benefit of the victim's families.

There were changes in the backroom staff at the club too, following the deaths of secretary Walter Crickmer and coaches Tom Curry and Bert Whalley. United goalkeeper Les Olive, still registered as a player at the time of the disaster, retired from playing and took over from Crickmer as club secretary, while another former United goalkeeper, Jack Crompton, took over coaching duties after United chairman Harold Hardman had negotiated with Crompton's then-employers Luton Town for his release.

United only won one league game after the crash, causing their title challenge to collapse and they finished 9th in the league. They did manage to reach the final of the FA Cup, however, but lost 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers, and they even managed to beat Milan at Old Trafford in the semi-finals of the European Cup, only to lose 4–0 at the San Siro.

Real Madrid, who went on to win the trophy for the third year running, suggested that Manchester United be awarded the trophy for that year – a suggestion supported by Red Star Belgrade – but this failed to materialise.

After the tragedy, UEFA floated the idea of Manchester City taking United's place in the European Cup had United not been able to fulfil their fixtures, but this was rejected by all parties involved, City in particular.

Busby resumed managerial duties the next season (1958–59), and eventually built a second generation of Busby Babes, including the legendary George Best.