Bobby Charlton said he was ‘lucky’ as footage after Munich disaster resurfaces
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Sir Bobby Charlton admitted he was "lucky" to escape with his life after miraculously surviving the Munich Air Disaster.
The Manchester United and England legend, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 86, was one of 44 individuals aboard British European Airways Flight 609 as it crash-landed after attempting to take off in heavy snow on February 6, 1958. The United squad, as well as several supporters and journalists, were travelling home following the club's European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade when tragedy struck.
Eight members of the first team, as well as three coaches, were among 23 who died in the accident. Charlton, who was just 20-years-old at the time, escaped with minor injuries, but still had to spent a few nights in a West German hospital.
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Footage of Charlton being interviewed from his hospital bed resurfaced following his death. During the short clip he expresses a desire to return home before playing down talk that he might be fit for United's next game.
"I was just lucky and sitting in the right place," he admitted afterwards. "We never got off the floor and ran into a house and into a few other obstacles. It was just a nightmare.
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"When we got to the hospital I started ranting and raving. I just didn’t understand. The medical people came around and gave me an injection in the back of my neck and I just collapsed. I didn’t wake up until the following morning.
"This German lad was there and he had a paper. He had a list of all the players and he read them out and if they were alive he would say ‘yes’ and if they were dead he said ‘no’."
Charlton was the first survivor to leave the hospital, arriving back in England eight days after the crash. He resumed footballing duties a couple of weeks later and helped United reach the FA Cup final in May, though they were beaten 2-0 by Bolton.
Over the next few years Sir Matt Busby rebuilt United into the title-winning titans they were prior to the disaster, using Charlton as his new figurehead. With the Northumberland-born star partnering George Best and Denis Law (United's famous 'Holy Trinity') in attack, the Red Devils clawed their way back to the top of English, and eventually European football.
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They won the FA Cup in 1963, the First Division title in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968. Charlton also won the Ballon d'Or in 1966 after inspiring England to victory at the World Cup, and finished runner-up in 1967 and 1968, behind team-mate Best in the latter.
- Manchester United FC
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