Busby and Murphy pay tribute to their dads
8:00am Monday 4th February 2008
THE SONS of Sir Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy have paid tribute to the amazing strength shown by their fathers...
*AT the time of the Munich tragedy Sandy Busby was 22-years-old.
His father was severely injured in the crash and a priest read Sir Matt his last rites on two occasions.
"I grew up with these lads and use to train with them Tuesday and Thursday nights when I was an amateur.
"I used to socialise with the players as well and they never treated me like the bosses son, they were all great lads and it took me a long time to get over," said Sandy.
"Bob Paisley said this team would have won everything for the next ten years. My dad never spoke about the tragedy ever.
"I knew what he was going through and he didn't want to talk about it. I think he thought what have I done'.
"He had the last rites read twice. When he eventually came round he knew it was very serious and asked my mother who had gone.
"They went through a list and he asked her to nod if they were alright.
"My father's initial reaction was I'm finished with football'. But people would tell him to carry on and that it would be these boys' wish that he finished what they had started."
He added: "My dad only wanted one thing and that was success for Manchester United football club and he was so proud when they won something under Sir Alex Ferguson."
Busby rebuilt the Manchester United team and in 1968 they won the European Cup. He retired as manager in 1969.
*JIMMY Murphy Junior was 15-years-old at the time of Munich disaster.
His father, as well as being a United coach, was the manager of Wales and had been with the Welsh team in Cardiff when news of the disaster broke.
Jimmy remembers his dad flying out to be with the surviving players and staff in Munich where Duncan Edwards asked him: "What time's kick-off Jimmy?" And he replied: "Forget about it and get yourself right."
Jimmy said: "It was a terrific strain on my father - he had known all these boys from the age of 15.
"My dad would never talk about the Munich air crash. For him to go to Munich and see someone like Duncan and then Sir Matt in a oxygen tent must have been horrendous - but his job was to keep a football club going with a team of reserves."
Jimmy describes his dad as "a very driven man" and in the immediate aftermath of the disaster he took the team to Norbreck, in Blackpool, for two or three days during the week to get the team away from Manchester and the media.
In Sir Matt Busby's absence and against all the odds he also guided the team towards the FA Cup final at Wembley.
In 1964 he repeated the Babes' success of the past and delivered the club another FA Youth Cup.