The term 'Busby Babes' was first coined 60 years ago
when United boss Sir Matt Busby handed debuts to Roger Byrne and
Jackie Blanchflower.
After the young duo played in the goalless draw with Liverpool
on 24 November 1951, a newspaper headline used the 'Busby
Babes' nickname and it stuck - even if Sir Matt preferred 'Red
Devils'.
Byrne, then 22, went on to establish himself in the 1951/52
title-winning team as a left winger but he was a revered full-back
and captain of the club by the time of the Munich air disaster
in 1958. Blanchflower, who was only 18, made his debut at wing-half
(midfield) but was noted for his versatility and even kept goal in
the 1957 FA Cup final after Ray Wood was injured.
Blanchflower may have had to wait until April for his next
league appearance, but the seeds had still been sown by the manager
to invest his faith in youth. In 1955/56, United won the league
again, this time with the majority of players aged in their early
20s.
The disaster in Germany tragically took Byrne's life and ended
Blanchflower's career due to the injuries he sustained in the
crash. Their contributions to the United cause will never be
forgotten.
what might have been if the munich aircrash didnt happened.
will the busby babes go on and dominate england and europe? we will
never know the answer