DUNCAN EDWARDS
Manchester United &
England
1936 ~ 1958
DUNCAN EDWARDS was born in Dudley on 1st of October 1936 and throughout his short life
professed his pride in being an ambassador for the town wherever his football career took him.
From his earliest days his love for kicking a football around the streets signified a special feeling and
enthusiasm for the sport. By the time he was playing for his junior school his footballing skill was
already being noticed. One schoolmaster watching the 11-year-old Duncan noticed that the youngster
told all the other 21 players what to do and where to go and that included the referee and the
linesmen! That same schoolmaster wrote to a friend “I have just seen a boy of 11 who will one day
play for England". How right he was! Two years later the lad wrote an essay in his classroom in which
he mused about playing at Wembley and his wish came true that same year as he stood on the
hallowed turf wearing a white England shirt playing against Wales in a schoolboy international. That
day was April 1951 his footwork on the field dazzled everyone and one talent scout was heard to
remark “by God, they've got a good 'un there! "
The name Duncan Edwards will forever be associated with
Manchester United and the so-called “Busby Babes", a
concept developed by United's Manager Matt Busby in the
late 1940's when the club was badly in debt and unable to
afford to buy expensive players. Busby and his trainer Jimmy
Murphy decided to employ a radical youth policy developing
their own young players and creating the stars of the future.
Duncan was pivotal in that scheme and he made his debut
for the first team on 4th April 1953 against Cardiff City. The
team lost 4 NIL! The lad from Dudley was a mere 16 years
and 185 days old. Three and a half years later Duncan
celebrated his 100th appearance for United and the “Busby
Babes" were beginning to create the sensational legend that
took the footballing world by storm.
The team that September day in 1956 was:
Ray Wood, Roger Byrne, Mark Jones, Johnny Berry, Tommy Taylor, David Pegg, Billy Foulkes, Eddie
Colman, Duncan Edwards, Billy Whelan and Denis Viollet. On Saturday, 6th October that same year,
another youngster made his debut for Manchester United to complete the “Babes" Line-up. He was the
legendary Bobby Charlton.
In this age of footballing megastars who become international millionaires, it must be mentioned that
Duncan Edwards was the rising star in a most promising firmament. His contract with Manchester
United, which can still be examined reveals that this “solid gold" prospect earned a paltry £15 a week
during the season, reducing to £ 12 a week during the non-playing summer months. Of course even in
1950's there were other ways to bolster a superstar's income and Duncan became one of the first
footballers to earn money by endorsing products. He promoted Dextrosol Glucose Tablets, which his
adverts said were a natural source of energy which you could rely on anytime, anywhere". Whether
Duncan actually ever took any of the tablets of course, remains unrecorded!
With United's players’ now international stars, they travelled
around the world playing before thousands of adoring fans.
The fortunes of the club were riding high and in February
1958 they played against Belgrade's Red Star and by
forcing a draw for the second time in succession, won their
way into the semi-final of the European Cup on aggregate.
The team was delighted and celebrated into the early hours
of the morning. Eventually Matt Busby ordered the team to
bed to get a few hours sleep before the return flight to
Manchester via Munich where the British European
Airway's Elizabethan aircraft landed to refuel shortly after
1.00pm local time. The weather was appalling the snowcovered runway was only just open and it was sleeting
heavily. An hour later Munich control tower cleared the
“Lord Burleigh" (code named Golf- Alpha-India-ZuluUniform) for take off. Just 40 seconds into take off the pilot
shut down the throttle and braked, it was announced that
because of a technical fault the aircraft would be returning
to the terminal. A second attempt was also aborted and
again the aircraft returned to the terminal. At that stage the
players assumed that the flight would be cancelled until the
following day. Duncan sent a telegram to Mrs Dorman, his
landlady telling her “All flights cancelled -flying tomorrow".
But, to everyone's astonishment, passengers were recalled
and Zulu-Uniform rolled off down the runway for the third
time at 3:03 that fateful afternoon.
The aircraft didn't make it and, as they say, the rest is history.
23 people died in the crash that followed including 8 of the
“Babes". Duncan actually survived the crash but suffered
horrific injuries from which he died two weeks later. The other
players who died were Roger Byrne, Geoff Bent, Eddie Colman,
Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan.
Duncan's body was flown home from Munich and was buried in
Dudley's Borough Cemetery. Over 5,000 people stood in
silence outside the cemetery and lined the streets in tribute to
the lad from Elm Road on the Priory Estate.
Three years later, hundreds more turned out for the unveiling by Sir Matt Busby (who was severely
injured in the Munich air crash but made a full recovery and was later knighted for his services to
football) of two stained glass windows at St. Francis' church in Dudley commemorating the life of
Duncan Edwards who died tragically aged just 21.
As Sir Matt said that August day in 1961 “There will only be one Duncan Edwards and any boy who
strives to emulate Duncan or take him as their model, won't go far wrong". At the time of his death,
Duncan Edwards had the world at his feet. His footballing skill far outpaced his rivals and young
supporters the world over idolised this big lad with the sure feet. Off the field too, things were going
well and a few days before he flew to Belgrade, the manuscript of his book “Tackle Soccer This Way"
was handed to his publishers and later printed word for word as he wrote it. In the book he offers
youngsters hundreds of soccer tips such as "always respect the referee and be reasonable at all
times" (If only more present day footballers and supporters could follow such sensible advice!).
Today we are left to wonder what this towering figure would have achieved had there been no Munich.
Perhaps the question was answered by soccer supremo Tommy Docherty who said of him "You can
keep all your Best's, Pele's and Maradona's, Duncan Edwards was the greatest of them all! "
DUNCAN EDWARDS
Born: Dudley {West Midlands} on 1st October 1936
Djed: Munich (Germany) on 21 5t February 1958
Career: Signed for Manchester United (amateur) 31 5t May 1952 Full Professional 1 5t October 1953
League debut (against Cardiff City) 4th April 1953
FA Cup debut (against Burnley) 9th January 1954
European Cup debut (against Anderlecht) 26th September 1956
International debut (against Scotland) 2nd April 1955
Total league appearances 151 (scoring 20 goals)
International appearances 18 (scoring 5 goals)
"QUOTE – UNQUOTE”
“His size surprised me he was a colossus in fact, very
strong and powerful. He tackled beautifully and had perfect
timing. I considered him to be the finest young player in
England at that time. Surely he would have gone on to be
one of the greatest players the world had ever seen".
(Bobby Robson)
“He is one of the finest prospects England has ever had" (Tom Finney -Preston North End & England)
“There goes a soccer genius" (Stanley Mathews -Blackpool & England)
DUNCAN EDWARDS - In Memorial
Dudley was and still is very proud of its own soccer hero and even now, more than thirty years after
that horrific air crash at Munich, visitors in there hundreds enquire about Duncan Edwards. His grave
in the Borough's Cemetery is still a shrine for pilgrimage by soccer supporters and often a bunch of red
and white flowers appear there, especially if Manchester United has a Midlands fixture.
The two stained glass windows (showing Duncan in both his Manchester United and England strip)
can be seen in St. Francis' Church in Laurel Road and a display case (containing some of Duncan's
shirts, international caps and other memorabilia) can be found at the Dudley Museum in St. James’s
Road.
On Thursday 14th October 1999, his mother, Mrs.
Sarah Edwards and his former Manchester United
and England colleague Sir Bobby Charlton,
unveiled a statue commemorating the Dudley born
footballer Duncan Edwards. Dudley Council
commissioned the statue, which has been erected
in Dudley Market Place, as a tribute to the
footballing Legend.
The Borough's Archive and Local History
Department at Mount Pleasant Street, Coseley,
has an interesting file of press cuttings featuring
Duncan and you can see there also copies of
three rare books about Duncan plus his own book
of footballing hints.
The three main biographies (and excellent they are too!) are:
“Duncan Edwards -a Biography"
By lain McCartney and Roy Cavanagh Published by Temple Nostalgia
“Duncan Edwards"
By Derek Dougan, Hugh Jamieson & Frank Taylor
Published by The Duncan Edwards Sports Medicine Appeal
“Duncan Edwards -Manchester United and England"
By Geoff Warburton - Published by The Dulston Press
Duncan's own book is called "Tackle Soccer This Way" published by Stanley Paul. A rare chance to
understand the man, appreciate his total feel for the game and sense the great man's kindness and
modesty.
Frank Taylor (the only pressman to survive the Munich air crash) said “So long Dunc! It was great
while it lasted!"