Michael and Sabrina Stapf moved into a house on the corner of Karotschstrasse and Emplstrasse in the sleepy Munich suburb of Trudering in 2005. It is on ground by the end of the old runway near the Munich-Riem Airport, 10 kilometres to the east of the city.
To the north is the new Munich Airport, which opened in 1992. In Riem only a small part of the runway remains, but the tower and terminal are still there.
The year before Michael and Sabrina began renting their home, a dark gray granite monument was unveiled in a triangle of green area next to their house. In English and German it reads: “In memory of all those who lost their lives here in the Munich air crisis on February 6, 1958. “It’s similar to a larger one at Old Trafford and underneath is a small plaque expressing United’s gratitude to the municipality of Munich and its people. This was funded through Manchester United and the opening was attended by David Gill, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobthrough Charlton, a survivor of the crisis.
After that, casual United fans would come and pass by, but it was low-key, like around the Old Trafford memorials. In the 1990s, there were only a dozen other people in front of the Munich clock on the Old Trafford concourse. on the anniversary of February 6, while trips to Munich were lightly mentioned. The Munich air crisis was not forgotten because United fans and rival fans rarely sang nasty songs about it in the 1980s and 90s, but it was not mourned as it is today.
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On 6 February 2008, on the 50th anniversary of the disaster, around 500 more people attended the tribute in Munich, including Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and all the young Bayern Munich players.
“In 2008 there was the first big occasion here; now it’s every year,” Sabrina tells The Athletic from her home. “And since they built the monument, other people have come every day. It has visitors from all over the world and since it’s called Manchesterplatz, it’s less difficult to locate on maps.
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The “monument” is a display installed in 2020 and highlights the crisis with memories.
“Now we see enthusiasts every day,” said Michael, who wears a red T-shirt with the Munich clock, set at 3:04 p. m. As he speaks, piles of outdoor United. al enthusiasts gather for the 66th birthday chant: “There’s only one Bobby Charlton. “
“People come from all over the world. United States, Australia, Italy. They are all Manchester United enthusiasts and they come here. We love it. “
Two months after the 50th anniversary, the City of Munich named the turf triangle where the memorial stone is located “Manchesterplatz” (Manchester Square).
Smartphones made this newly named remote domain much easier to locate, while reasonably priced airlines offered reasonable direct flights between Manchester and Munich.
Travel is the cheapest off-season, as it was in early February, and Monday’s Easyjet flight is at 6am. it’s packed with United fans, with the airport bar packed at 4:30 a. m.
“We can’t get tickets for away games, but we can come here and pay our respects,” one fan, Martin, told The Athletic. “I see more old-school reds here than at games. “
The accident led to the involvement of Bayern Munich, coach Matt Busby and the Babes. On 6 February 2015, FC Bayern opened an exhibition on the crisis in the club’s museum, in the presence of Rummenigge and Charlton.
There are other points to consider: Manchester United didn’t play a single game in Munich until 1998, but have since played five (plus two friendlies). , however, they sent a delegation to the site to add Brian Kidd, who played and coached at both clubs.
Manchester United let the enthusiasts take the lead. The club has sent out groups of young and old players (Mike Phelan was there this year, Bryan Robson last) and supports everything enthusiasts need to do. The Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation (MMMF) is a registered charity that raises funds to send to other disadvantaged young people. people from Manchester to Munich.
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It provides financial support to two Munich-based charities as well as kids’ charities in Manchester and Belgrade, where the ill-fated flight took off from before refuelling in Munich. An adult and child receive a paid-for trip to Munich each year and lay wreaths.
“More and more people are finding Busby Babes,” says Peter “Ifty” Ahmed of the MMMF. “The new statue of Jimmy Murphy at Old Trafford has also helped, as young people walk further and ask who he is. “
An organization called Red Docs, founded by Munich doctors, helps keep the exhibits in good condition.
“We look after Manchesterplatz, build the showcase and keep the memories of the Busby Babes alive,” says Mark Salzmann from Red Docs. “We believe it is vital to stay in touch with our friends in Manchester. “
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This is a cry of Anglo-German hostility after the two global wars and the disgusting chants of “Ten German bombers. . . “and England’s RAF shot them down” around England’s matches.
As Rummenigge said in his speech at Manchesterplatz on the occasion of the 60th anniversary, which was attended by almost 2,000 enthusiasts: “We all know that relations between England and Germany were not at their best at the time of the crash,” he said. “But I believe that in the darkest days for Manchester United, the selfless help and sympathy presented through Munich, in particular through the German doctors at the hospital, the citizens and Bayern Munich, made a vital political and social contribution to restoring those relations. “
These relationships continue. United enthusiasts have strong friends in Munich. Bars, florists, restaurants, all kinds of businesses. Some locals watched in bewilderment as enthusiasts marched with United flags around Marienplatz, others learned of the crisis for the first time.
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At the Augustiner Brewery, fans sang songs honoring the Busthrough Babes. Groups of Spanish and German teenagers watched and then began to compose a song Canciones Unidas. And red travelers have long been meeting with locals, even those who have something to do with the accident. Nurse Weber, 86, sat on the new bench paid through United enthusiasts and explained how she helped treat injured players after the accident. He even smiled when he said, “I, the English boys (in the hospital), were complaining about our German tea. Over the years, enthusiasts have stumbled upon firefighters who were among the first to arrive at the scene.
Fan-run installations are subtle and shouldn’t be. The words are spoken and sung with enthusiasm and emotion through United’s die-hard enthusiasts. There are a large number of Mancun fans among the travellers, but The Athletic spoke to Malta enthusiasts and the 25 travelling members of The United supporters’ club, founded 65 years ago, takes shape a year after the disaster.
Hailing from Norway and Austria, from a father and son from Wilmington, North Carolina, who crossed the Atlantic to Munich, they were all at Manchesterplatz. Others also attended the grave of Franz Beckenbauer, the German wonder who died in January, as well as Franz Roth, the three-time Bayern midfielder who won the European Cup.
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Munich has more visual memories of the crisis than ever before. For decades, the only memorial was a wooden monument depicting a stone figure of Jesus on a wooden cross. Underneath is a hollow, regularly filled with flowers. It is adorned with an inscription in German that translates as: “To the memory of those affected by the air crisis of 6. 2. 1958, including the members of the Manchester United football team as well as all those affected by traffic in the municipality of Trudering. “
On Tuesday, Sabrina and Michael settled for letting a giant flag fly from their home. A giant red, white and black tricolor flag read: “Danke schon München” and showed two clenched hands with the insignia of Bayern Munich and Manchester United. it featured a silhouette of Roger Byrne, the captain of the Babes. About six hundred more people saw them as speeches were given and beautiful wreaths of red, white, and black roses were placed in the sun.
These public mourning presentations for all, however, the Munich air crisis is at the center of United’s history and enthusiasts keep its memory alive and take smart actions along the way.
The Busby Babes’ reputations are even stronger in death than in life and as the number of fans who remember them and fell in love with them fades, younger ones learn the legacy.
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“I’ve been thinking about coming for a long time,” says Sue from Salford as enthusiasts begin to view the site transparently. “This position is an important component of our history and I told Margaret, who I am travelling with, to come and pay our respects, especially after Sir Bobby’s passing. This affected us a lot.
Margaret is 79 years old and from Salford. I enjoyed Duncan Edwards,” he says. “I would sit in front of the terrace and look at him and no one else. We heard the news at school. Everyone was crying. They said the United plane had crashed. I imagined that Duncan, my little love, would make it. But he didn’t. I enjoyed Duncan.
(Top photo: Fans at Manchesterplatz in Munich; via Manchester United/Manchester United Getty Images)