UNITED KINGDOM: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Manchester United book "United Opus", launched in London by Bobby Charlton and Alex Ferguson; Bobby Charlton says Manchester United's Munich air crash stil haunts him.

Anyone searching for the perfect Manchester United book for Christmas would need very deep pockets and a concrete-reinforced coffee table if wanted a copy of the "United Opus", launched in London on Monday (December 11) by Bobby Charlton and Alex Ferguson. The remarkable production is half a metre wide, 15cm thick and it weighs in at a staggering 37kg. Only 10,000 copies are being produced and every one has been individually signed by Charlton and Ferguson. The book traces United's history from humble beginnings to the modern day mega-club, with 400,000 words of text and hundreds of new and previously unpublished photographs. Two years in the making it is now available for 3,000 pounds ($5,857) or, for 4,250 pounds there is an "Icons" edition, which boasts the further signatures of Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Denis Law. Copy number one is to be auctioned with the profits going to UNICEF, as will five percent of all profits from the Opus project. The book launch made Bobby Charlton break almost half-a-century of silence about the 1958 Munich air crash, says the disaster still haunts him every day of his life. Charlton, now 69, was 20 at the time of the disaster on Feb. 6 1958 that cost the lives of 23 people including eight of his Manchester United team mates. United's twin-engined Elizabethan plane was attempting to take off from a snowy and slushy Munich airport for the third time after two aborted attempts following a re-fuelling stop on their way back from a European Cup tie in Belgrade. Charlton, knocked unconscious as the plane began to break apart, was thrown some distance from the wreckage and passed out for 10 to 15 minutes before being rescued by his team mate Harry Gregg and taken to hospital. "I don't understand you know why I was ok and they were killed. I never came to grips with that. I see quite a few of the relatives from time to time and I do feel a little guilty. I can't help that unfortunately. It was an unbelievable tragedy and I hope it never happens again." said the attack-minded midfielder, who played 106 times for England and is still the country's all-time record international scorer with 49 goals. Charlton says that he will never be able to speak about some of the scenes of death and devastation that he witnessed. "It was just the end of a dream really in a way because we were so excited, the team was so excited about doing well and we have not been playing in Europe very long and it was a tremendous adventure," he said. Charlton was fit enough to play again three weeks after the crash, returning for an FA Cup sixth round match against West Bromwich Albion. United went on to reach the FA Cup final, where they lost 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers. "By the time we got to Wembley, I think it was incidental whether we won the final ... the real point was that we (Manchester United) had survived." Charlton, who was knighted in 1994, went on to become one of the greatest footballers in the world. He won the World Cup with England in 1966 when he was named European Footballer of the Year, and also won the European Cup with Manchester United in 1968. Manager Alex Ferguson, United manager for the last 20 years, believes the Munich crash created a legend of success from disaster. "I think that the great history just started there (in Munich). I think Manchester United started on that day in terms of romance of the club but the real story started by us producing another team within 10 years to win the European Cup." Ferguson, enjoying the fact that United has an eighth point advantage at the top of the English premier league, had a message to Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese who led Chelsea to the title in the last two years. "Chelsea with five points behind us -- well Jose is quite confident. He says he is going to beat Newcastle on Wednesday we will be five points behind them. I wish it was as easy as that," he said.

ITN Source | December 12, 2006

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