VARIOUS: SOCCER - Former Manchester United footballer Bobby Charlton attends memorial unveiling ceremony in Muunich commemorating the 1958 Munich Air Disaster

Manchester United's Sir Bobby Charlton attends unveiling of memorial for the Munich air disaster victims. Bobby Charlton fought back tears on Wednesday (September 22) as he unveiled a memorial at the site of the 1958 Munich air disaster that decimated the great Manchester United side known as the Busby Babes. Eight players were among the 23 people killed in the Bavarian city as their plane crashed after a refuelling stop on the way back from a European Cup quarter-final tie in Belgrade. "It was one of the greatest sporting tragedies that can ever be and it is right that it should be remembered," former United and England great Charlton, who was among those injured in the crash, said on Wednesday. Two staff and a number of journalists covering the team that was nicknamed after manager Matt Busby were also killed when the plane crashed on take-off in terrible weather conditions. The memorial stone in the Munich district of Kirchtrudering, where the tragedy occurred on February 6, 1958, features the names of the 23 people who died. "It's a very nice plaque and many of our fans would like to come here to pay their respects," said Charlton. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also attended the ceremony. Eyewitness Matthias Emrich, now 78, recalled the night of the crash. "Emergency doctors at the site said they needed wooden slats for broken bones and I said we have some in our furniture delivery truck. Doctors wanted to reach the accident site and police agreed. There was a lot of wind and the team was in shirts only, they had no shoes left," he said.

ITN Source | September 22, 2004

Tags:. .players. .covering. .left. .footballer. .crashed