The Manchester Evening News has reprinted 50-year-old news pages as part of its Munich air disaster commemorations.

The broadsheet pages from February 6 and 7, 1958, have been published back-to-back as a four-page extra in today’s MEN.

They were inserted as a pull-out in the MEN’s paid-for editions but wrapped around the free copies given out in the city centre, making it look like the edition from 50 years ago.

The tragedy saw 23 people, including eight players from manager Sir Matt Busby’s legendary ‘Busby Babes’, lose their lives when a plane crashed on a Munich Airport runway.

Assistant editor Robert Ridley told holdthefrontpage: “We thought people would be fascinated to read the coverage from the MEN at the time.

“As you can imagine, we are giving the Munich 50th anniversary major coverage.

“We have already produced a separate 48-page tribute paper called Munich Remembered which is on sale separately in newsagents – they are selling like hot cakes.

“In addition, we have sent the whole supplement electronically to the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish Times who have reached an agreement with us to reproduce it and sent several pages from it to the Aftenposten newspaper in Norway for them to use.”

The Munich air disaster also affected British sports journalism.

Manchester Evening Chronicle man Alf Clarke and Tom Jackson from the Manchester Evening News died, along with six national football writers.

Tom’s successor David Meek told the MEN: “The crash was a considerable blow to the newspapers because the eight who were killed, plus Frank Taylor who was seriously injured, were the equivalent of the number one journalists today.”

Football returned to Old Trafford less than two weeks after the crash when a young Reds team faced Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup fifth round.

David said: “It was a surreal atmosphere. The press box mood was weird as well. All the No 1 writers had gone and the replacements were all very young, very inexperienced and very nervous.”

Around 1,000 Manchester United fans are expected in Munich today to pay their respects to those who lost their lives.

A commemoration event is also being held at Old Trafford later today, which will be covered by Channel M and the MEN’s web team because of afternoon print deadlines.

The sports team is carrying seven pages of detailed reports, under the headline ‘Death of a Dream’, including a feature on Duncan Edwards and the other seven players who died.

Robert added: “We have already received over 500 letters, e-mails and website comments from readers all over the world giving us their Munich memories, most of which have already been published either in print or online.”

The Evening News’ website and sister TV station Channel M are also covering the landmark anniversary extensively.

Online there is continually updated coverage of the events at home and abroad and video of the commemorations in Munich and Manchester.

There will also be an ongoing live debate on the issues the anniversary has raised and audio clips of interviews with survivors.

A Busby Babes guestbook has been set up for tributes and a picture gallery features both past and present images, while readers can submit their own snaps.

Meanwhile, Channel M is broadcasting a host of interviews and tonight will show a feature with football legend Sir Bobby Charlton.

There are also video interviews with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and midfielder Ryan Giggs.

Comments

tony dunn (07/02/2008 20:34:49)
the manchester evening news
have been brilliant with the
munich remembered story, i feel so sorry for the pilot
who for years was blamed,and harry greg what a great man,thank god everyone did not get killed,hope all 23 r.i.p regards tony dunn