Duncan Edwards

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Sunny

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Obviously with the week been it with regard to the anniversary of the Munich air disaster, I have been doing alot of reading on the subject. Was just wondering if anyone here saw him play or heard stories about him. I always remember my Father telling me that no player including Pele ever came close to him and I was wondering if he was as good as people made him out to be or if there is a large amount of sentiment involved. I know to become an international at 17 in those days and for people like Bobby charlton to say that he made him feel inadequate on the football pitch he must have been some player. But people say that he could have been the best ever. I would have loved to have seen that team but especially him play.
 
Have heard the stories about him.

But at 17 years, its very hard to tell what the outcome would have been
 
jasconius said:
Have heard the stories about him.

But at 17 years, its very hard to tell what the outcome would have been
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I know but he was 21 when he died and alot of people say he did enough in those 5 years to warrant a place amongst the best ever players. Its just a shame that all todays tv coverage wasn't available back then. I am in my early 30's and I would consider Maradona as the best player I have ever seen but I have seen enough footage of players like Pele and Best to know that they were true greats as well. Yet my Dad who didn't support Man Utd or English football in general insisted that Edwards was better than them all. Would have loved the opportunity to see what he meant.
 
have just finished reading Bobby Charltons book -he was one of the best I ever saw and even he says that Duncan Edwards was the best ever.Thats quite an accolade when u consider the players Charlton played with and against.Regretfully there appears to be very little archive footage of him.
Personally I have often wondered how good the lad from Cabra-Liam Whelan was.Charlton speaks highly of him too.
 
pnh said:
Personally I have often wondered how good the lad from Cabra-Liam Whelan was.Charlton speaks highly of him too.
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Absolutely. Didn't Busby say that he would have gone on to be one of the World's greats.
 
It's one of sport's great "what if". Who knows what might have happened had that team not been destroyed that day. Certainly it appears Edwards and United were destined for great things, they probably would have rivaled the great Real Madrid team of Di Stefano and Puskas. It also ruined any chances England had in Sweden '58.

Interestingly enough when Ferenc Puskas passed away last year it was revealed that "after the Munich air crash, a depleted Manchester United tried to sign Puskas, but the English FA would not allow it."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2458262,00.html

It's also worth mentioning the great Torino team of the late 40's who were all killed in a plane crash in Italy in 1949. They had been champions of Italy the previous 4 seasons.

Another "how good could he have been" is the Russian player Eduard Streltsov who was nicknamed the "Russian Pele". Worth googling if you have the time.
 
Thanks for that interesting article on Puskas.didnt know ManUtd tried to sign him.I still remember watching that famous game against Eintract as a very young kid-probably hooked me on soccer for life-from what I could see of it in old grainy black and white.But what a majestic player DiStefano was also.You wonder indeed how that Man Utd Munich side would have fared against that Real Madrid side.
 
On a more mundane level, Norman Whiteside was also tipped for sporting immortality when he was 17. That didn't exactly pan out either.
 
On a more mundane level, Norman Whiteside was also tipped for sporting immortality when he was 17. That didn't exactly pan out either.
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Theres plenty more besides, but Edwards 4/5 years were fruitful in terms of medals and caps.
 
Staples said:
On a more mundane level, Norman Whiteside was also tipped for sporting immortality when he was 17. That didn't exactly pan out either.
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Well - he's still alive and still involved in football so there's hope yet...
 
Staples said:
On a more mundane level, Norman Whiteside was also tipped for sporting immortality when he was 17. That didn't exactly pan out either.
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There were mitigating circumstances. His career was ruined from injury, he was basically finished as a top level footballer at the premature age of 23. He retired at 26 having had numerous knee and ankle ops. The drinking culture that prevailed at OT at the time wouldn't have helped either.
 
Well saying he was better than Pele is taking it a little to far,after all Pele did score two goals in a world cup final at the same age mentioned 17. I think alot of players back then where over hyped ,I think most of the players back then would be found wanting in the game today if they where starting out their careers as young men again. When I see the goals scored it really seems that the keepers are just terrible and are jumping away from the ball.
 
ivuernis said:
It's also worth mentioning the great Torino team of the late 40's who were all killed in a plane crash in Italy in 1949. They had been champions of Italy the previous 4 seasons.
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I have never heard of 1949 crash , any idea of where I could find out more...any english language books or articles etc... I could find or indeed names, words, phrases etc.. I could google?
 
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That's my point. Swap the plane crash for injury/booze story and you have the same thing - a promising career cut short.

There are many reasons that potential isn't fulfilled so to suggest that Edwards would/should have been one of the all time greats is speculation. It just didn't happen.
 
Staples said:
There are many reasons that potential isn't fulfilled so to suggest that Edwards would/should have been one of the all time greats is speculation. It just didn't happen.
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I take your point, nonetheless, at the time of the Munich crash United were blazing a trail through English football. Busby's philosophy of building a team comprised largely of talented young players was revolutionary at the time. With that they:

  • won 2 consecutive league titles,
  • almost became the first time to win the double in '57 (with defender Jackie Blanchflower deputising in goal for most of the match, there were no substitutions in those days),
  • made it to 2 European Cup semi-finals (against the wishes of the FA and thusly without any help in scheduling games which was the reason why they were trying to hurry back from Munich at the time in order to fulfil their domestic obligations),
  • Edwards was voted joint 3rd with Real Madrid's Raymond Kopa in the 1957 Ballon d'Or.

Their potential was certainly being fulfilled at the time.
 
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