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Munich Air Disaster Hero Harry Gregg Dies at 87

Former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg has passed away at the age o...



Munich Air Disaster Hero Harry...
Soccer

Munich Air Disaster Hero Harry Gregg Dies at 87

Former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg has passed away at the age of 87.

Gregg was born on 27 October 1932 in Tobermore in Derry.

When he and his family moved to Coleraine he excelled with his hometown club before securing a cross-channel move to Doncaster Rovers at just 18 years of age.

He then joined Manchester United in December of 1957 for £23,000, which at the time was a world-record fee for a goalkeeper.

During his life Gregg was often referred to as the "Hero of Munich" and his actions at the scene of the 1958 air disaster are what he will be best remembered for.

The then 25-year-old helped pull survivors from the wreckage, in which 23 people died, just two months after he signed for the club and became one of the 'Busby Babes'.

The side was returning from a European Cup game when the airplane they were traveling in crashed while attempting to take off on a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport on 6th February 1958.

Gregg spoke about the incident in the following years, describing the horror of what he witnessed.

"There was a sudden crash and debris began bombarding me on all sides.

"One second it was light, the next dark.

"There were no screams, no human sounds, only the terrible tearing of metal. Sparks burst all around."

Gregg also won 25 international caps and helped Northern Ireland reach the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where he was named goalkeeper of the tournament.

Gregg also had a brief spell at Stoke before retiring in 1966 and then went on to manage Shrewsbury, Swansea, Crewe and Carlisle United as well as holding a goalkeeping coach role at Manchester United.

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Harry Gregg Manchester United Munich Air Disaster