Man Utd prepare to honour Munich disaster victims

The magnitude of the Munich air disaster is impossible to understand until you are inside Manchester United, says women’s coach Marc Skinner.

Skinner and men’s boss Michael Carrick have both brought forward their pre-match news conferences to allow them to attend the annual commemoration of the tragedy on Friday.

It is 68 years since the plane carrying Sir Matt Busby and his team back from a European Cup tie in Belgrade crashed on take-off following a refuelling stop in Munich. Eight players were among the 23 killed.

It is widely accepted to be the darkest day in the history of the club and will be recognised by a half-hour service under the Munich clock at Old Trafford at 14:45 GMT.

“Before you are in it [the club], I don’t think you understand the magnitude of it [the tragedy] fully,” said Skinner.

“You understand the tragedy. You can empathise and sympathise, but when you are at the club, you become part of it.

“Every year, I go to the celebration of the lives and I see the families and how many people from different walks of life have been through the experience; the stories of people who knew the Busby Babes, or knew people around that time, or parents, who were taken to games when they were young.

“Manchester United is built on ecstasy and tragedy. Of the biggest tragedies in football, the Munich air disaster is one.

Carrick joined United from Tottenham as a player in 2006.

He was immediately made aware by Sir Alex Ferguson, United’s then-manager, of the significance of the tragedy in the club’s history.

“Sir Alex mentioned it when I came,” said Carrick. “It was important to him and us.

“It’s a responsibility to know what came before us and the behaviours and responsibilities we need to carry through.