Red Star remember United

Red Star Belgrade held an emotional 45th anniversary memorial service on Thursday to pay tribute to the Manchester United players killed in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster.

A total of 23 people, including eight players, two staff and a number of journalists covering the "Busby Babes", died when their plane crashed on take-off at Munich airport in terrible weather conditions after a refuelling stop.

Manchester United were on their way back from Belgrade, where they had played the second leg of a European Champions Cup quarter-final tie with Red Star.

The match ended in a 3-3 draw with United going through 5-4 on aggregate, having beaten the Yugoslavs 2-1 at home. They lost 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals to eventual runners-up AC Milan.

The service was attended by the surviving members of Red Star's 1958 generation while Bobby Charlton, the one Manchester United great due to join the event, sent a letter to his hosts after being unable to travel.

"This is indeed a sad day for both our clubs and I very much wished to be with you...to remember those who perished on that tragic day 45 years ago," it said.

"Unfortunately, circumstances have prevented me from travelling. On behalf of Manchester United Football Club, I send you our very best wishes and our thoughts are with you all."

The emotional memorial service started with a minute's silence to honour the victims of the disaster which claimed the lives of some of the greatest talents English football produced in the 1950s.

"Eternal glory to them and may they live in our hearts forever," Red Star President Dragan Dzajic said before playing footage of the memorable tie in which his club came back from a 3-0 first half deficit to draw 3-3.

Charlton scored two goals that day as did Red Star Belgrade's Lazar Tasic, one of those who attended Thursday's service.

"It was a great match, I remember it so well. Manchester United was the best team we ever played. Our hearts were broken when we got the news from Munich," Tasic said.

"There were so many world class players in that Manchester United side, they would have been European champions if that terrible tragedy hadn't happened."

Among the victims was 21-year-old England midfielder Duncan Edwards, the "jewel in the crown" of a brilliant Manchester United side who seemed set to dominate English football for years.

Edwards died in hospital from his injuries 15 days after the crash while England captain Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Geoff Bent, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg and Billy Whelan were killed instantly. Manager Matt Busby survived after being given the last rites.

The plane had made two unsuccessful attempts to take off in a raging blizzard and on an icy airstrip before crashing into nearby woods during the third and fatal attempt.

Dzajic added: "From the ashes of Munich, a new Manchester United emerged to become one of the greatest clubs of Europe and the world."

Close links have existed between the two clubs ever since.