On this day in 1958, the football world was struck by one of its darkest tragedies—the Munich air crash. Manchester United were returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade in Yugoslavia when their aircraft made a refuelling stop in Munich. In adverse winter conditions, the aircraft encountered a slushy area on the runway and failed to take off, crashing through a fence and hitting a house. The disaster claimed 23 lives, including players, club staff, journalists, crew, and other passengers. This tragic event remains an indelible part of football history.
6th February 1961
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In 1961, Danny Blanchflower, a prominent figure in football with Tottenham and Northern Ireland, made headlines for a different reason. While captaining Spurs to the first League and FA Cup double of the 20th century, Blanchflower became the first person to decline an invitation from Eamonn Andrews to appear on the television programme This Is Your Life. He stated, “I consider the programme to be an invasion of privacy… nobody is going to press gang me into anything.” The programme was broadcast live, forcing the BBC to air a reserve programme that night.
6th February 1965
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Sir Stanley Matthews made his final League appearance for Stoke City against Fulham at the Victoria Ground on this day in 1965. Matthews, who had debuted for Stoke in 1932, had just celebrated his 50th birthday, making him the oldest player to compete in the top flight. In later years, Matthews expressed regret over his retirement, believing he could have continued playing for a few more years.
6th February 1988
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A First Division match between Wimbledon and Newcastle United at Plough Lane on this day in 1988 ended in a goalless draw. However, the match is remembered for an iconic incident involving players Paul Gascoigne and Vinnie Jones. The encounter resulted in a memorable image that has been widely reproduced on various media. George Best famously commented on the incident, “Hard men? Well, there was that picture of Vinnie Jones holding Gazza’s wotsits. In my day we called someone who did that a poof.”
On the 41st anniversary of the Munich air crash, Manchester United faced Nottingham Forest in a Premier League match. United, leading the table, visited Forest, who were at the bottom. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was brought on as a substitute in the 72nd minute and remarkably scored four goals in a ten-minute span, contributing to United’s 8-1 victory. This scoreline remained a record Premier League away win until Leicester City defeated Southampton 9-0 in 2019. United went on to win the league title, while Forest finished at the bottom of the table.