Giggs: 50 Year Tribute Driving United To Euro Glory …
Ryan Giggs has spent his life collecting medals with a sense of chilled detachment.
But as Manchester United prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash, and he approaches Sir Bobby Charlton’s club appearance record, Giggs is prepared to experience the most emotional season of his career.
Successful players like Giggs instinctively prefer to look forward at new challenges rather than back. However, this season is bound to be different with the date of February 6, 1958, set to dominate everyone’s thoughts at Old Trafford over the coming months.
On that day, eight of Sir Matt Busby’s famed Babes were among 23 people killed on an icy Munich runway. The tragedy could have destroyed Manchester United but the way they fought back from adversity helped make them arguably the biggest club in the world.
For Giggs, this season is not about personal glory or about United putting one over Jose Mourinho or Rafael Benitez. The challenge is how to deliver a fitting tribute for Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones,David Pegg,Tommy Taylor, Billy Whelan and Duncan Edwards.
“I think the players want to do well this season because of the anniversary and the supporters will want a big trophy because of it,” said Giggs, who returned from United’s pre-season tour of Asia yesterday.
“Every Manchester United player knows what Munich and the Busby Babes meant to the history of our club. Everything special about United stems back to that time. It’s why we have so many fans around the world.
“To win the European Cup again this season to mark 50 years after Munich would be the most unbelievable tribute. It would be brilliant for the anniversary.”
Giggs grew up in Salford hearing about the Busby Babes and his interest was enhanced by getting to know Charlton, a Munich survivor, when he joined the club at 14. As the countdown to the anniversary gets nearer, the emotion gets stronger.
“You are beginning to see a lot of video footage and read a lot about that team,and it has brought it home to me how important they were,” said Giggs.
“I find it hard to imagine how the players from that time travelled and played their football.
“Back then, you had to change planes just to get to the other side of Europe. Now, we fly halfway across the world, get taken straight from the plane to the coach and get our own rooms in luxury hotels.”
A third European Cup would be the perfect tribute and Giggs added: “We’d like to win another European title. We’ve come close since 1999 but not been able to take that extra step. We’ve either not quite been good enough,had injuries at the wrong time or not had that little bit of luck that you need.”
United’s pre-season opposition starts to move up several notches now. Last week it was FC Shenzen and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical,next up is Inter Milan and Chelsea.
Giggs is the most successful player in the club’s history but has no time for self-congratulation. When he won a record ninth Premiership title in May, he immediately gave his medal to the United museum and started work on collecting No 10.
