A flower that will never wilt
‘Busby Babe’ Liam Whelan will be forever remembered as a special player and person
UNDER slate grey skies, and spitting rain, a biting wind cut across St Paul’s Cemetery in Glasnevin on Thursday morning. Defiant to the winter chill stood the impressive granite memorial to Liam Whelan, forever a 22-year-old in the eyes of those who knew him or saw him play.
Crossing the railway line, Whelan’s grave is a little way along the right-hand side. It’s immaculately maintained and impossible to miss under a life-sized statue of our Lady of Lourdes.
The inscription says: In Loving Memory of My Dear Son Liam Whelan,
28, St Attracta Road, Cabra, Manchester United A.F.C.
Who Died In Munich Air Disaster, 6th February 1958,
Aged 22 years.
Across its base is written, ‘Erected by a loving mother.’
Elizabeth Whelan’s memorial reflects a mother’s unyielding love for her son, and also a strong Catholic faith that was tested to the limit when told the unbearable news no mother should hear.
‘Mammy helped us cope. Her faith was immense. She said to us, “God wanted Liam.” She accepted that. And we accepted it too,’ says John Whelan, brother of Liam.
John was 16 and at home that fateful evening when the news was broken to the family by Charlie Jackson, who Liam had played for at Home Farm.
‘When Charlie called to the house, Mammy looked up and said “They’re home.” Charlie replied, “No they’re not.” And we all knew what he meant.’
Whelan was Dublin’s ‘Busby Babe’, one of the eight ‘Flowers of Manchester’ who perished, along with Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, David Pegg, Geoff Bent, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman and Duncan Edwards in the slush, ice and snow of Munich.
They are remembered on a black and red scarf that lies at the foot of the headstone.
The Babes were akin to English football royalty, young lads who loved football and loved a laugh and were encouraged to express their talents by Matt Busby, their manager. In their midst was a shy, devout Dubliner, who could dribble, pass and shoot like no one else. His right foot conjured up magic.
When United won the English League by eight points in 19561957, Whelan scored 26 of their 103 goals.
Embarking on their title defence in 1957-58, he scored all three goals in an opening day win over Leicesfinals, ter. He once scored in eight successive First Division games.
By the time of his death, he had scored 52 goals in 98 games for United. Whelan was a midfielder.
Bobby Charlton was spellbound by Whelan’s abilities. In his autobiography, he wrote how Whelan ‘would be a wonder of today’s game’.
Charlton, who shared digs with Whelan for two years in Great Stone Road, Manchester, close to Old Trafford, passed away in October. He was the last link to the ‘Busby Babes’ that lit up football only to die in a crash that didn’t have to happen.
‘If it was nowadays, they would never have taken off,’ says John Whelan.
Refuelling in Munich on their way back from beating Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup quarter
United could have stayed overnight and carried on the next day after two attempts at take-off were aborted.
Busby wanted the players to have a rest day before Saturday’s game against Wolves and was aware the English League authorities were not impressed with United’s decision to compete in the European Cup. Whether Busby exerted any influence on the pilots, James Thain or Ken Rayment, to make haste back to Manchester isn’t known. Nor does it matter. What was meant to be was meant to be.
As the Airspeed AS57 Ambassador, known as The Elizabethan, made its third effort to get airborne, Liam’s last words, as heard by those who survived, including Harry Gregg, became a great comfort to the family.
‘If this is death, I am ready for it,’ he said.
JOHN WHELAN was, and is, a Manchester United fan. He reveres Alex Ferguson but has serious misgivings about Erik Ten Hag. ‘Did you see the second goal United conceded against Newport in the FA Cup?’ he lamented. ‘I don’t know why he doesn’t play three at the back and let Dalot and Shaw push on.’
John went over to Manchester as a teenager with Home Farm. He stayed with Liam and Bobby Charlton and went to watch United train.
‘Tommy Taylor saw me and called out, “Hey you, Billy’s brother. Do you want to play?”
‘I was wearing new shoes and I said no as I was afraid of getting
them dirty,’ recalled Whelan with a laugh.
Ten years after Munich, Whelan did get to play on the same pitch as United when Busby brought the reigning European Cup winners to Dublin to play a Drumcondra XI.
‘Billy Behan (United’s Irish scout) had brought Matt up to the house. He mentioned I’d been playing for Drums for a few years. Next thing Matt says, “We’ll come over and play a Testimonial for John.”
‘It was United’s first game since beating Benfica at Wembley and the only change was that Denis Law played.
‘I was up against John Aston, who was a quick winger. At one point, I fell over. When I was asked about it after, I joked, “Sure, I was counting the crowd.”
It’s 66 years ago this week since the Munich disaster but still they come. Last Sunday, the Irish branch of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club together with Home Farm – the two clubs Whelan played for – gathered by the grave.
Among the number was Liam’s sister, Rita, whose devotion to her late brother’s memory has been truly astonishing.
Michael Burke, Liam’s nephew, was also present, as was former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who played for Home Farm and is an ardent United supporter.
Brendan Menton, the former FAI general secretary, laid a wreath and spoke of Home Farm’s connection to United, initiated by Jackie Carey in 1934 and carried on by Whelan.
Home Farm U12s were there, some of them perhaps not quite taking it all in. Others knew different. Shay Weafer, a stalwart of Shelbourne, and lifelong United fan, looked around him. As he did, it occurred that not too many in the gathering, Rita apart, had seen Liam play.
‘I saw Liam twice at Dalymount, for United against (Shamrock) Rovers in the European Cup and for Ireland against England in the World Cup,’ said Weafer. ‘What a player.’
The late Christy Whelan had chapter and verse on his brother and any time spent with Christy was a joy as he took a stroll down memory lane over a cup of tea.
One of Christy’s gems was the story about Liam turning up at the Gresham for an Ireland game against West Germany only to be told by a selector that he wasn’t playing, as he’d played for United the day before.
‘Liam got the 12 bus home and then paid into Dalymount to see the game,’ grinned Christy.
It was Christy’s daughter, Deirdre, who represented the family at Old Trafford last Sunday – every year at the anniversary of Munich, United invite relatives to a game closest to the anniversary and to share in the remembrance.
The Whelans have always attended.
Rita is almost 87, John is 82 and are supported by a raft of nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grandnieces and in-laws of their late brother, who all keep the flame burning.
It will be Liam Whelan’s birthday anniversary on April 1, which falls on Easter Monday this year. He would have been 89 if still with us.
A flower that will never wither.
‘HE SCORED 52 IN 98 GAMES FOR UNITED... AND HE WAS A MIDFIELDER’