Remembered Keeper who saved goals and lives
HARRY Gregg will be remembered for putting his own life in danger to save others badly injured in the Munich air disaster. Initially knocked unconscious when the chartered BEA flight 609 crashed after failing to take off on February 6, 1958, he quickly came to his senses amid the smouldering wreckage.
When he heard a baby crying he ignored pleas to flee and rescued Vesna Lukic, passed her to a radio operator, and then ventured back in the wreckage to save the girl’s pregnant mother Vera.
Vera, the wife of a Yugoslav diplomat, was seriously injured and he had to kick a hole in the fuselage to get her out.
At the rear of the aircraft he found Sir Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet who had been thrown some 20 yards from the Airspeed Ambassador plane and also assisted injured manager Sir Matt Busby.
The flight had stopped at blizzard-swept Munich to refuel after the team had played in Belgrade, drawing 3-3 with Red Star, ensuring United had a semi-final place in the European Cup. Twenty-three people died – eight players, eight newspaper journalists and seven members of backroom staff.
Gregg had signed with United in December 1957 for £23,500, a world-record fee for a goalkeeper.
After the tragedy, he helped the rebuilt team reach the final of the FA Cup in 1958, but they lost 2-0 to Bolton.
He made 247 appearances for Manchester United and was also a stalwart of the Northern Ireland international side, for which he earned 23 caps.
When Busby signed Alex Stepney from Chelsea, Gregg was given a free transfer to Stoke City and he later moved into coaching and management. He managed Shrewsbury from 1968 to 1972.
After a stint at Swansea he went to Crewe, but had little success.
Gregg coached Carlisle until 1987 but then left to run a hotel at Portstewart in Northern Ireland.
With Roger Anderson he published his autobiography, Harry’s Game, in 2002, but a year later was diagnosed with bowel cancer. A stroke 10 years later was another health blow. Tragically, his wife Mavis had died of breast cancer aged 26, leaving him with two young daughters to look after.
He went on to marry Carolyn Maunders with whom he had three daughters and a son.
He was predeceased by daughter from his first marriage and is survived by his wife and five children.