Blue plaque for former Toon star

Reporter A FORMER Newcastle United star and First World War hero whose life was cut short by the Munich air disaster has been honoured with a blue plaque in Manchester.

Tom Curry played 235 competitive matches for the Magpies, before switching roles to become a trainer, first at Carlisle United and then at Old Trafford. He spent 24 years working for Manchester United, where he was a trusted member of Sir Matt Busby’s staff.

Tom, from South Shields, was a coach and physio for the famous “Busby Babes” of the 1950s, a side which featured stars such as Ashington’s Bobby Charlton, and the late Duncan Edwards. Tragically, the team was almost wiped in the Munich air disaster of 1958. Curry, aged 63, was among those killed when the plane carrying Manchester United players, coaches, officials and members of the media crashed at Munich Airport after a refuelling. The Red Devils were on their way home from a European Cup match in Belgrade.

Tuesday, February 6, marks the 60th anniversary of the crash. And, yesterday, a blue plaque honouring Tom was unveiled outside his former home in Stretford, Manchester, which is close to the club’s Old Trafford stadium. Trafford Council approved the plaque following an application from Charlie and Alison Bell, who live in Tom’s old house.

The plaque was unveiled by Tom’s granddaughter, Jennie Dixon, who the Bells tracked down after an appeal in the Manchester Evening News (MEN). Ms Dixon told MEN about her memories from the house.

She said: “My mum told us how she would come home from work to find one or more of the players sitting at the dinner table ready to have tea with them.

“She said they all looked up to my grandfather, who was a very kind and mild-mannered man and he was fiercely protective of them all.”

Half-back Tom played for Newcastle between 1919 and 1929, an era when the club won an FA Cup and First Division title.

He joined the St James’ Park ranks in 1912, but his first team career was delayed by the First World War, which saw Tom serve as a sergeant with the Royal Engineers.

After leaving Newcastle, he joined Stockport County for a year, before retiring from playing and becoming a coach.