Busby Babe’s friendship with Welsh manager revealed
A RELATIVE of a former Manchester United great and member of the Busby Babes has revealed details of his friendship with former Wales manager Jimmy Murphy.
Duncan Edwards – born on October 1, 1936 – died at the age of 21 in February 1958, 15 days after being injured in the tragic Munich Air Disaster.
It would have been his 80th birthday on Saturday and special commemorations – led byy Sir Bobby Charlton – willl take place at his commemorative statue in his s home town of Dudley to mark the occasion.
His cousin Gayle Rogers, who now runs an n art gallery in Ynyshir, Rhondda, has spoken off Edwards’ fantastic relationship with former r Wales manager Jimmy y Murphy, the Rhonddaborn footballer who guided United throughh some of their toughestt times directly following g the Munich Air Disaster.
Murphy had scouted d Edwards as a schoolboy for Manchester United and visited him in hospital after the disaster, and his quote is inscribed on his statue in Dudley.
Gayle said: “Jimmy Murphy used to live close to where I now live, and was from the Rhondda – I think Duncan would have liked to have known this.
“People think that Matt Busby signed Duncan, but in fact it was Jimmy Murphy who scouted him and signed him on his 15th birthday.
“They were very close, and Jimmy visited Duncan when he was in hospital.
“There is a quote on Duncan’s statue from Jimmy, which reads: ‘The most complete footballer I have ever seen.’
“I like to think they are both up there looking down proudly when the children play football in the local park, and are enjoying playing the game.”
Gayle has just handed in her PhD focusing on the commemorations following Edwards’ death – and has recently visited his grave to commemorate his birthday.
She added: “As a kid in Dudley, we regularly went to the cemetery and went up to Duncan’s grave.
“I knew he grew up with my mum and was my nan’s cousin.
“When I’d finished my MA I started doing some research into Duncan, and specifically how he was commemorated, and managed to get a scholarship from the University of Central Lancashire to carry that out.
“I’ve interviewed people who’ve got on a plane to visit his grave, people who are named Duncan Edwards after him, and various family members.
“Six and a half years later I’ve just handed in my PhD, and am on course to become a doctor next year.”