December 13, (THEWILL) – At Old Trafford early the next year, Manchester United will dedicate a lasting tribute to club legend Jimmy Murphy.
Murphy played a significant role in the creation of the “Busby Babes” at the club and served as interim manager for 22 games after the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, playing a crucial role in the team’s ability to cope with and move past the catastrophe.
He was coaching Wales at the time, so he was not on the flight, but he stayed on as Sir Matt Busby’s assistant until 1971 to help the club rebuild.
A statue outside the Stretford End honouring that contribution will be unveiled on May 3—exactly 65 years after Murphy led Manchester United in a FA Cup Final at Wembley.
Speaking about the memorial, Collette Roche, United’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Jimmy Murphy was one of the most important figures in the history of this great club. He was not only Sir Matt Busby’s chief coach and then assistant for 25 years, but, perhaps most importantly, led us out of the darkest period in our history.
“In those terrible days after the Munich tragedy, Jimmy was the man who held this club together and built a team that reached the FA Cup final. No matter the result, it was a remarkable achievement to even be at Wembley – something that, on 6 February 1958, seemed inconceivable.
“It is fitting that this wonderful statue should be unveiled on 3 May, the date of that final against Bolton Wanderers and at the Stretford End, overlooking the land where Jimmy used to train the Busby Babes. It will add to existing statues of Sir Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson, and the ‘United Trinity’ of Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, outside Old Trafford.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
