Manchester United legend and Munich disaster survivor Bill Foulkes dies

Bill Foulkes survived the Munich air disaster in 1958

Former Manchester United defender and club captain Bill Foulkes, a survivor from the 1958 Munich disaster, died today. He was 81 years old.

Foulkes was a United legend who played at the club for 18 years. He had played in a total of 688 games, scoring 9 goals for the club. Only Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have played more games.

Foulkes’s honour list includes four League titles, four Charity Shields, an FA Cup and the European Cup in 1968.

The defender was uninjured and lucky to survive the plane crash that claimed the lives of his team mates in Germany.

Foulkes later said of the crash in Munich, “It was obvious that we would struggle to take off and they took the chance. They should never have done that. I don’t feel guilty about being a survivor. I was just damned lucky.”

“But I do harbour this feeling that it wasn’t necessary, that angers me. It cost the club, it cost the country so much.”

Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward spoke of Foulkes, saying, “Bill was a giant character in the post-war history of the club.

“He was a very gentle man who I was privileged to meet on several occasions, including most memorably with his team-mates at the Champions League final in Moscow, 50 years after his heroics in the Munich air crash.

“Bill’s contribution over almost 700 games and nearly 20 years will never be forgotten.”