[Blade]

Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby CBE. What a legend. I've just been reading up
on him on wikipedia and the way he built his teams is brilliant. He inherited quite an
aging team and was expected to spend big on new players to bring in experience,
but instead he brought 16 and 17 year olds into the team and gave them the chance
to shine. The only signings over a four year period were Harry Gregg and Tommy
Taylor. Amongst this team was Duncan Edwards who we all know from hearing
players such as Bobby Charlton say he was the best in the world.

Then obviously disaster struck in 1958 when seven of the babes were killed in the
Munich crash. It was thought that he would die from his injuries and they read him
his last rites twice, but the battler never gave in and made a full recovery, he wasn't
finished with United yet.

Within five years, Busby had successfully rebuilt the team and led them to the FA
Cup final in 1963 where they beat Leicester 3-1. And two years after that (1965) they
won the league title. They lost on the last day of the next season and lost the title
that year(1966), but regained it again the following year(1967).

His biggest success would come in 1968 as it was the first time we'd ever won the
European Cup.

I find it amazing that he built one team of kids that was so good they were
considered the best in the world, then he had it all ripped away from him in one day.
He almost died in the crash and yet he still had the desire and commitment to stand
up once again and build another successful team.

The man is a true legend and he was rightly Knighted in 1968 when he won the
European Cup.

Managerial honours

Manchester United

* First Division
o Winner (5): 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67
* FA Charity Shield
o Winner (5): 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967
o Runner-up (2): 1948, 1963
* FA Cup
o Winner (2): 1947–48, 1962–63
o Runner-up (2): 1956–57, 1957–58
* European Cup
o Winner: 1967–68
* Intercontinental Cup
o Runner-up: 1968

Won: 576
Drawn: 266
Lost: 299

Win: 51.4%