Editing Duncan Edwards (section)

==Early life==
Duncan Edwards was born on 1 October 1936<ref>{{Hugman|5770|access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> at 23 Malvern Crescent in the [[Woodside, Dudley|Woodside]] district of [[Dudley]].<ref>McCartney, p. 1.</ref>{{refn|Dudley is currently in the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] county but was in [[Worcestershire]] at the time of Edwards' birth.<ref name="GeN">{{cite web|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Boundaries.html#Dudley|title=Staffordshire Boundary Changes|publisher=GENUKI|access-date=14 February 2008|date=26 March 2001}}</ref>|group=nb}} He was the first child of Gladstone and Sarah Ann Edwards and their only child to survive to adulthood, his younger sister Carol Anne dying in 1947 at the age of 14 weeks.<ref name="Times"/> His cousin, three years his senior, was [[Dennis Stevens]], who also went on to become a professional footballer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/sportingmemories/memorablematches/4047666.September_14__1957___Division_One__Wanderers_4_Manchester_United_0/ |title=September 14, 1957 – Division One: Wanderers 4 Manchester United 0 |newspaper=The Bolton News |first=Gordon |last=Sharrock |date=15 January 2009 |access-date=6 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319041832/http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/sportingmemories/memorablematches/4047666.September_14__1957___Division_One__Wanderers_4_Manchester_United_0/|archive-date=19 March 2012}}</ref>

Soon after Edwards was born, his family moved to 31 Elm Road on the [[Priory Estate]], also in Dudley. Edwards attended [[Priory Primary School|Priory Infant and Junior Schools]] from 1941 to 1948, and [[Wolverhampton Street School|Wolverhampton Street Secondary School]] from 1948 to 1952.<ref name="DN"/> He played football for his school as well as for Dudley Schools, Worcestershire and Birmingham and District teams,<ref>McCartney, p. 4.</ref> and also represented his school at [[Morris dance|morris dancing]].<ref name="DN2">{{cite news|url=http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/display.var.2005757.0.your_memories_of_duncan.php|title=Your memories of Duncan|work=Dudley News|access-date=14 February 2008|date=30 January 2008}}</ref> He was selected to compete in the National Morris and Sword Dancing Festival, but was also offered a trial for the [[English Schools Football Association]]'s under-14 team, which fell on the same day, and opted to attend the latter.<ref>McCartney, p. 5.</ref>

Edwards impressed the selectors and was chosen to play for the English Schools XI, making his debut against the equivalent team from Wales at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] on 1 April 1950. He was soon appointed captain of the team, a position he held for two seasons.<ref name="DT"/><ref name="BN2">{{cite news|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/sport/2008/02/08/the-black-country-s-greatest-65233-20454126/|title=Edwards: The Black Country's greatest|work=Birmingham Post|access-date=14 February 2008|date=8 February 2008}}</ref> By this stage, he had already attracted the attention of major clubs, with [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] scout Jack O'Brien reporting back to manager [[Matt Busby]] in 1948 that he had "today seen a 12-year-old schoolboy who merits special watching. His name is Duncan Edwards, of Dudley."<ref name="DT"/>

[[Joe Mercer]], who was then coaching the England schools team, urged Busby to sign Edwards, who was also attracting interest from [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]].<ref name="Sandy">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/enduring-legend-of-indomitable-edwards-671399.html|title=Football: Enduring legend of indomitable Edwards|work=The Independent|access-date=14 February 2008|date=1 October 2001|first=Brian |last=Viner}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Edwards signed for United as an amateur on 2 June 1952,<ref>McCartney, p. 12.</ref> but accounts of when he signed his first professional contract vary. Some reports state that it occurred on his 17th birthday in October 1953,<ref name="am2">{{cite web|url=http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Legends/Duncan-Edwards.aspx?pageNo=2|title=Legends: Duncan Edwards|publisher=Manchester United F.C.|access-date=26 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530023213/http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Legends/Duncan-Edwards.aspx?pageNo=2|archive-date=30 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="book25">McCartney, p. 25.</ref> but others contend that it took place a year earlier.<ref name="DN">{{cite news|url=http://www.dudleynews.co.uk/display.var.2005880.0.0.php|work=Dudley News|title=Duncan Edwards{{snd}}50 years on|access-date=20 February 2008|date=30 January 2008}}</ref><ref name="OneEightThree"/> Those accounts that favour the earlier date usually state that a club official, either Busby himself or coach [[Bert Whalley]], arrived at the Edwards family home soon after midnight to secure the youngster's signature as early as possible, but other reports claim that this occurred when he signed his amateur contract.<ref name="book13">McCartney, p. 13.</ref> Wolves manager [[Stan Cullis]] was indignant at missing out on a highly touted local youngster and accused United of improperly offering financial inducements to Edwards or his family, but Edwards maintained that he had always wanted to play for the [[Lancashire]] team.<ref>Meek, p. 100.</ref> To guard against the possibility that he might not make a success of his football career, he also began an apprenticeship as a [[carpenter]].<ref name="book16">McCartney, p. 16.</ref>