Editing Matt Busby (section)

===The Busby Babes and the Munich tragedy===
{{Main|Munich air disaster}}
[[File:Manchester United FC 1957.jpg|thumb|Busby (back row, far right) in a [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] team photo in 1957]]
During this period, the team picked up the affectionate nickname the [[Busby Babes]], because of the youthfulness of many of the players he fielded. They won the league in both 1956 and 1957, and were runners-up to [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in the [[1957 FA Cup Final]]. The young side was so successful that centre-forward Tommy Taylor and goalkeeper Harry Gregg were United's only major signings over a spell of almost five years.

Busby and his team began the [[1957–58 in English football|1957–58 season]] ready for a second bid to win the treble of the [[The Football League|Football League]] title, FA Cup and [[European Champion Clubs' Cup|European Cup]]. On the way home from a European Cup tie against [[Red Star Belgrade]] on 6 February 1958, their plane [[Munich air disaster|crashed]] on the runway at [[Munich-Riem Airport]]. Seven United players and three club officials were among the 21 people who died at the scene, while Duncan Edwards died from his injuries two weeks later as the final death toll reached 23; two other players (Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower) were injured to such an extent that they never played football again. Busby's old friend from Manchester City, the goalkeeper [[Frank Swift]], who had travelled to Munich in his post-playing career as a journalist, also died. Busby suffered multiple injuries and twice received the [[last rites]], but he recovered from his injuries and left the hospital after nine weeks.

He was not aware of the extent of the Munich tragedy until some three weeks after the crash, as doctors felt he was not strong enough to know the truth until then. Towards the end of February 1958, he asked a Franciscan friar at the hospital how Duncan Edwards was faring; the friar was unaware that the news of Edwards's death had been kept from him and felt that it was his duty to inform Busby that Edwards was dead. His wife Jean then had to tell him of all the other players and officials who had lost their lives.

He reportedly told his wife that he felt like quitting the manager's job, as he had feelings of guilt over the disaster. Busby had gone against the wishes of [[Football League]] officials by pressing for Manchester United's participation in the European Cup and had not felt able to challenge the aircraft's pilot about taking off in heavy snow. Jean urged him to carry on with his duties in honour of the players who had died. In March 1958, Busby also had to face the torment of player Johnny Berry – who suffered career-ending injuries in the crash – complaining that Tommy Taylor was a poor friend for not visiting him in hospital, unaware that Taylor had been killed; Busby had been urged to keep the news from Berry at this stage, which he found particularly difficult.

In the meantime, the team was managed by [[Jimmy Murphy (footballer)|Jimmy Murphy]], who had been taking charge of the Wales team at the time of the crash, and so was not present. Busby attended a new-look United side's [[1958 FA Cup Final|FA Cup final]] defeat against [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] three months later, and resumed full managerial duties for the [[1958–59 in English football|following season]].

Busby had been appointed the manager of Scotland before the Munich disaster.<ref name="sfa"/> [[Dawson Walker]] took charge of the team during the [[1958 FIFA World Cup|1958 World Cup]] instead.<ref name="sfa"/> After recovering from his injuries, Busby managed Scotland in two games later that year against Wales and [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]].<ref name="sfa">{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football_manager_profile.cfm?page=3087&managerID=2 |title=Matt Busby |work=scottishfa.co.uk |publisher=[[Scottish Football Association]] |access-date=20 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831083954/http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football_manager_profile.cfm?page=3087&managerID=2 |archive-date=31 August 2017 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Busby gave an 18-year-old [[Denis Law]], then with Huddersfield Town, his first Scotland cap.<ref name="sfa"/> He had already expressed an interest in signing Law for United by this stage, although he had yet to be successful in doing so.