Days in the Life at the Guardian: 7 February 1958

One of the blackest days in Manchester's history: 6 February 1958, when the aeroplane carrying the Manchester United football team back from a foreign fixture failed to take off from a runway at Munich airport and crashed. Twenty-three of the 44 passengers died, among them players, supporters, journalists and a Manchester Guardian correspondent. The tragedy of the so-called "Busby Babes", led by their charismatic manager Matt Busby – badly wounded in the crash – hit the city hard.