MUNICHS

[BurnleyBob]

I have just finished reading MUNICHS which is a fictionalised telling of the Munich air crash before and after. It is an outstanding book telling the story with great insight through the central characters Harry Gregg, Bobby Charlton and especially Jimmy Murphy who managed Manchester United while Matt Busby recovered. Sadly Burnley do not come out of it very well given some of the remarks made by Bob Lord at the time which at best were highly insensitive. The author, David Peace, also wrote 'The Damned United' which covered Brian Clough's brief managerial stint at Leeds. I can highly recommend MUNICHS.

[ClaretTony]

I have just finished reading MUNICHS which is a fictionalised telling of the Munich air crash before and after. It is an outstanding book telling the story with great insight through the central characters Harry Gregg, Bobby Charlton and especially Jimmy Murphy who managed Manchester United while Matt Busby recovered. Sadly Burnley do not come out of it very well given some of the remarks made by Bob Lord at the time which at best were highly insensitive. The author, David Peace, also wrote 'The Damned United' which covered Brian Clough's brief managerial stint at Leeds. I can highly recommend MUNICHS.

Remarks allegedly made by Bob Lord

[Funkydrummer]

I have been told, from various sources over the years, that they approached Burnley all but demanding which players they would take off us.

If true, then you can only imagine the reply from Bob Lord.

[Stonehouse]

I have just finished reading MUNICHS which is a fictionalised telling of the Munich air crash before and after. It is an outstanding book telling the story with great insight through the central characters Harry Gregg, Bobby Charlton and especially Jimmy Murphy who managed Manchester United while Matt Busby recovered. Sadly Burnley do not come out of it very well given some of the remarks made by Bob Lord at the time which at best were highly insensitive. The author, David Peace, also wrote 'The Damned United' which covered Brian Clough's brief managerial stint at Leeds. I can highly recommend MUNICHS.

Didn’t he say something about them being a load of Teddy Boys and that was about a strong as I got.

[ClaretTony]

Didn’t he say something about them being a load of Teddy Boys and that was about a strong as I got.

It was another director who said it according to Lord.

[ClaretTony]

I have been told, from various sources over the years, that they approached Burnley all but demanding which players they would take off us.

If true, then you can only imagine the reply from Bob Lord.

That’s who I heard it. He offered them a couple of our best reserves but they wanted first team players.

[Silkyskills1]

Didn’t he say something about them being a load of Teddy Boys and that was about a strong as I got.

I think that remark was aimed at 'Pancho' Pearson who wore very distinctive sideburns and wasn't
averse to putting himself about a bit. Over the years it has been made to look that the comment was made at the whole Man Utd team which it clearly wasn't.

[ElectroClaret]

Albert Cheesborough was one of the players they wanted, as i recall.
Lord gave em the bums rush.

[ClaretTony]

Albert Cheesborough was one of the players they wanted, as i recall.
Lord gave em the bums rush.

Believe so

[mikeS]

Read a few of David Peace's work. The Riding trilogy and The Damned United we're good. Peaces huge 'Red or Dead' story about Shankly and Liverpools rise from Division Two beat me though. The repetition got a bit out of hand and I must say I gave up in the end.

[dougcollins]

I think that remark was aimed at 'Pancho' Pearson who wore very distinctive sideburns and wasn't
averse to putting himself about a bit. Over the years it has been made to look that the comment was made at the whole Man Utd team which it clearly wasn't.

Were there two ‘Pancho’ Pearsons at United then - didn’t Stuart, who played in the 70’s, also have this moniker?

[ElectroClaret]

From Bob Lord's autobiography "My Fight For Football ".(As i recall it, there were other players that United wanted, but forgotten their names.)

"It was said at the time that i was unkind to United.
So i will state the facts. They may surprise you.

It may be remembered that League clubs were asked to assist United with rebuilding their team by doing their best to supply them players.
This at Burnley we were quite prepared to do, but we were not prepared, if one faces the fact squarely, to wreck our first team in order to help Old Trafford regain its feet. Remember that we in Burnley do not have the scope surrounding United in the city of Manchester.

Indeed, i was approached by a United director enquiring about the possible transfer of Albert Cheesborough to Old Trafford. I replied that i did not hold out much hope of this valuable player being allowed to leave Turf Moor."

Now this is from Lord's autobiography, so recollections may differ, as the saying goes.

However, i think his point about wrecking our first team was a valid concern.

[Silkyskills1]

Were there two ‘Pancho’ Pearsons at United then - didn’t Stuart, who played in the 70’s, also have this moniker?

The 'original Pancho' in the 1950's was called Mark Pearson. Went into their side immediately after Munich, a product of their youth system and played in their first game v Sheff Wed.( which my older brother attended) at OT.
Stuart Pearson was a striker they bought from Hull, I think and whose goals got them out of Division 2 at the first attempt in 1975.

[ClaretTony]

The 'original Pancho' in the 1950's was called Mark Pearson. Went into their side immediately after Munich, a product of their youth system and played in their first game v Sheff Wed.( which my older brother attended) at OT.
Stuart Pearson was a striker they bought from Hull, I think and whose goals got them out of Division 2 at the first attempt in 1975.

The original Pancho was a bit of a thug wasn’t he?