'Busby Babe' Foulkes dies at 81
Former Manchester United defender survived 1958 Munich air crash to play a key role in team's recovery
Bill Foulkes, a former Manchester United defender who survived the Munich air disaster and played a key role in the football team’s recovery, died on Monday, the club said. He was 81.
United did not give a cause of death for Foulkes, who won the top-flight title four times and helped the club collect the European Cup for the first time.
“He was as hard as nails, as tough as teak – I was always glad I didn’t have to play against him,” said Bobby Charlton, a former United teammate who also survived the 1958 Munich crash. “He was a really, really good defensive player and you could say he helped change the course of history for United.”
[Foulkes] was as hard as nails, as tough as teak – I was always glad I didn’t have to play against him
Foulkes, who still worked five days a week in a coal mine initially after joining United in 1950, made his first-team debut in 1952 and went on to make 688 appearances.
“Bill used to turn up pitch black with coal dust, straight from the pits in St Helens and straight into training,” Charlton said, recalling a time when footballers’ pay was capped at £20 a week. “It took a long time to persuade him to become a full-time professional.”
When he did, Foulkes stayed committed to United for his entire playing career.
Only Ryan Giggs, who is still playing, Charlton and Paul Scholes have featured more times for the 20-time English champions than Foulkes.
United defender Rio Ferdinand wrote on Twitter that Foulkes was a “great servant to the club”.