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My grandad told me when I was young boy 40 years ago about Duncan Edwards he said he had everything and would have been England captain for years, anyone elses parents or grandparents talk about him
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TownSNAFU5 |
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Bobby Charlton said that Duncan Edwards would have been captain of England in 1966. The best player he ever played with. Some accolade.
I would have liked to go back in history to see him play. I was lucky enough to see George Best play once for Man United.
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TheRonRaffertyFanClub |
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There are some clips on YouTube that give a very small indication of what he was like. His goal for England against Germany is worth watching. Bobby Charlton reckoned he was the best he ever saw, including Pele, Best and the others.
I never saw him “live” and in those days there was not a lot of football film. I do remember being incredibly disappointed watching him on TV in the 1957 Cup Final against Aston Villa when he was very poor. To be fair he was playing centre half when MU were down to 10 men but he played like Gerrard on steroids, every pass was about 50 yards and miles wide of target. But he was only 20 at the time. Nine months later he was dead.
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| “If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty." |
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TheRonRaffertyFanClub |
February 6, 2018, 10:19am |
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Chance is a strange thing. On the subject of Duncan Edwards I had a chance encounter in 1957, though not with the lad himself sad to say.
I was about 10 and we were at the wedding of my cousin in Rawmarsh. I was sat next to a teenage lad. People kept coming up to him and asking how he was and wishing him good luck. He said he had played for Doncaster Rovers and was just going to sign for Man U the previous year but he had broken his leg. He had just had the plaster removed. He had spent a week at Old Trafford training with Edwards, Taylor and co. and told me how brilliant they were. His name was Alick Jeffrey. This is his Wiki entry -
Born in Rawmarsh, Jeffrey made his senior debut for Doncaster Rovers in 1954, at the age of just 15. Jeffrey had agreed a move to Manchester United when he sustained a badly broken leg playing for England U23 v France in October 1956. He was forced to retire due to that injury in January 1959. He received compensation from the FA because his injury was sustained whilst on International duty. However, he then met the former Sweden International Manager George Raynor (who became manager of the non-League side Skegness Town F.C.) and who assisted Jeffrey in being able to play again, despite his former injuries. Unfortunately, an attempted come back with Skegness in August 1959, ended when he broke his leg again on his debut. Jeffrey then moved to Australia, and began his long road back to professional football with Sydney Prague in 1961 and Auburn in 1962. Later that same year, he returned to England to play non-league football with Skegness Town F.C. before finally returning to professional football with Doncaster Rovers in December 1963, where he made in his debut in a reserve team game in front of almost 4,000 supporters (more than normally watched the first team!). He was the most complete forward - scoring goals with either foot and also a phenomenal header of the ball. He could also play deeper and hit superb long passes all over the field. Jimmy Murphy, the ex Manchester United Assistant Manager, called Jeffrey the "English Pele". He was one of the most exciting players of the 50s and 60s and certainly the best player ever to don a Doncaster Rovers shirt.
He also played in the Football League with Lincoln City, before playing non-league football with Worksop Town in 1970..
I saw Alick play a few times and he was outstanding but the injuries robbed him of pace and big clubs were reluctant to take a chance on him. But he used to say that he had been lucky. If he had not broken his leg he could have been on that plane in Munich.
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| “If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty." |
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Caveman |
February 6, 2018, 10:41am |
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In the aftermath of the disaster after the immediate shock of all those dying the whole country hoped and prayed for the lives and recovery of Duncan Edwards and Matt Busby.
I still remember two weeks later the news coming through over the radio that Duncan had not won this last battle.
He was an amazing young player and man.
Even in his late teens he would travel home from Manchester to home to his family and to enjoy his other favourite pastime, Morris Dancing.
I don't think he ever played at Blundell Park but a year earlier we played an Army Select team in a friendly which included several young stars ( who were doing their national service ) which included another one of the Busby Babes, Eddie Coleman who also died at Munich.
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mimma |
February 6, 2018, 10:42am |
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Another player that I remember playing for Donny.
You only remember the good players.
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grimsby pete |
February 6, 2018, 11:38am |
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I am about the same age as RRFC and agree with his comments apart from the 1957 cup final, He has got a lot better memory than me I watched the game live and all I can remember is the broken leg and Peter Macparland ? scoring 2 goals.
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| Over 36 years living in Suffolk but always a mariner. 68 Years following the Town
Life member of Trust
First game April 1955 |
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TheRonRaffertyFanClub |
February 6, 2018, 11:56am |
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I am about the same age as RRFC and agree with his comments apart from the 1957 cup final, He has got a lot better memory than me I watched the game live and all I can remember is the broken leg and Peter Macparland ? scoring 2 goals.
It was Ray Wood the goalie who went off Pete. Fractured cheekbone I think in a collision with MacParland when he scored.. Jackie Blanchflower went in goal and that was why Edwards was at centre half. Ray Wood came back on during the second half and played on the wing. In those days I was a Tommy Taylor fan.
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| “If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty." |
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grimsby pete |
February 6, 2018, 12:43pm |
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It was Ray Wood the goalie who went off Pete. Fractured cheekbone I think in a collision with MacParland when he scored.. Jackie Blanchflower went in goal and that was why Edwards was at centre half. Ray Wood came back on during the second half and played on the wing.
In those days I was a Tommy Taylor fan.
Yes its all coming back to me now mate BUT What did you do yesterday ?
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| Over 36 years living in Suffolk but always a mariner. 68 Years following the Town
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First game April 1955 |
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TheRonRaffertyFanClub |
February 6, 2018, 12:52pm |
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Yes its all coming back to me now mate BUT What did you do yesterday ?
I was talking to you, don’t you remember?
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| “If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” ― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty." |
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