Bill Foulkes
Encyclopedia
William Anthony Foulkes (born 5 January 1932) is a former English
footballer who played for Manchester United
in the Busby Babes
teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs
and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3 appearances as a substitute. He also started in every single United game in the seasons 1957–58
, 1959–60
, 1963–64
and 1964–65
. He scored a total of 9 goals in his 18 seasons at United and helped the club win four First Division
titles, one FA Cup
and one European Cup
. Despite this, he was capped
only once for England
in 1955.
, Lancashire
, in 1932. His grandfather had captained St Helens Rugby League Football Club and was also an England rugby
international. His father had also played rugby league
for St Helens, and had also played football for New Brighton
in the Third Division North
. Foulkes himself played for the Whiston Boys Club in his teens, and also worked at the Lea Green Colliery around the turn of the 1950s.He married Joyce Williams at St Nicholas Church, Whiston
, in 1956.They had three children; William junior (born 1960), Debra (born 1962) and Alison (born 1969).
on 13 December 1952, slightly less than a month before turning 20. United won the match 2–1. He also played 2 games for the England Under-23 team. During this time, he continued to work part-time at the coal mine, feeling he was not good enough to play full-time league football.
Foulkes scored his first of only nine goals for the club against Newcastle United
in a First Division match on 2 January 1954 at St James' Park
. The goal was scored from near the halfway line, an achievement especially for a defender. United finished that season in fifth place.
Foulkes won his first cap for England 22 months after making his United debut, playing at right-back against Northern Ireland
on 2 October 1954. However, that was his only international appearance at the senior level throughout his whole career. It was only after he won the cap that he stopped working at the colliery.
In the 1955–56 season, Foulkes won his first Championship with United. Towards the end of that season, Foulkes found himself laden with National Service commitments. Because of that, United manager Sir Matt Busby began to favour Ian Greaves
over Foulkes in right-back. Foulkes responded by training harder than usual, determined to be called back to play for the first-team. This attitude worked in his favour, and he returned to playing regularly for the first-team from the next season until the end of the 1960s.
Because United won the Championship in the 1955–56 season, it was eligible to play in the European Cup in the following season of 1956–57. Despite objections from the Football League
, United became England's first representatives in the European Cup. In the second match of the Cup, United demolished Anderlecht
10–0, although Foulkes did not score any goals. The result continues to be United's record victory in a European match. In that season, Foulkes helped United to the semi-finals of the European Cup, losing to Real Madrid
5–3 on aggregate after losing 1–3 at the Bernabéu
and drawing 2–2 in the return leg at Maine Road
. United also reached the finals of the FA Cup in that season, losing 1–2 to Aston Villa in the match at the Wembley Stadium
on 4 May 1957. In addition, United successfully defended its Championship title that season.
in Yugoslavia
, United drew 3–3, winning 5–4 on aggregate. After the match, the team had a reception, then travelled to the British Embassy where each player was given a bottle of gin.
On the return journey to Manchester
on 6 February 1958, the British European Airways
aircraft that the team was on stopped at Munich
to refuel. Because of boost surging, takeoff was aborted twice. The pilot returned to the terminal, and after a while, it was announced that one more attempt to take off would be made. At that time, Foulkes had been running a card school with Ken Morgans
, David Pegg
, Albert Scanlon
, Roger Byrne
and Liam Whelan
in the middle of the plane. When he heard the announcement, he started to worry for his safety. In a 1998 interview with Carling-Net, he said of the announcement, "When they said that you didn't have to be a genius to know that this was going to be a bit dicey."
On the third attempt to take off, the pilots managed to control the surging, but as the plane reached the V1 speed, after which it is dangerous to abort takeoff, airspeed suddenly dropped. The plane left the runway and crashed into a fence and a house. In the 1998 interview, Foulkes recalled, The plane had broken right under the seat that Foulkes was sitting on. In the crash, the bottle of gin from the British Embassy, which Foulkes had placed on the overhead rack with his overcoat, hit Foulkes on the back of his head. The head injury was the only injury which he sustained in the crash. Immediately after the crash, Foulkes climbed out of his safety belt and ran 50 yards away from the plane. He then turned back and saw the wrecked plane. As Foulkes later said,
The 23 injured people were admitted to hospital, but Foulkes spent the night in a hotel with Gregg. The next morning, Foulkes visited his teammates in the hospital. He visited Duncan Edwards
, Johnny Berry
, Jackie Blanchflower
, Viollet, Scanlon, Charlton and Ray Wood
. Then, he recalls, "I was just beginning to think it didn't look too bad when I asked where the rest were. The nurse simply shook her head and said: 'That's it, everybody else has died.'"
It was only then that Foulkes realised the full horror of the tragedy. Seven of his team-mates Mark Jones
, David Pegg
, Roger Byrne
, Geoff Bent
, Eddie Colman
, Liam Whelan
and Tommy Taylor
– had been killed instantly. Duncan Edwards
died 15 days later as a result of his injuries. Club secretary Walter Crickmer
and coaches Tom Curry
and Bert Whalley
were also killed. Berry and Blanchflower survived but never played again. Foulkes himself survived, along with Busby, Charlton, Gregg, Morgans, Scanlon, Viollet and Wood.
Over the years since the disaster, Foulkes has felt anger about the fact that the pilots had tried to take off a third time, despite the obvious dangers.
, West Bromwich Albion
and Fulham
, United reached the FA Cup final, losing 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers
. However, the team did not fare so well in the league, winning only 1 match against Sunderland
, drawing 5 matches and losing 8, and finished in ninth place. In the semi-finals of the European Cup, United won 2–1 in the first leg against A.C. Milan
, but lost 4–0 in the second leg at the San Siro, losing 5–2 on aggregate.
In the next four seasons, United continued to do poorly, finishing the league in 2nd, 7th, 7th, and 15th place respectively. In the FA Cup, the club exited the competition in the 3rd round, 5th round, 4th round and semi-finals respectively. In the 1962–63 season, United did badly in the league, finishing in 19th place, but won the FA Cup after winning the final 3–1 against Leicester City on 25 May 1963. Throughout this time, Foulkes struggled a lot from the crash. He later said, "I lost so much weight, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, I was losing fitness and form and I'd really had enough."
On 10 October 1960, Busby played Foulkes in centre back for the first time. That was to prove to be Foulkes' favoured position, but he did not start enjoying the game again until 1963. In the 1963–64 season, United finished 2nd in the league, and finally won the Championship in the 1964–65 season, after a run of 13 wins in 15 games. By then, Foulkes and Charlton were the only two Munich survivors in the team. In 1966–67, Foulkes helped United win the Championship again, completing his haul of 4 Championship medals, more than any other United player of his era.
, United once again qualified for the European Cup. After beating Hibernians
, Sarajevo
and Górnik Zabrze
, United faced up to Real Madrid
in the semi-finals. Foulkes did not play at the first leg at Old Trafford, which United won by a narrow 1–0 victory. However, he did play the second leg at the Bernabéu
on 15 May 1968, in which Real was leading 3–1 at half-time
. David Sadler scored in the second half to level the scores 3–3 on aggregate. Near the end of the match, George Best
sent a cross into the penalty area
. Foulkes sidefooted the ball into the net, scoring one of the most important goals of his career and sending United into the final.
The final was held at Wembley Stadium
on 29 May 1968. Up against Benfica, Foulkes started the match in central defence. As the match entered extra time, the scoreline was 1–1, with the United goal coming from Charlton. Then, Best, Brian Kidd
and Charlton scored a goal each, and United triumphed 4–1, becoming the first English team to win the European Cup. 10 years after the Munich air disaster, Foulkes had finally won a European Cup winners medal at the age of 36. Foulkes later said that winning the Cup helped him to "get over the crash".
, Wilf McGuinness
(who had played alongside Foulkes in the late 1950s) replaced the retiring Busby as manager of United. Foulkes played only 3 games under McGuinness, the last coming in a 1–4 loss against Southampton
at Old Trafford on 16 August 1969. By this stage, he was the oldest player in the team at the age of 37. He officially retired from playing on 1 June 1970.
By the end of his lengthy career, Foules had made 683 appearances. He had previously held the club's appearance record until Charlton (759 appearances) overtook him and recently Ryan Giggs, although he is still in third place for appearances for United. He had also made 3 appearances as a substitute in the 1968–69 season in the First Division. In addition, he had scored 9 goals in his United career. He also started in every single game United had played in the seasons 1957–58, 1959–60, 1963–64 and 1964–65. He served United in the First Division for 18 seasons, most of them as a regular player, and was the longest-serving player at the club at the time of his final game.
After retirement, he stayed at Old Trafford as a youth-team coach from 1970 to 1975, when he finally left United after 25 years of unbroken service.http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={847FFC5F-947A-470D-A13B-E757FD63C2A8}&teamid=1445&bioid=92135
club Witney United F.C.
, which was then known as Witney Town. In 1975, he went to USA where he managed Chicago Sting
(1975–77), Tulsa Roughnecks
(1978–79) and San Jose Earthquakes
(1980). He then travelled to Norway
in 1980 to 1988 where he had two managing stints with Steinkjer FK
, and also managed Bryne IL, Lillestrøm SK and Viking FK. In 1988, he went to Japan
and managed F.C. Mazda
in Hiroshima
until 1991. Then, he finished his involvement with the game and returned to England in 1992.
In October 1992, he auctioned mementoes of his career at Christie's
as he needed the money. Twenty items were auctioned, raising almost £35000. All his medals were auctioned, and his European Cup medal raised £11000, while the jersey he wore in the European Cup final raised £1800.
As recently as 2000, he was still coaching for the Manchester FA, and was frequently requested to show Japanese visitors around the stadium, because of his 4-year coaching spell in Japan during which he learnt the Japanese language.
†The League Cup began in 1960–61.
‡Foulkes also made 3 substitute appearances in the 1968–69 season in the First Division.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the Busby Babes
Busby Babes
The Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3 appearances as a substitute. He also started in every single United game in the seasons 1957–58
1957-58 in English football
The 1957–58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South...
, 1959–60
1959-60 in English football
The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First...
, 1963–64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
and 1964–65
1964-65 in English football
The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions....
. He scored a total of 9 goals in his 18 seasons at United and helped the club win four First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
titles, one FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and one European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Despite this, he was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
only once for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1955.
Early life
Foulkes was born in St HelensSt Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, in 1932. His grandfather had captained St Helens Rugby League Football Club and was also an England rugby
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
international. His father had also played rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for St Helens, and had also played football for New Brighton
New Brighton A.F.C.
-Revived club:New Brighton A.F.C. were reborn in 1993, and joined the Birkenhead and Wirral League, which they won in their first season. In 1995 the club switched to the South Wirral League. After upgrading their new ground, the club were admitted to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League...
in the Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
. Foulkes himself played for the Whiston Boys Club in his teens, and also worked at the Lea Green Colliery around the turn of the 1950s.He married Joyce Williams at St Nicholas Church, Whiston
Whiston
Whiston is the name of several places in England:* Whiston, Merseyside* Whiston, Northamptonshire* Whiston, South Yorkshire...
, in 1956.They had three children; William junior (born 1960), Debra (born 1962) and Alison (born 1969).
1950–1957
Foulkes was discovered by Manchester United while he was playing for the Whiston Boys club in 1950. He joined the club in March 1950, at the age of 18 years old. After coming through the junior ranks of the club, he turned professional in August 1951. He made his professional debut in a First Division match against arch-rivals LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 13 December 1952, slightly less than a month before turning 20. United won the match 2–1. He also played 2 games for the England Under-23 team. During this time, he continued to work part-time at the coal mine, feeling he was not good enough to play full-time league football.
Foulkes scored his first of only nine goals for the club against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in a First Division match on 2 January 1954 at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
. The goal was scored from near the halfway line, an achievement especially for a defender. United finished that season in fifth place.
Foulkes won his first cap for England 22 months after making his United debut, playing at right-back against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 2 October 1954. However, that was his only international appearance at the senior level throughout his whole career. It was only after he won the cap that he stopped working at the colliery.
In the 1955–56 season, Foulkes won his first Championship with United. Towards the end of that season, Foulkes found himself laden with National Service commitments. Because of that, United manager Sir Matt Busby began to favour Ian Greaves
Ian Greaves
Ian Denzil Greaves was an English football player and manager. He was born in Crompton, Lancashire. He won a League Championship medal and an FA Cup runners-up medal while playing fullback for Manchester United between 1953 and 1960...
over Foulkes in right-back. Foulkes responded by training harder than usual, determined to be called back to play for the first-team. This attitude worked in his favour, and he returned to playing regularly for the first-team from the next season until the end of the 1960s.
Because United won the Championship in the 1955–56 season, it was eligible to play in the European Cup in the following season of 1956–57. Despite objections from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, United became England's first representatives in the European Cup. In the second match of the Cup, United demolished Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
10–0, although Foulkes did not score any goals. The result continues to be United's record victory in a European match. In that season, Foulkes helped United to the semi-finals of the European Cup, losing to Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
5–3 on aggregate after losing 1–3 at the Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
and drawing 2–2 in the return leg at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
. United also reached the finals of the FA Cup in that season, losing 1–2 to Aston Villa in the match at the Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 4 May 1957. In addition, United successfully defended its Championship title that season.
Munich air disaster
As winners of the Championship in 1956–57, United once again represented England in the European Cup in 1957–58. This was the season of the tragic Munich air disaster. In the second leg of the quarter finals against Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, United drew 3–3, winning 5–4 on aggregate. After the match, the team had a reception, then travelled to the British Embassy where each player was given a bottle of gin.
On the return journey to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on 6 February 1958, the British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
aircraft that the team was on stopped at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
to refuel. Because of boost surging, takeoff was aborted twice. The pilot returned to the terminal, and after a while, it was announced that one more attempt to take off would be made. At that time, Foulkes had been running a card school with Ken Morgans
Ken Morgans
Kenneth Godfrey "Kenny" Morgans is a former Welsh footballer. He signed for Manchester United on leaving school in the summer of 1955 and played on the youth team's right wing....
, David Pegg
David Pegg
David Pegg was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958....
, Albert Scanlon
Albert Scanlon
Albert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. He began his career with Manchester United and was one of the "Busby Babes" who survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. Although he sustained severe injuries, he recovered and continued to play league football for Newcastle United, Lincoln...
, Roger Byrne
Roger Byrne
Roger William Byrne was an English footballer and captain of Manchester United F.C.. He died at the age of 28 in the Munich air disaster....
and Liam Whelan
Liam Whelan
William Augustine Whelan , also known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster...
in the middle of the plane. When he heard the announcement, he started to worry for his safety. In a 1998 interview with Carling-Net, he said of the announcement, "When they said that you didn't have to be a genius to know that this was going to be a bit dicey."
On the third attempt to take off, the pilots managed to control the surging, but as the plane reached the V1 speed, after which it is dangerous to abort takeoff, airspeed suddenly dropped. The plane left the runway and crashed into a fence and a house. In the 1998 interview, Foulkes recalled, The plane had broken right under the seat that Foulkes was sitting on. In the crash, the bottle of gin from the British Embassy, which Foulkes had placed on the overhead rack with his overcoat, hit Foulkes on the back of his head. The head injury was the only injury which he sustained in the crash. Immediately after the crash, Foulkes climbed out of his safety belt and ran 50 yards away from the plane. He then turned back and saw the wrecked plane. As Foulkes later said,
The 23 injured people were admitted to hospital, but Foulkes spent the night in a hotel with Gregg. The next morning, Foulkes visited his teammates in the hospital. He visited Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s, and one of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster.Born in Dudley,...
, Johnny Berry
Johnny Berry
Reginald John "Johnny" Berry was an English football player. Berry joined Manchester United from Birmingham City in 1951. He was a natural right winger, with technique and pace as his strengths. He played 277 matches for Manchester United, scoring 44 goals along the way, including helping...
, Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie Blanchflower
John "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
, Viollet, Scanlon, Charlton and Ray Wood
Ray Wood
Raymond Ernest "Ray" Wood was a Manchester United goalkeeper who played in the 1956 and 1957 championship-winning teams. Wood was a very fast player, he had the opportunity to be a professional sprinter but chose to play football, and was very agile...
. Then, he recalls, "I was just beginning to think it didn't look too bad when I asked where the rest were. The nurse simply shook her head and said: 'That's it, everybody else has died.'"
It was only then that Foulkes realised the full horror of the tragedy. Seven of his team-mates Mark Jones
Mark Jones (footballer)
Mark Jones was an English footballer and one of eight Manchester United players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster...
, David Pegg
David Pegg
David Pegg was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958....
, Roger Byrne
Roger Byrne
Roger William Byrne was an English footballer and captain of Manchester United F.C.. He died at the age of 28 in the Munich air disaster....
, Geoff Bent
Geoff Bent
Geoffrey "Geoff" Bent was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.-Career:...
, Eddie Colman
Eddie Colman
Edward "Eddie" Colman was an English football player and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
, Liam Whelan
Liam Whelan
William Augustine Whelan , also known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster...
and Tommy Taylor
Tommy Taylor
Thomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
– had been killed instantly. Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s, and one of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster.Born in Dudley,...
died 15 days later as a result of his injuries. Club secretary Walter Crickmer
Walter Crickmer
Walter Crickmer was an English football club secretary and manager.He became Manchester United club secretary in 1926. He twice assumed managerial responsibility: from 1 April 1931 to 1 June 1932, and then again from 1 August 1937 to 1 February 1945.Together with club owner James W...
and coaches Tom Curry
Tom Curry
Tom Curry was an English footballer who played as a half back for Newcastle United and Stockport County in the 1920s...
and Bert Whalley
Bert Whalley
Herbert "Bert" Whalley was a footballer for Manchester United from 1934 to 1946, later serving as coach for the club. He died in the Munich air disaster in 1958 at the age of 45....
were also killed. Berry and Blanchflower survived but never played again. Foulkes himself survived, along with Busby, Charlton, Gregg, Morgans, Scanlon, Viollet and Wood.
Over the years since the disaster, Foulkes has felt anger about the fact that the pilots had tried to take off a third time, despite the obvious dangers.
1958–1966
Immediately after the crash, Foulkes took over captaincy of the club in place of Byrne, who was killed in the crash. After matches against Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, United reached the FA Cup final, losing 2–0 to Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. However, the team did not fare so well in the league, winning only 1 match against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, drawing 5 matches and losing 8, and finished in ninth place. In the semi-finals of the European Cup, United won 2–1 in the first leg against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, but lost 4–0 in the second leg at the San Siro, losing 5–2 on aggregate.
In the next four seasons, United continued to do poorly, finishing the league in 2nd, 7th, 7th, and 15th place respectively. In the FA Cup, the club exited the competition in the 3rd round, 5th round, 4th round and semi-finals respectively. In the 1962–63 season, United did badly in the league, finishing in 19th place, but won the FA Cup after winning the final 3–1 against Leicester City on 25 May 1963. Throughout this time, Foulkes struggled a lot from the crash. He later said, "I lost so much weight, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, I was losing fitness and form and I'd really had enough."
On 10 October 1960, Busby played Foulkes in centre back for the first time. That was to prove to be Foulkes' favoured position, but he did not start enjoying the game again until 1963. In the 1963–64 season, United finished 2nd in the league, and finally won the Championship in the 1964–65 season, after a run of 13 wins in 15 games. By then, Foulkes and Charlton were the only two Munich survivors in the team. In 1966–67, Foulkes helped United win the Championship again, completing his haul of 4 Championship medals, more than any other United player of his era.
European Cup triumph
By winning the league title in 1966–671966-67 in English football
The 1966–67 season was the 87th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Queens Park Rangers won the Football League Cup on the first occasion it was played at Wembley, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2....
, United once again qualified for the European Cup. After beating Hibernians
Hibernians F.C.
Hibernians F.C. is a Maltese football club hailing from the town of Paola, Malta. It is one of the top football teams in Malta. The club was founded in 1922, but football in Paola, Raħal Ġdid in Maltese, dates back to 1894. The team has a long successful story in its history. Hibernians has always...
, Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium...
, United faced up to Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the semi-finals. Foulkes did not play at the first leg at Old Trafford, which United won by a narrow 1–0 victory. However, he did play the second leg at the Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
on 15 May 1968, in which Real was leading 3–1 at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
. David Sadler scored in the second half to level the scores 3–3 on aggregate. Near the end of the match, George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
sent a cross into the penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
. Foulkes sidefooted the ball into the net, scoring one of the most important goals of his career and sending United into the final.
The final was held at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 29 May 1968. Up against Benfica, Foulkes started the match in central defence. As the match entered extra time, the scoreline was 1–1, with the United goal coming from Charlton. Then, Best, Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....
and Charlton scored a goal each, and United triumphed 4–1, becoming the first English team to win the European Cup. 10 years after the Munich air disaster, Foulkes had finally won a European Cup winners medal at the age of 36. Foulkes later said that winning the Cup helped him to "get over the crash".
Last years
After winning the European Cup, Foulkes felt he had achieved all he could and wished to retire. However, Busby managed to convince him to stay for 2 more years. The next season, United finished 11th in the league. In the 1969–70 season1969-70 in English football
The 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth...
, Wilf McGuinness
Wilf McGuinness
Wilfred "Wilf" McGuinness is a former English football player and manager, who played twice for England. He is best known for taking over from Matt Busby as manager of Manchester United...
(who had played alongside Foulkes in the late 1950s) replaced the retiring Busby as manager of United. Foulkes played only 3 games under McGuinness, the last coming in a 1–4 loss against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
at Old Trafford on 16 August 1969. By this stage, he was the oldest player in the team at the age of 37. He officially retired from playing on 1 June 1970.
By the end of his lengthy career, Foules had made 683 appearances. He had previously held the club's appearance record until Charlton (759 appearances) overtook him and recently Ryan Giggs, although he is still in third place for appearances for United. He had also made 3 appearances as a substitute in the 1968–69 season in the First Division. In addition, he had scored 9 goals in his United career. He also started in every single game United had played in the seasons 1957–58, 1959–60, 1963–64 and 1964–65. He served United in the First Division for 18 seasons, most of them as a regular player, and was the longest-serving player at the club at the time of his final game.
After retirement, he stayed at Old Trafford as a youth-team coach from 1970 to 1975, when he finally left United after 25 years of unbroken service.http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={847FFC5F-947A-470D-A13B-E757FD63C2A8}&teamid=1445&bioid=92135
Post Manchester United
After his coaching stint at United, Foulkes managed several teams. First, he was manager of English non-LeagueNon-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club Witney United F.C.
Witney United F.C.
Witney United FC was formed by a group of Witney Town supporters. Intent on bring senior football back to the town the group registered Witney United FC with the Oxfordshire Football Association in 2001....
, which was then known as Witney Town. In 1975, he went to USA where he managed Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
(1975–77), Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
(1978–79) and San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
(1980). He then travelled to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1980 to 1988 where he had two managing stints with Steinkjer FK
Steinkjer FK
Steinkjer FK is a Norwegian football club from the town of Steinkjer, currently playing in Fair Play ligaen, the third tier in the Norwegian league system. It was founded in 1910...
, and also managed Bryne IL, Lillestrøm SK and Viking FK. In 1988, he went to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and managed F.C. Mazda
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...
in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
until 1991. Then, he finished his involvement with the game and returned to England in 1992.
In October 1992, he auctioned mementoes of his career at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
as he needed the money. Twenty items were auctioned, raising almost £35000. All his medals were auctioned, and his European Cup medal raised £11000, while the jersey he wore in the European Cup final raised £1800.
As recently as 2000, he was still coaching for the Manchester FA, and was frequently requested to show Japanese visitors around the stadium, because of his 4-year coaching spell in Japan during which he learnt the Japanese language.
Career statistics
| Season | First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... † |
Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
World Club Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goal | Apps | Goals | |
| 1952–53 1952-53 in English football The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1953–54 1953-54 in English football The 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:... |
32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 1954–55 1954-55 in English football The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup.... |
41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| 1955–56 1955-56 in English football The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association... |
26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 1956–57 1956-57 in English football The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East... |
39 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| 1957–58 1957-58 in English football The 1957–58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South... |
42 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 0 | ||
| 1958–59 1958-59 in English football The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester... |
32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 1959–60 1959-60 in English football The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First... |
42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 1960–61 1960-61 in English football The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions... |
40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| 1962–62 1961-62 in English football The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division... |
40 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| 1962–63 1962-63 in English football The 1962–63 season was the 83rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*Everton won the League Championship, their first post-war title.*Manchester United won the FA Cup, their first major trophy since the Munich Air Disaster in 1958.... |
41 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| 1963–64 1963-64 in English football The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:... |
41 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 1 |
| 1964–65 1964-65 in English football The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions.... |
42 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| 1965–66 1965-66 in English football The 1965–66 season was the 86th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:7 October 1965: An experiment to broadcast a live game to another ground takes place... |
33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| 1966–67 1966-67 in English football The 1966–67 season was the 87th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Queens Park Rangers won the Football League Cup on the first occasion it was played at Wembley, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2.... |
33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 4 |
| 1967–68 1967-68 in English football The 1967–68 season was the 88th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-FA Cup:... |
24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
| 1968–69 1968-69 in English football The 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool... |
10‡ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 1969–70 1969-70 in English football The 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 563 | 7 | 61 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 685 | 9 |
†The League Cup began in 1960–61.
‡Foulkes also made 3 substitute appearances in the 1968–69 season in the First Division.
Club
Manchester United- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(4): 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(1): 1962–63 - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 1967–681968 European Cup FinalThe 1968 European Cup Final was the 13th European Cup Final and the culmination of the 1967–68 European Cup, a club football tournament for the champions of European leagues. The match was held at Wembley Stadium, London, on 29 May 1968, between Manchester United of England and Benfica of Portugal... - Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(4): 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967 (joint winners)
External links
- Short biography on the official Manchester United website