Geoff Bent
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey "Geoff" Bent was an English
footballer
and one of the eight Manchester United
players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster
.
, and joined United on leaving school in the summer of 1948. After several seasons playing in the reserve and youth sides, he became a professional in 1951 and over the decade made 12 league appearances as full-back
cover for Roger Byrne
on the left and Bill Foulkes
on the right.
He did not play any first-team games during the 1957–58 season, and only travelled to Belgrade
as cover for Roger Byrne - who had not been expected to play in the match due to injury, but still did.
Geoff, who is buried in St. John's Churchyard in Bolton Road (A666), Pendlebury
(just over the Salford/Swinton
& Pendlebury
boundary at Irlams o' th' Height
), had become a father just four months before his death on the birth of his daughter Karen. His widow, Marion, is still alive and contributed to a 1998 ITV
documentary, Munich: End of a Dream, which marked the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and one of the eight 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...
players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
.
Career
Bent was born in Salford, LancashireLancashire
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...
, and joined United on leaving school in the summer of 1948. After several seasons playing in the reserve and youth sides, he became a professional in 1951 and over the decade made 12 league appearances as full-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
cover for 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....
on the left and Bill Foulkes
Bill Foulkes
William Anthony Foulkes 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...
on the right.
He did not play any first-team games during the 1957–58 season, and only travelled to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
as cover for Roger Byrne - who had not been expected to play in the match due to injury, but still did.
Geoff, who is buried in St. John's Churchyard in Bolton Road (A666), Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
(just over the Salford/Swinton
Swinton, Greater Manchester
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
& Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
boundary at Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height is an area of Pendleton, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is on the extremity of the City of Salford metropolitan district boundary, and stands next to Swinton and Pendlebury...
), had become a father just four months before his death on the birth of his daughter Karen. His widow, Marion, is still alive and contributed to a 1998 ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
documentary, Munich: End of a Dream, which marked the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.