United Wembley Double Would be Best

Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby

For over fifty years the intertwined memories of Manchester United and the European Cup victory at the Empire Stadium in Wembley in 1968 have been the fuel that kept Sir Matt Busby’s dream alive at Old Trafford. The legacy of that win is often revisited with grainy footage of Sir Bobby Charlton’s glancing header, the late George Best’s dazzling goal, Nobby Stiles toothless grin at the final whistle and images of the tough Scottish manager embracing his players as they consummated the dream. That night the memories of the Busby Babes permeated the air and the tragedy that was Munich in February 1958 as United beat Benfica. 

The Portuguese side were the first team to break Real Madrid's dominance in the early European Champions' Cup winning two consecutive trophies against FC Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid the following year. During the 1960’s Benfica reached three more finals, but never managed to win the trophy again, losing to Milan in 1963, Internazionale in 1965, and then Manchester United three years later. In 1968 Benfica were considered the best European team by France Football, built around The Black Pearl, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira. This moth another Scot takes a Manchester United team to Wembley in search of the European trophy and facing one of the best footballing sides ever, regularly compared to the Cruyff led Dutch sides of the 1970’s. Or indeed the Brazilian team of Pele, Tostao, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, Rivelino, Gerson 

The legacy of that 1968 team has been deservedly etched into United history as a result of the May 29th win, when they tore Benfica apart by four goals to one. Now, forty three years later, almost to the day, the captain on the night, Sir Bobby Charlton, returns to Wembley, albeit a new edifice, to watch Manchester United seek their fourth trophy in five decades, and cementing Sir Alex Ferguson’s place alongside Sir Matt Busby. Sadly, the victory in 1999 came five years after the death of Busby, as did the 2008 trophy. However a third trophy in 2011 will enshrine the haunting spirit of Munich and the memories of Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam "Billy" Whelan.

The three members of the United staff also lost their lives that day, Walter Crickmer, club secretary, Tom Curry, trainer and Bert Whalley, chief coach. 

The ’68 United team will make the pilgrimage given it is a Wembley final, in what has become a more regular occurrence than was every imaginable forty three years ago and the group includes Alex Stepney, Bill Foulkes, David Sadler, Tony Dunne, Pat Crerand, Nobby Stiles, John Ashton and Jimmy Rimmer, who came on as a substitute on the night. For Brian Kidd the only complication may be his current employment with arch rivals City, although he has crossed the divide so many times over his career that it should not be problematic. Espaiclaly given he spent a decade at Old Trafford with Sir Alex Ferguson as youth team boss and assistant manager before leaving in 1998 to join Blackburn Rovers. 

One player who made the switch twice, moving to United after a two year spell in Torino in 1962,  was Denis Law, who never played in the Wembley final, nor the semi-final, as a knee injury was causing him serious problems at the time. Tommy Docherty gave Law a free transfer in 1973, after 11 years at the club, during which he had scored 237 goals in 404 games, collecting two league titles and an FA Cup winner's medal along the way. The most recent player to make the same switch with a modicum of success has been Argentinian Carlos Tevez, who played in the final in Rome in 2009 for United and will be one of a few names not eligible for the 2001 Wembley trip. The other being Cristiano Ronaldo who moved to Real Madrid in 2009 in a world record transfer deal worth £80 million. 

As history shows, Ferguson and United have missed neither player and a return to a third Champions League final in four years is testament to his winning formula. 

For two of the Irish stars that night in 1968, Shay Brennan and George Best, a return visit to Wembley is now impossible as both left the field, with Brennan passing away in 2000 and Best in 2005. Four years ago the Old Wembley was also replaced and on May 28th new history will be written for the managers, the players, the two clubs and all the former players. 

For Ferguson the poor performance in the Stadio Olimpico in 2009 no doubt weighs heavily on his competitive mind and United will hope to overcome this European super side, Barcelona, at the second time of asking in a Champions League final. In Rome Manchester United were seeking to be the first team to retain the trophy since Milan in 1990 and the burden proved too heavy. For Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola it is a return to the venue where he too has fond memories of winning the last of the European Cup's in 1992, under the guidance of Johan Cruyff – in what was to become the start of the Barcelona passing method. 

Only weeks ago both managers were chasing trebles and already those dreams have been shattered, with United facing a late struggle to win the Premier League. Barcelona on the other hand have La Liga in their grasp but lost the Copa del Rey and it maybe that the end of May the  manager's will be seeking a trophy double. 

For the 1968 United team it would be a memorable Wembley double if Sir Alex Ferguson was to emerge the Best.