OT 100 #18: Munich morgue
As the club came to terms with the full horror of the Munich air disaster, the bodies of the victims were flown back to Manchester...
The Background: With 21 dead after the failed take-off and subsequent explosion of the plane carrying United's players back from a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade, the club was rocked to its foundations. The victims had to return home, however, and the bodies made their final trip back to Manchester on Friday, 7 February 1958.
The Occasion: Old Trafford was a scene of shocked congregation. Fans flocked to try and make sense of the tragedy, while inside assistant club secretary Les Olive toiled manfully to make the club cope with the events. When the bodies of those who had perished arrived, they were carefully laid in the club's gym - underneath the south stand - where they stayed overnight on perhaps the eeriest evening Old Trafford has known.
The Aftermath: The following morning, families of the deceased filtered in to collect the bodies and make funeral arrangements. When the victims were laid to rest, United supporters lined the streets in silent tribute to each cortege. A two-minute silence was impeccably observed at every football match across the country that weekend. United did not play, naturally, but football did return to Old Trafford just 13 days after Munich, with an FA Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday.