There is a history in the hearts of every football fan that is unforgettable, and for us Manchester United supporters, the Munich air disaster is undoubtedly the heaviest page of it. This year, we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the disaster, and for the first time, it has been commemorated without any survivors. This loss makes every memory feel particularly painful.
The club has arranged a series of activities to remember the 23 lives lost on February 6, 1958. Not only for the men's team, but also for the women's and academy teams, our players, staff and fans will be paying tribute to them before and after the match. This kind of respect is not just a superficial ceremony, but a deep heart-to-heart exchange, a kind of respect and remembrance of the club's history that wells up from the bottom of the heart.
In particular, Ten Hag and Mark Skinner will represent the club by laying a wreath of remembrance shortly before kick-off at Old Trafford and Leigh Sports Village, and the black armbands worn by the players are the deepest tribute to the deceased. At Old Trafford, the families of the victims participated in the game as VIPs of the club, and the flags that flew at half-mast, the Manchester flowers, and the banner tribute activities, every detail revealed a respect for history and the memory of the deceased.
Not only on the pitch, but also outside the club, there will be fan-led ceremonies, a form of commemoration that feels extra close to the hearts of the people, not just for the club, but for every fan. We mourn together, mourn together, and remember together.
Tuesday's memorial service, whether in Manchester or Munich, will be an important part of this historical memory. The Old Trafford Stadium, in particular, will take place in the form of poems, songs and recitations, which are not only mourning for the deceased, but also a spiritual legacy. And in Munich, Mike Ferran attended the ceremony with the fans and the club**, which is also a continuation of this memory and respect.
Manchester United's Street Celebrity Community Football Programme's young people travelling to Munich to take part in the commemoration is not only a retrospective of history, but also a valuable opportunity to learn and grow. Their participation has made this commemoration more vivid and made more young people understand the importance of this history.
The tragedy may have struck 66 years ago, but its impact will be forever remembered in the hearts of everyone at Manchester United. We commemorate not only for the past, but also for the future to remember this history and make it the driving force for the club to move forward. Manchester United will never forget, and together we will remember and pay tribute to the lives lost in the Munich air disaster, so that their spirits will live on.