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Football Hero Honoured - 1 Apr 2009
Football Hero Honoured
A Rhondda footballing hero who played a crucial role in rebuilding Manchester United following the fateful Munich air disaster, has been honoured in his hometown.
REMEMBERED: Cllr Robert Smith, Deputy Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, who unveiled the plaque with Jimmy Murphy’s daughter, Patricia Broadbent
Jimmy Murphy, the Pentre born footballer who played for West Bromwich Albion and Wales in the 1930s before being appointed assistant manager at Manchester by Matt Busby, became the famous club scout who trained the young players known as "Busby Babes" which included the likes of Duncan Edwards and Bobby Charlton.
Manchester United and Wales’s former footballing greats paid tribute to Jimmy Murphy when they unveiled a Blue Plaque on the house where he lived as a child.
HONOURED: The spectators who turned out for the unveiling
Hundreds of supporters turned out in Treharne Street to meet the sporting heroes of their youth as they celebrated the major contribution Murphy made to a world-famous club that could well have disbanded following the air disaster in 1958.
Nobby Stiles, World Cup Winner in 1966 was amongst the guests of honour which also included David Sadler, the former Manchester United Player and now Chairman of the Club’s Former Player’s Association. Amongst the Welsh International Footballing contingency were Mel Charles, Terry Medwin, Colin Baker, Ken Jones and Mel Hopkins.
LEGENDS: The many former players and staff at Manchester United with the Deputy Mayor and his consort
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Robert Smith unveiled the Blue Plaque with one of Jimmy Murphy’s daughters, Patricia Broadbent.
"This is a proud day not only for Jimmy Murphy and all that he stands for, but Pentre and the Rhondda as we celebrate the massive contribution made to the sport of football by the marvellous man," said Cllr Smith, himself an avid Manchester United fan.
FIRM FRIEND: The legendary Nobby Stiles with Cllr Robert Smith
Murphy had missed United's fateful trip to Red Star Belgrade to guide Wales successfully at the 1958 FIFA World Cup Finals. While waiting to go on the pitch he was told of the Munich air crash which claimed the lives of so many young men that he had personally mentored.
When Busby lay in the Rechts de Isar Hospital in Munich after the crash, he urged Murphy to keep the flag flying at Old Trafford. Despite the shock and sadness that engulfed United the dedicated right hand man nursed them back into action and to the 1958 FA Cup Final at Wembley.
MEMORIES: Nobby Stiles at the plaque which remembered his old friend
Nobby Stiles told the crowd, "I genuinely believe that Manchester United would not have survived had it not been for Jimmy Murphy. He lived and breathed football and was such a massive influence on young players like myself. I am deeply honoured to be here today to pay tribute to a truly great man."
FOOTBALL FANS: Some of the crowd at the event
At a special reception held in the Comrades of the Great War Club in Pentre, where arrangements had been made for the Carling Cup to go on show. It was there that Jimmy Murphy Jnr, the son of the famous man himself, said: "This is a proud day for the Murphy family. The F.A. Youth Cup has been running for 55 years and Manchester United have won the trophy a record nine times. Jimmy was in charge for six of those victories.
IN PLACE: The plaque to Jimmy Murphy
"Jimmy was proud to be a Welshman, he was proud of his roots in the Rhondda Valley and he was proud to be a man of Pentre."
UNVEILED: The Blue Plaque unveiled at the site
Former World Cup referee Clive Thomas also shared his memories of Jimmy Murphy at the clubhouse, along with Nobby Stiles, Mel Hopkins, David Saddler and Paul McGuinness, the current under 18s coach at Manchester United and the son of former player Wilf McGuinness.
A message was also read from Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the "Busby Babes" that Murphy did so much to train as a young man.
FAMILY: Jimmy Murphy Jnr read a message from the family and from Sir Bobby Charlton
"He was the best coach I could have wished for. Jimmy was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a passion for the game that few others possess. All of his work turned me from an amateur into a professional and a team player."
For more information on Rhondda Cynon Taf's Blue Plaque Scheme, visit the Library, Museum and Heritage Service's Online Heritage Trail website here.
