Munich survivor Ray Wood dies

The former Manchester United FC and England goalkeeper Ray Wood, a survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster which decimated one of England’s finest club teams, has died at the age of 71.

Busby Babe
Wood, who came from the north-east of England, was a member of the brilliant young United squad built by coach Matt Busby in the 1950s, and nicknamed the "Busby Babes".

Three England caps
He first played for Darlington FC in his native region, before moving to United and establishing a reputation as a brave goalkeeper with considerable reflexes. He won three England caps between 1955 and 1956.

FA Cup final injury
Wood hit the national headlines in unfortunate circumstances in 1957. Playing for United in that year’s English FA Cup final against Aston Villa FC, he suffered a broken cheekbone in a collision with the onrushing Villa winger Peter McParland, and was carried from the field on a stretcher. As no substitutes were allowed in those days, Wood returned to the fray as a makeshift winger in United’s 2-1 defeat.

Plane crash
On 6 February 1958, the United party was returning from a European Champion Clubs' Cup tie against FK Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, when their plane crashed on take-off after a refuelling stop in Munich.

Eight players perish
Twenty-three people died, including eight United players – among them England internationals such as Tommy Taylor, Duncan Edwards and Roger Byrne. Wood, who did not play in the Belgrade match, suffered serious injuries, but survived.

Two league titles
Wood won the league title twice with United, in 1956 and 1957, and played over 200 matches for the Old Trafford club. However, his career with the Manchester club failed to flourish after the accident, and he joined Huddersfield Town FC soon afterwards. Further spells with Bradford City FC and Barnsley FC followed before Wood moved into coaching.