Billy Whelan

William Augustine Whelan (1 April 1935 – 6 February 1958), known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer who played as an inside-forward. He died at the age of 22, as one of eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster.

For the 1920s/1930s defender, see Billy Whelan (Scottish footballer).
For other people named William Whelan, see William Whelan (disambiguation).

Liam Whelan
Whelan in May 1957
Personal information
Full name William Augustine Whelan
Date of birth (1935-04-01)1 April 1935
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Date of death 6 February 1958(1958-02-06) (aged 22)
Place of death Munich, West Germany
Position(s) Inside forward
Youth career
Home Farm
Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1953–1958 Manchester United 79 (43)
International career
1956–1957 Republic of Ireland 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Whelan was born in Dublin. He was one of seven children born to John and Elizabeth Whelan. His father John was an accomplished centre half-back for Dublin club Brunswick and was instrumental in winning the FAI Junior Shield in 1924.[1] His mother was an avid Shamrock Rovers supporter.[2] His father died in 1943, when Whelan was just eight years old. He was not a confident flyer and just before the aeroplane took off from Munich, he was heard to say: "This may be death, but I'm ready."

He played Gaelic games, winning a medal for St Peter's of Phibsboro. Dublin GAA club Naomh Fionnbarra successfully had a railway bridge situated near the place of Whelan's birth renamed after him in 2006, while the Naomh Fionnbarra clubhouse also has Whelan's Manchester United membership card.[3]

Club career
Whelan (back row, far left) in a Manchester United team photo in 1957

Whelan began his career with Home Farm before joining Manchester United as an 18-year-old in 1953. He was capped four times for the Republic of Ireland national team (including a surprising 4-1 victory against Holland in Rotterdam in 1956) but did not score.[4] His brother John played for Shamrock Rovers and Drumcondra F.C. and his eldest brother Christy played for Transport F.C..

He made his first appearance for United during the 1954–55 season and quickly became a regular first team player, and went on to make 98 first-team appearances in four seasons at United, scoring 52 goals. He was United's top scorer in the 1956–57 season, scoring 26 goals in the First Division and 33 in all competitions as United won their second successive league title and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. He also gave a commanding display in the 1957 FA Cup final despite losing 2-1 to Aston Villa.[5] Such was the strength of the competition in the United first team that he was soon being kept out of the side by Bobby Charlton. He travelled with the United team to Belgrade for the fateful European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade, the day before the Munich air disaster, but did not play in the game.[6]

Legacy
Whelan's grave in Glasnevin Cemetery, decorated with a Manchester United scarf

On 8 December 2006, the railway bridge on Fassaugh Road/Dowth Avenue junction in Cabra, Dublin 7, close to Dalymount Park was renamed in his honour. The campaign to have the bridge renamed was initiated and organised by members of the Cabra GAA club, Naomh Fionbarra and sanctioned by Dublin City Council in early 2006. It is close to St Attracta Road, the street in which he was born. The unveiling ceremony was performed by Whelan's Manchester United teammate at the time of the aircrash, Sir Bobby Charlton.

On 4 February 2008, the Irish national postal body An Post issued a 55c postage stamp for the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster showing a photo of Liam Whelan.[7]

Whelan is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.[8]

Honours

Manchester United[9]

See also

References
  1. "Junior Notes". Dublin Evening Telegraph. 5 May 1924. p. 4.
  2. "Liam Whelan - a Talent Never To Be Forgotten". Irish Independent. 6 February 1988. p. 16.
  3. "Remembering 'Busby Babe' Whelan and his GAA connection". Hogan Stand. 6 February 2021.
  4. "Eire Triumph Staggers Continent". Daily Mirror. 11 May 1956. p. 16.
  5. "Blanchflower was Cup Final Hero". Leicester Evening Mail. 4 May 1957. p. 24.
  6. "United Front - Liam Whelan". Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  7. "Irish Stamps Collectors News 1/08" (PDF). An Post. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  8. "The lost genius of Irish football: Remembering Liam Whelan, Dublin's Busby Babe". The 42. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  9. "Billy Whelan". mufcinfo.com.
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