UPDATE: United was broadcast in the UK on Sunday 24th April. If you missed it, you can catch it on the BBC iPlayer. Let us know what you thought of United by leaving a comment below. Former
Doctor Who (does anyone think he will ever lose that tag?) actor
David Tennant will team up this month with former show director
James Strong and writer
Chris Chibnall to shoot
a BBC T.V. Film
promising to tell the true story of Manchester United's legendary Busby Babes. Titled
United - The Busby Babes And The Munich Air Crash, the film will follow Manager Matt Busby and his assistant Jimmy Murphy as they build the gifted team that became the youngest club to win the English football league in the mid 50's before tragedy struck in Munich when eight of their star players died in a plane crash in February 1958. Just over half of the 44 passengers (including coaches, journalists, etc) were killed.
Although they've secured a notable name in Tennant, the movie will actually be led by Skins actor
Jack O'Connell. He will play Bobby Charlton, the youngest of the Babes to survive and who would later win the World Cup with England in 66, Captain Manchester United to the European Cup in 68 and is genuinely seen as one of the finest players the country ever produced. He received a Knighthood from the Queen in 1994. The movie is seen through his eyes as he survives the crash that killed many of his team mates, including a guy who he swapped seats with prior to the crash.
Tennant, a Derry City football fan, will play Assistant Manager Jimmy Murphy. He was Manager Matt Busby's first appointment to his regime and was the man responsible for scouting, training and teaching the young players that would become world beaters. As
Wiki says - 'He was a very dedicated and passionate teacher whose tactical and technical lessons helped some of the worlds best ever players to reach their full potential' and was away in Wales when the tragic plane crash happened.
(Left, above) -
Thomas Howes (Downtown Abbey) will play club captain Mark Jones, who died in the crash aged 24. (Right, above) -
Sam Clafin (Pirates of the Caribbean 4) will portray Duncan Edwards, the star player who died from his injuries 15 days after the crash. Bobby Charlton would call his death "the biggest single tragedy ever to happen to Manchester United and English football" and many think Edwards, if he had lived, had the skills and mindset to go on and beat Bobby Moore to the captaincy of England in '66.
Veteran Brit actor
Jim Carter will play Matt Busby, the manager of the team who won five league titles with Man Utd and lifted the European Cup. He survived the crash and lived until 1994.
I'm hearing the movie will intercut with interviews from the surviving members of the crash (Band of Brothers style) but I haven't been able to get confirmation on this. The t.v. film will be broadcast next year.