MANCHESTER United legends paid tribute to late teammate Duncan Edwards in Dudley, UK, on the 60th anniversary of his death at a dinner held at Copthorne Merry Hill-Dudley.

The late Duncan Edwards is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, but his career tragically ended when he became a victim of the Munich air disaster in February 1958 that claimed the lives of 23 on board, including eight Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) players. He was aged 21.

A series of commemorative events, in addition to the dinner, were organised to mark the 60th anniversary of his death. An exhibition featuring an extensive collection of photographs, press cuttings and memorabilia that were housed at the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre. A wall of remembrance was also set up at St Francis Church, where Duncan’s funeral was held.

The tribute dinner was attended by Manchester United stars, including Nicky Butt, who played for the club from 1991 to 2004, and Alex Dawson, who was on the team from 1957 to 1961, and was Duncan’s teammate. Other football legends in attendance were Steve Bull, who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers from 1986 to 1999, Graham Williams, who played for West Bromwich Albion from 1955 to 1972, and ex-Aston Villa legend Peter McParland.

The 200 guests were presented with a book Black Country Boy to Red Devil, which illustrated Duncan’s roots as a schoolboy in Black Country, a region in England known for heavy industries such as coal mining during the Industrial Revolution, to his championship winning days with Manchester United and the England football team. The book includes a foreword by Sir Bobby Charlton, a close friend of Duncan’s and fellow Manchester United player. Sir Charlton was in Dudley earlier this year for the tribute exhibition.

The Duncan Edwards tribute dinner will also become an annual event, with the next dinner being planned for September 2019, to keep the legend of the late Duncan Edwards alive. Copthorne Merry Hill-Dudley has also named one of their boardrooms after the football legend.

Duncan Edwards was a celebrated football player, and was hailed as the greatest English footballer of his generation. In his five-year career before his passing, he had scored a total of 21 goals with Manchester United, and five goals for England.