On the 6 September, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) will unveil two plaques in honour of former England internationals Frank Swift and Jimmy Armfield.
In what is certain to be an emotional moment, former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg will officially unveil a Frank Swift plaque at Revoe Library, Blackpool, Swift’s hometown.
On 6 February 1958, both goalkeepers were aboard the Manchester United party return flight from Belgrade when it crashed at Munich airport. A total of 23 people including players, crew, coaching staff and journalists, including Frank Swift, then a reporter for the News of the World, were killed. Survivor Harry Gregg was one of the heroes of the tragedy, returning to the plane wreckage and rescuing four people.
Sixty years on, the PFA has linked up with the Blackpool Civic Trust to mount a plaque close to where Frank Swift was born and only yards from Revoe Learning Academy that the Manchester City legend attended as a schoolboy.
Although born many years later, Blackpool and England legend Jimmy Armfield also attended Revoe School, in honour of their former pupils, a playground mural of both players will be unveiled by school and the their families.
In the entrance to Revoe Learning Academy, members of the Armfield family and PFA Chief Exectuive, Gordon Taylor OBE will unveil a plaque in memory of Jimmy Armfield, who played 627 times for his home club and on 43 occasions for his country.
Then at Revoe Library, Gregg, who made 25 appearances for Northern Ireland and 247 for Manchester United will unveil the plaque to Frank Swift. Gregg will be joined at the unveiling by Manchester City ‘keeper Alex Williams.
Harry Gregg, now aged 86, and Frank Swift already knew each-other prior to the Munich air disaster. Gregg had joined the Busby Babes from Doncaster Rovers in December 1957 and recalled that Swift had criticised him 'for spending too much time off his goal-line'.
Gregg explained: “So when I say Frank was a wonderful character, it is not because he always wrote nice things about me.
“It is easy to be a character and not have the ability, but Big Swiftie had the ability and character.
“Put these two things together, what more could you want?”
The Schedule
6 September 2018
- 12:30pm, Revoe Learning Academy - mural unveiled for Frank Swift and Jimmy Armfield
- 1:15pm, Revoe Learning Academy - plaque unveiled in honour of Jimmy Armfield
- 2:00pm, Revoe Library - plaque unveiled in honour of Frank Swift
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