In the golden era of the 1950s, Manchester United’s legendary "Busby Babes" dazzled football fans with their youth, talent, and fearless style of play—until tragedy struck in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, cutting short the lives and careers of many of these gifted young men.
But five years before that fateful day, the future icons of English football took to the field in a much humbler setting: the Carlisle Grounds in Bray. On Tuesday, May 19th, 1953, the Manchester United Youth Team—already showing flashes of brilliance and including the now legendary Duncan Edwards faced off against a spirited Bray Wanderers/Rathfarnham XI. The match was part of a summer tour masterminded by United manager Matt Busby, made possible through the efforts of a local football enthusiast and Bray Wanderers stalwart, Mick Donegan.
This short documentary brings that historic evening to life through the vivid memories of Bray Wanderers’ goalkeeper Shay Ryan, one of the few still able to recount the game from the pitch. Adding depth and context is the late author Colm Keane, whose insight provides a valuable historical lens. Produced and narrated by Mark Quinn, this is a rare glimpse into a forgotten chapter of football history - when the Busby Babes played Bray.
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In the golden era of the 1950s, Manchester United’s legendary "Busby Babes" dazzled football fans with their youth, talent, and fearless style of play—until tragedy struck in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, cutting short the lives and careers of many of these gifted young men.
But five years before that fateful day, the future icons of English football took to the field in a much humbler setting: the Carlisle Grounds in Bray. On Tuesday, May 19th, 1953, the Manchester United Youth Team—already showing flashes of brilliance and including the now legendary Duncan Edwards faced off against a spirited Bray Wanderers/Rathfarnham XI. The match was part of a summer tour masterminded by United manager Matt Busby, made possible through the efforts of a local football enthusiast and Bray Wanderers stalwart, Mick Donegan.
This short documentary brings that historic evening to life through the vivid memories of Bray Wanderers’ goalkeeper Shay Ryan, one of the few still able to recount the game from the pitch. Adding depth and context is the late author Colm Keane, whose insight provides a valuable historical lens. Produced and narrated by Mark Quinn, this is a rare glimpse into a forgotten chapter of football history - when the Busby Babes played Bray.
In this episode, Mark chats with John Ryan, originally from Bray, in Ireland but now living for the past thirty years in Paris, France; and, to web developer Tim Hennick Heuer, from Germany but for the past twenty years a resident in Palmerstown North in New Zealand.
Instagram @StaySafeStaySane. Twitter @StaySafeIRL. Email StaySafeStaySane@gmail.com
Music used by CCC licence: Soft and Furious - So What; Blue Dot Sessions - Cupcake Marshall; Christian Bjorklund - Hallon
Radiogenic Productions
In the golden era of the 1950s, Manchester United’s legendary "Busby Babes" dazzled football fans with their youth, talent, and fearless style of play—until tragedy struck in the Munich Air Disaster of 1958, cutting short the lives and careers of many of these gifted young men.
But five years before that fateful day, the future icons of English football took to the field in a much humbler setting: the Carlisle Grounds in Bray. On Tuesday, May 19th, 1953, the Manchester United Youth Team—already showing flashes of brilliance and including the now legendary Duncan Edwards faced off against a spirited Bray Wanderers/Rathfarnham XI. The match was part of a summer tour masterminded by United manager Matt Busby, made possible through the efforts of a local football enthusiast and Bray Wanderers stalwart, Mick Donegan.
This short documentary brings that historic evening to life through the vivid memories of Bray Wanderers’ goalkeeper Shay Ryan, one of the few still able to recount the game from the pitch. Adding depth and context is the late author Colm Keane, whose insight provides a valuable historical lens. Produced and narrated by Mark Quinn, this is a rare glimpse into a forgotten chapter of football history - when the Busby Babes played Bray.
