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.
Despite a nearly ten year on-air and behind the scenes campaign in the 1980's to establish community radio in Bray, County Wicklow and the securing of a legal licence in 1989 by the North Wicklow Community Radio Co-op, we do not have a station such as BLB transmitting community radio in County Wicklow today.
In this episode Mark Quinn speaks with John Murphy, Lawrie Hallett and at length, with Pat Hannon to find out what happened after the radio licenses were issued and about the wider impact of BLB and today's radio landscape.
Credits:
Post Production
High Wire, Dublin, Ireland
www.highwire.ie
Artwork by Jody Hogg Design
www.jodyhogg.com
Produced and presented by Mark Quinn
The copyright for this podcast series is owned by Mark Quinn and is hereby reserved.
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.
