You learn a little something everyday, I receive a magazine online called iFly and its the Dutch airline KLM advert mainly showing you places they fly too but its also has some of the most beautiful webpages I've seen. In this particular edition is a piece about Turin and in it the guy who's narrating the film mentions a plane crash in 1949 when all members of the Turin football team perished. He also goes on to say that there is a shrine to this football team where supporters still pay their respects. I was always lead to believe that the Munich crash which killed so many Manchester United was the only tragedy of its kind but obviously not after seeing this. Again its a lovely travel presentation, the photographic stuff alone is beautiful. https://www.iflymagazine.com/?local...=Email&WT.i_vid=112599040#/36/little_secrets/ I should mention that all copyright to this presentation belongs to KLM and affiliates who produce this magazine.
I did know about the Torino air crash already and Castro mentioned it t'other day on the Heysel thread.
I remember this one too; http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16991481 Zambian footballers remember a lost generation of players By Mani Djazmi BBC Sport Too often in the world of football, events are described as a "tragedy" and "disaster". But in the space of a few moments, late on 27 April 1993, Zambia's football dreams were extinguished by genuine tragedy. After taking off from Libreville in Gabon, a Zambian military plane carrying most of the national squad crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, within a mile of the Gabonese coast, killing all 30 people on board. Among those who perished were the coach, Godfrey Chitalu, and 18 players including Kelvin Mutale who had just scored a hat-trick against Mauritius in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. 1993 air crash The emblem of the national Zambian football team and some belongings of players found by Gabonese divers at sea â¢Date: 27 April, 1993 â¢Crash site: Off the coast of Gabon â¢Victims: 30 (18 Zambia players) â¢Cause of crash: Mechanical fault â¢Did you know? The Zambian government agreed to pay an estimated $4m in compensation to the families of players and officials who died The Zambians were en route to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier which they were expected to win. In fact, Zambia were expected to reach the World Cup for the first time in their history. The country's football federation cast far and wide to gather players from the diaspora so they could continue their campaign and, in the end, they only missed out on a place at USA 1994 by a single point. The former Chelsea manager Ian Porterfield took charge and led them to second place in the following year's Africa Cup of Nations. For the best part of the next 20 years, Zambian football entered the doldrums. Now they are back in the Africa Cup of Nations final and, in a twist of fate, the Zambia team is back in Libreville for the first time since the crash. On Friday, the current generation of players gathered on the Gabonese beach, just a few hundred metres from the place where the plane went down, to pray and cast flowers into the surf. With them was the captain of the 1993 squad, Kalusha Bwalya, who is now president of the Football Association of Zambia. He was not on that flight. Because of his contract with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, he had planned to make his own way to Senegal. "I'm happy that the boys were able to come here on merit to reconnect with the past," he told BBC Sport. "Some of the football that the old team played was marvellous and I think that the boys have done us proud in this Africa Cup of Nations." Zambia, who have only one Europe-based player in their squad, shocked one of the pre-tournament favourites, Ghana, in the semi-finals and now meet the overwhelming favourites in the final, Ivory Coast. "I am very happy that we come here to contest the final," said Bwalya. "It is something that the boys, the fallen heroes, dreamed about and we're dreaming of bringing glory to our country. I couldn't have wished for a better time to come here. It's been a long journey."
Nah well worth posting. It made me google it. Kubala the great Hungarian player was due to go on the flight but didnt cos his son was ill. Just found this out too Leslie Lievesley (July 1911 – 4 May 1949) was an English footballer. His regular position was at full back. He was born in Staveley, Derbyshire. He started with Rossington Colliery before moving to Doncaster Rovers in 1929. After scoring 21 goals in 66 games, he was signed by Manchester United. He then went to Chesterfield in March 1933, spent four seasons at Torquay United and two at Crystal Palace.[1] Following the war he became a coach in Netherlands before he became the coach of Torino F.C. and in 1949 was one of 31 fatalities in the Superga air disaster that killed almost the entire Torino squad.[2] His dad Joe played for Sheffield United and Arsenal as well as the ill-fated Chesterfield Town club during the First World War, and brothers Dennis and Ernest and cousin Wilf were all professional footballers.[3]
Thanks FLG another team decimated in a plane crash and another one I didn't know about, I remember Arsenal's Dennis Bergcamp (or is it Bergkamp appologies for the wrong one) refusing to fly on any of Arsenal's overseas matches and so travelled by other means.
