Liam Whelan
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| Liam Whelan | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Augustine Whelan | |
| Date of birth | 1 April 1935 | |
| Place of birth | Dublin, Republic of Ireland | |
| Date of death | 6 February 1958 (aged 22) | |
| Place of death | Munich, Germany | |
| Playing position | Inside Forward | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Home Farm | ||
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1953-1958 | Manchester United | 79 (43) |
| National team | ||
| Ireland | 4 (0) | |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
William Whelan (1 April 1935 – 6 February 1958), also known as Billy or Liam was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who was killed in the Munich Air Disaster. He was 22 years old when he died.
Whelan was a devout Roman Catholic who came from a large family; his father John had died in 1943, when Whelan was eight years old. Just before the aeroplane crashed at Munich, he was heard to say: "If this is the end, then I'm ready for it".
Whelan began his career with Home Farm F.C. before joining Manchester United.
He made 98 first-team appearances between August 1955 and February 1958, scoring 52 goals. He had previously played for Irish club Home Farm, and was a regular in the Republic of Ireland national team.
On 8 December 2006 the railway bridge on Faussagh Road/Dowth Avenue junction in Cabra, Dublin 7 has been renamed in his honour. It is close to St. Attracta Road, the street in which he was born. On 4 February 2008, An Post issued a 55c postage stamp for the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster showing a photo of Liam Whelan.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Irish Stamps Collectors News 1/08 (pdf). An Post. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
