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A moment of silence is one of the most stirring events to witness in the world of soccer. Of course, the idea of holding a moment for remembrance is not soccer-specific, but there is something distinctly special when it takes place in the monolithic stadiums of world football. Whether the moment is for something club-specific (as Liverpool's observation for the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy) or for a monumental human tragedy (such as the Paris terror attacks), the atmosphere is simply chilling.
Few videos capture that feeling more than this video of Manchester United's tribute to Sir Matt Busby, a club legend and one of the greatest managers of all time. Manchester United played Everton two days after the death of Sir Busby, and as the referee blew for the moment of silence, it seemed as if the world stopped turning for a second. As the narrator says in the video, you could have heard a pin drop in the stadium that day. Another club legend, George Best, was clearly moved by the spectacle. You can watch Manchester United's tribute video of the event here, or if you prefer, you can watch a terrible '90's quality video right below.
Busby was a cherished and respected manager, who was known for creating the "Manchester United Way," typified by his faith in the youth system. It was Busby who created one of the best young teams ever seen – starring a certain Bobby Charlton – who were fittingly known as the "Busby Babes." Tragically, the team was torn apart by the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, when United were flying back from a European Cup match in Belgrade. 23 people died, including eight players and three club officials.
Photo: @CLillevik | Twitter
Busby himself nearly died while in a German hospital, but 10 years later, Busby's Manchester United side became the first English club to win the European Cup. Busby set his teams up to entertain, and considered the enjoyment of the fans to be of the utmost importance. Such was his reputation that support came rolling in upon news of his death, a fact that seems to be definitive judging by the beautiful moment of silence in his tribute.
