In 2008, on the 50th anniversary of the disaster, my dad, my brother and I set off for Munich to pay our respects to those who lost their lives in the crash in 1958.
At the time, we were regulars at Old Trafford as part of the Lincoln Branch of the Supporters’ Club and had witnessed several Munich remembrances before making the trip.
We stayed in Munich as Trudering is just a short journey away, and enjoyed the delights that the Bavarian capital had to offer.
One thing that struck me was the beers enjoyed by those nipping out of the office for their lunch, something that would be frowned upon in this country.
The bars were full, predominantly with United fans all there for the same reason. We were welcomed by the locals, who were all very knowledgeable about our reasons for visiting.
On the day of the anniversary, the German giants Bayern Munich really stepped up and demonstrated the class they have as a football club.
Bayern sent their legendary figure Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as their representative, and the former Germany international spoke brilliantly for the crowd, outlining his respect and admiration for Manchester United and demonstrating the unbreakable link between the two powerhouses of European football.
Rummenigge spoke well and meaningfully, showing that this city would not forget what happened here all those years ago and of his admiration for the way United rebuilt after such heartache.
He ended with words that have always stuck with me since.
“In England, you say God save the Queen; today, we say God Save Manchester United.”
Writing those words down, I am not exactly sure whether they really make sense, but they hit home at the time and ended Rummenigge’s speech passionately.
One thing I do remember that was a shared disappointment among those who made the trip was the lack of representation from Manchester United.
No one was expecting Sir Bobby Charlton and we all knew the club were marking the day themselves back at Old Trafford, but not sending anyone was a little poor. I remember thinking at the time that someone like the recently retired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have been the perfect choice. A hero to fans and someone who seemed to understand the club would have been the excellent choice.
This was a sombre trip and one I was so pleased we did together. Going to United was a massive highlight of growing up, and sharing the incredible moments I witnessed with family made it even better.