Manchester United legend Duncan Edwards’ belongings to be sold at auction
- Edwards was a member of the Busby Babes and died in 1958 Munich air disaster
- Family have decided to sell his belongings at an auction in Northamptonshire
- Auction being held next month
Items belonging to Manchester United star Duncan Edwards, who was killed in the Munich Air Disaster, are to be auctioned by the family of his fiancé.
Duncan Edwards was a promising left-half who had already made 151 appearances for Manchester United and 18 caps for England when he was seriously injured at the Munich-Reim airport.
He survived the initial plane crash but died in hospital 15 days later.
Edwards was tipped to be a future England captain and had a bright footballing career ahead of him.
His fiancé, Molly Leech, was left with Edwards’ belongings and never parted with them. She died in 2004.
Now, her family have decided to sell the items through a Northamptonshire auction house.
The items on sale include Edwards’ family photo album, including pictures of him playing for United and England, letters from well-wishers, his overnight bag and football programmes.
Molly’s daughters, who wish to remain anonymous, said: “I just can’t imagine what my mother must have gone through when she had to go to Munich.
“It was such a sad and awful part of her life – she was just 22.
“She died in 2004 at the age of 68. Our father died three years ago and although we did keep in touch with and visited Mrs Edwards, Duncan’s mother, we are one step removed from the story and we would like his legacy to continue.”
Graham Budd, who will be selling the memorabilia, said: “The story of Duncan Edwards and Molly Leech is so poignant and sad.
“They had everything going for them – they were an elegant, smartly dressed, photogenic young couple.
“He signed for Manchester United when he was 16.
“Despite a brief interlude when he did national service with his team mate Bobby Charlton, he had a magnificent career and many say that he would have been the captain of the 1966 World Cup England squad.
“The items in this sale are so personal and it is a privilege to have been asked by Molly’s daughters to sell them.”
The auction will be held online on 8 March.
- Additional reporting and all images: PA Media