Having survived the Munich air disaster and suffered only minor injuries, Charlton was the first injured survivor to leave hospital, returning home on February 14, eight days after the crash which killed eight of his team-mates and 23 people in all. After spending time at home in Ashington to convalesce, Charlton played in United’s first match since the disaster, a 2-2 FA Cup draw with West Brom on March 1. Still only 20 years old, Charlton was the player United would look to the most to help them rebuild.
