Honorary degree for Munich hero Harry Gregg
FORMER Northern Ireland goalkeeper and the hero of the Munich air disaster, Harry Gregg, received an honorary degree from the University of Ulster on Tuesday.
Mr Gregg was awarded a Doctor of the University (DUniv) degree in
recognition of his contribution to sport, and especially to football.
When he was transferred from Doncaster Rovers to Manchester United in
1957, Mr Gregg became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world.
Duringhis Manchester United career he kept 48 clean sheets and is still regardedas one of the team's greatest goalkeepers.
He will always be remembered for his heroics when a plane carrying the
United team home from a European Cup match crashed when trying to take offfrom Munich airport on February 6, 1958. He helped pull some of his injured team-mates from the burning wreck and also saved a pregnant woman, Vera Lukic and her daughter.
Modestly, he always played down his life-saving role, but on the 50th
anniversary of the crash he returned to the scene and met Mrs Luckic and
the son she was pregnant with at the time.
Mr Gregg spent 10 years with United and also gained 25 caps for Northern
Ireland. He was voted goalkeeper of the tournament at the 1958 World Cup
finals in Sweden when Northern Ireland incredibly reached the quarter
finals.
After the end of his playing career he went into coaching and management
before returning home to Northern Ireland where he ran a hotel in
Portstewart, Co Antrim. He received an MBE in 1995.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South west
