Brave Harry Gregg won the right to be called a true football legend

The Tobermore man  was a colossus as a goalkeeper for both Manchester United and Northern Ireland during the 1950s/early sixties and his contribution to the national team, then  managed by  another Co Londonderry native Peter Doherty, was immense.

Harry’s main rival for the Northern Ireland goalkeeping slot at the time was another superb shot-stopper — Lurgan man Norman Uprichard, but when the team peaked in qualifying for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, it was big Harry who got the nod from Doherty for the key slot between the sticks.

Northern Ireland had travelled to Sweden on the back of a highly memorable 3-2 win over England at Wembley in November 1957.

They defeated Portugal and Italy in the preliminaries and, six months before the World Cup finals, Harry moved from Doncaster Rovers to Manchester for a then British record £23,500 transfer for a goalkeeper.

Later, on a fateful day on February 6, 1958, Harry became the hero of the hour rescuing United team mates and other passengers at Munich in an air disaster which cost the lives of eight players. 

Five months on, Northern Ireland travelled to Sweden for the World Cup quarter-finals, defeating Czechoslovakia twice 1-0 and 2-1, in a play-off; losing 3-1 to Argentina, and drawing with West Germany 2-2 before being eliminated 4-0 by France.

Little Northern Ireland’s exploits shocked the 1958 soccer world with the Jules Rimet trophy won by Brazil (with 18-year-old Pele in the ranks); and it was Harry Gregg who took a top accolade, being voted best goalkeeper of the tournament. 

Harry’s finest hour was the West Germany game at Malmo  on Sunday June 15. I vividly recall watching that game aged 15 with my dad on a black and white television at my South Armagh home.

It was mesmerising stuff — with Newry man Peter McParland complementing Harry Gregg’s heroics at the other end with two goals. 

Resolutely, with bravery, Harry — this proud Ulsterman and ‘Hero of Munich” — thwarted a dominant, highly technical German team.