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Mark
Jones
 Just
24 years-old when he died, Mark was born in Barnsley. He joined United in 1949,
and turned professional the following year. An extremely powerful man, Mark
could have been a boxer, and spent a great deal of time working-out on the
'speed-ball' in the corner of the gymnasium at Old Trafford. Mark made his debut
against Sheffield Wednesday on 7th October 1950, and went on to make 103 League
appearances. Mark was married to June who returned to Wombwell with Gary, their
son, after the accident. Gary is a self-confessed United fanatic and attends Old
Trafford for matches.
David
Pegg
 Born
in Doncaster, David was another England Schoolboy international who couldn't
resist the lure of Old Trafford. He made his League debut at the age of 17
against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on 6th December 1952, and went on to
represent England at Under-23, 'B', and full international level. A speedy
winger with a powerful shot, he was a great pal of United's other Yorkshire-born
forward, Tommy Taylor. When he died, aged 22, David had made 127 League
appearances for United, scoring 24 goals.
Tommy
Taylor
 One
of United's rare imports, Tommy joined United from Barnsley in March 1953, for
the then very large sum of £29,999. The United manager felt that the sum of
£30,000 may have hung like a millstone around the player's neck! (The story goes
that Matt Busby gave the odd pound note to the tea-lady at Barnsley.) If the
size of the fee did worry Tommy, it didn't show in his play; he became an
England international just two months after joining United, and went on to win
19 caps for his country, scoring 16 times. At the time of his death, Tommy, with
two First Division Championship medals, and an FA Cup Final losers' medal, had
made 166 League appearances for United, scoring 112 goals. A phenomenal
goal-scoring record, at the very highest level.
Liam
(Billy) Whelan
 A
slim Irishman, Billy joined United from Home Farm in Dublin in 1953, and made
his League debut against Preston North End in March 1955. He went on to make 79
appearances for United, scoring 43 goals. Billy also won four international caps
for Eire before his death. Although he had a keen sense of fun, Billy was a
deeply religious man who took his faith very seriously, no-one would have
thought to tell a dubious joke in Billy's presence. Probably the most valuable
goal he scored for the club, was the one in Bilbao in the first-leg
quarter-final tie in United's first year of the competition when, with his team
trailing by five goals to two and the game almost over, he ran nearly the
full-length of the pitch, through ankle-deep mud, to score a vital third goal
for United.
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