Billy Whelan
William Augustine Whelan (1 April 1935 – 6 February 1958), known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer who played as an inside-forward. He died at the age of 22, as one of eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster.
|
Whelan in 1957 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Augustine Whelan | ||
| Date of birth | 1 April 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 6 February 1958 (aged 22) | ||
| Place of death | Munich, West Germany | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Home Farm | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1953–1958 | Manchester United | 79 | (43) |
| International career | |||
| 1956–1957 | Republic of Ireland | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Whelan was born in Dublin. He was one of seven children born to John and Elizabeth Whelan. His father John was an accomplished centre half-back for Dublin club Brunswick and was instrumental in winning the FAI Junior Shield in 1924. His mother was an avid Shamrock Rovers supporter. His father died in 1943, when Whelan was just eight years old. He was not a confident flyer and just before the aeroplane took off from Munich, he was heard to say: "This may be death, but I'm ready."
He played Gaelic games, winning a medal for St Peter's of Phibsboro. Dublin GAA club Naomh Fionnbarra successfully had a railway bridge situated near the place of Whelan's birth renamed after him in 2006, while the Naomh Fionnbarra clubhouse also has Whelan's Manchester United membership card.