The Man Who Kept The Red Flag Flying

As legendary Manchester United manager Matt Busby lay in an oxygen tent in his hospital bed recovering from the horror of the Munich plane crash, he clutched the hand of his close friend and faithful right-hand-man Jimmy Murphy. ‘Keep the flag flying Jimmy,’ he told him…


In a twist of fate, Murphy had not travelled with the team on that fatal flight and news of the tragedy shattered him but in the club’s darkest hour, he answered United’s call. With the eyes of the football world upon him, he stepped into Busby’s shoes and piece by piece, started to rebuild. Against all the odds, Murphy even steered a makeshift team to the 1958 FA Cup final. More than that, he provided the spark which saw United rise again.


Meticulously researched over the course of four years with unique insights from a number of close family, this is the untold story of Murphy’s remarkable life. How he first met Busby and fronted up a ground-breaking youth policy that laid the foundations for long-term success. How he and Busby rejuvenated the club post-Munich and saw a new generation of Babes crowned kings of Europe. How two United heroes drifted apart. And how Murphy served the club until – literally – his dying day.


It features contributions and insight from Sir Alex Ferguson, Wilf McGuinness, Tommy Docherty and Ron Atkinson, and includes rare excerpts from the Daily Mirror and Manchester Evening News archives, including personal articles discovered from the 1957-58 season. Also featured are rare and unseen images and memorabilia from the family collection