Billy Wright
Date of birth: 6 February 1924 (died 3 September 1994)
National team: England
Clubs: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (as a player), Arsenal FC (as manager)
An astute wing-half who extended his career by switching to the centre of defence, Wright captained Wolves at their zenith in the 1950s, helping the club win two English league titles as well as the FA Cup and score notable victories in international club friendlies. Wright also secured a then-record 105 international caps in 13 seasons, missing only three games in all that time. He won his 100th cap against Scotland in 1959 then retired suddenly before the start of the following season. Later he briefly managed Arsenal before becoming a television sports executive.
Gyula Lóránt
Date of birth: 6 February 1923 (died 31 May 1981)
National team: Hungary
Clubs: Nagyváradi AC, Flamura Rosie UTA Arad, Vasas SC, Budapesti Honvéd SE (now Kispest Honvéd FC)(as a player), Budapesti Honvéd SE, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, MSV Duisburg, 1. FC Köln, Offenbacher Kickers 1901, FC PAOK, Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Bayern München, FC Schalke 04 (as coach)
A failure at high school, Lóránt was approached by a local trainer in his hometown, Kőszeg, and encouraged to play football. The result was astounding, as he won the prestigious Szent László Cup in 1942 to move into the professional ranks, firstly with Nagyvárad and then in Arad, two towns now part of modern-day Romania. Lóránt moved to Vasas where his reputation prospered until he attempted to leave the country which resulted in his imprisonment in a punishment camp.
Honvéd took a calculated risk in the young defender and their choice proved inspired as Lóránt was a crucial member of the championship-winning sides of the early 1950s when they won three titles in four seasons. He was a member of the Hungarian team that secured gold at the 1952 Olympics, as well as featuring in the 1954 FIFA World Cup final loss to West Germany and the historic 6-3 defeat of England at Wembley. Eventually, Lóránt turned his attentions to coaching, first with Honvéd and then in Germany and Greece with several clubs. Having guided PAOK to the 1975/76 Greek title, he returned there in 1980 but died on 31 May 1981 during a match against Olympiacos CFP while on the sidelines coaching the team.
• Famous footballers/coaches
Patrice Loko FRA - FC Nantes Atlantique, Paris Saint-Germain FC, FC Lorient, Montpellier Hérault SC, Olympique Lyonnais, ES Troyes Aube Champagne, AC Ajaccio - 1970
• Other anniversaries
Benjaminas Zelkevicius LTU - 1944
Manuel Prieto Cabello ESP - 1950
Lars-Christer Olsson SWE - 1950
Tovi Malach ISR - 1952
Robert Orr SCO - 1953
David Horlick ENG - 1955
Gabriel Weiss SVK - 1955
Vladimir Dominkovic BIH - 1967
Massimo Busacca SUI - 1969
Ekrem Kan TUR - 1980
• Matches
1957/58 European Champion Clubs' Cup, quarter-finals, second leg
FK Crvena Zvezda 3-3 Manchester United FC
5 February 1958
JNA (now FK Partizan) stadium, Belgrade
A match that took place 5 February 1958 was overshadowed by events that were to take place the following day. United had advanced to the last four of the European Cup 5-4 on aggregate against Crvena Zvezda, but the result was soon to pale into insignificance as on the 6 February 1958 at 16:04CET after a scheduled refuelling stop in Munich, the plane in which the United delegation were travelling - British European Airways G-ALZU AS57 flight B-line 609 - experienced difficulties leaving the runway at the third attempt en route to England.
Carrying 44 passengers from the match in Belgrade, the plane crashed, killing 23 people including eight players: Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Edward Colman, Duncan Edwards (who died two weeks later from injuries sustained in the crash), Mark Jones, David Pegg, Thomas Taylor and Liam Whelan.
