A Barnsley-born teacher and his class successfully campaigned for a plaque in memory of Manchester United and England forward Tommy Taylor.
Tommy was born in Smithies and played for Barnsley before being signed by Matt Busby’s United. He was killed in the 1958 Munich air disaster.
Tommy’s old school friend, Dickie Bird, unveiled the blue heritage plaque at the house near Old Trafford where Tommy once lived. It was following the campaign by Chris Hirst, 40, a teacher who grew up in Gawber but now lives and works in Manchester.
He said: “All through my childhood Tommy Taylor was a legend spoken of in hushed tones of reverence.
“He is a Barnsley legend and I’m pleased to have had a role in keeping the memory and achievements of ‘the smiling executioner’ alive. From what I know of Tommy Taylor he was proud of his Barnsley roots and never lost touch of them.”
He was working on a project with year seven pupils at Stretford High School when they discovered Tommy’s old house was a ‘stone’s throw’ from their school.“
Thanks to the school project, there’s a new tribute to the ‘Best of Barnsley’ in Manchester,” said Chris.
