February 6, 1958 is one of the most tragic days in world soccer history. It’s when Manchester United were involved in a serious plane crash that claimed the lives of eight “Busby Babes,” along with several other club employees. The team was returning home after a victorious European Cup tie in Serbia, but when the plane stopped in Munich to refuel, it crashed on the ensuing takeoff attempt.

For the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, Sky Sports put together a montage of United legends reciting the poem “Flowers of Manchester.”

The full lyrics to the poem:

One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory, 
Eight men who will never play again who met destruction there,
The flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

Matt Busby’s boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The Pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again. 

The third time down the runaway disaster followed close,
There was a slush upon that runaway and the aircraft never rose,
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed as the blazing wreckage burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England’s side.
And Ireland’s Billy Whelan and England’s Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also,
They all lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.

Big Duncan he went to, with an injury to his frame,
And Ireland’s brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,
The great Sir Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team
Three long months passed by before he walked again.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
and one of them Big Swifty, who we’ll ne’er forget, 
the finest English ‘keeper that ever graced the net.

Oh, England’s finest football team its record truly great,
its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester.

Manchester United would recover from the tragedy, as coach Matt Busby (who was read his Last Rites at one point) led the team to a European Cup success in 1968. United won another Cup in 2008, 50 years after the disaster and 40 years after the first taste of European glory.

Sunday, the Red Devils travel to Chelsea – arguably their top English rival in terms of success since the turn of the century. Expect an emotional performance as United aims to honor their fallen predecessors.