IT was November 1957, the Busby Babes were kings of England — and Jeff Whitefoot had just made the decision which quite probably saved his life.
Whitefoot was about to swap Manchester United, champions in the past two seasons, for a mid-table Division Two struggle with Grimsby Town.
Jeff Whitefoot (bottom right) celebrates after Nottingham Forest beat Luton in the 1959 FA Cup FinalRex
The star, circled, was part of the legendary Man Utd Busby BabesRex
It was the boldest of moves for a man who is still the youngest to play a league game for United and who spent seven years at Old Trafford.
But Whitefoot, who made his debut against Portsmouth at 16 years and 105 days in 1950, just wanted to play — and for the previous 18 months he had not done nearly enough of it.
The most talented crop of kids in football history — the likes of Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Billy Whelan and the great Duncan Edwards — had burst through.
For wing-half Jeff, 23, appearances were dwindling. So it was with a heavy heart he asked boss Matt Busby — not yet a sir — to leave. And it was next stop Grimsby.
Three months on, he was hanging curtains with wife Nell in their new home, when news came through of the air disaster that devastated a nation.
Seven of his United pals — 15 days later, Edwards became the eighth — were among the 23 fatalities on a plane that crashed in the Munich runway slush.
Had he stayed at the club, Jeff would have been aboard. His transfer request was quite probably a lifesaver.
A year after joining Grimsby Whitefoot left for Nottingham Forest and was in the side that won the FA Cup in May 1959.
Not only is Jeff, now 90, the only living player from the Babes’ 1956 title winners, he is also the last survivor from the sole occasion Forest lifted the trophy at Wembley.
The two sides who tonight slug it out at the City Ground for a place in the last eight of this year’s competition.
Whitefoot is one of the great football life stories. Yet the man himself, as unassuming and modest as you will meet — modern players please take note — is amazed that interest in him remains.
It was with the assistance of his daughter Judith that SunSport caught up with Jeff — and he gave an emotional and eye-opening glimpse of those glorious but tragic times.
Whitefoot recalled: “When we heard the terrible news, my wife Nell and myself were hanging curtains in our new home.
“We had only just moved, it was just weeks since we had left United and it shook me to my bones. I could not believe what had happened — absolutely devastating.
“Losing Mark Jones was a major blow, both personally and to the team. He was a tall Barnsley lad, a good player and friend.
“His wife June was expecting their second child, Lynne, at the time. Their son Gary lost his father. It was heart-breaking for everyone.
“It wasn’t possible to go to all the players’ funerals. I went to Mark’s and left-back Geoff Bent’s.
“Talking about it is bringing it all back and it is still upsetting. But it’s a good thing to remember those times shared and the friends lost.
“It wasn’t about money. It was about the joy of playing — and playing for United. But it was my choice to leave. It was a decision which probably saved my life, at least my career.”
That 2-1 Cup final win over Luton began a decade at Forest.
He added: “That was another highlight of my career. We played with ten men for a lot of the game after Roy Dwight (cousin of Elton John) broke his leg — and there were no substitutes.
“The Queen was at the match and remarked on how well we had played with a man short.”
And as to what the Babes could have achieved? Jeff insisted: “They were definitely good enough to be the European champions, that’s for sure.
“It was a huge part of my life and I’m so proud and privileged to have been a part of such an incredible group of footballers.”
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