Vladica Popovic’s eyes are filling with tears and it is not the cold weather or his age.
‘After the match the two teams had dinner together at United’s hotel and we stayed up with the Manchester boys eating, drinking and singing until day break,’ the old man recalls.
‘I sat next to their coach, Matt Busby. The fact is we were not really two opposing teams by then, but one. We were all young men who loved football and had acquitted ourselves well in the truly great game which had just taken place. It was wonderful to be able to hang out and talk with them, like brothers.