Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
10 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
13 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
20 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
20 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Barnsley Tommy Taylor Grave
AO Edited

Tommy Taylor Grave

In this small cemetery lies the grave of one of England's greatest football strikers, who died too soon.

Barnsley, England

Added By
Jim F
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Tommy Taylor Grave   Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
Tommy Taylor Grave   Jim F / Atlas Obscura User
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Tommy Taylor Grave   Geoff Pick / Monk Bretton Cemetery / CC BY-SA 2.0
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Tommy Taylor Grave  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Born locally, in Smithies, Thomas (Tommy) Taylor was in the prime of his life and career as a footballer for both Manchester United and England, when he became one of the eight United players killed in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster. 

By that time at just 26 years old, Taylor had achieved an incredible amount. The son of a miner, who supposedly sat him down at 14 and told him there was no way he was following him down the pit, he signed for his local club Barnsley in 1949. He scored 26 goals in 44 games. 

That brought the attention of a few of the first division clubs, with Manchester United eventually winning out in a race for his signature in March 1953. Reputedly not wanting him to have the added pressure of being the first £30,000 player, 21-year-old manager Sir Matt Busby took a pound note out of his wallet and paid the tea lady during the negotiations, so the fee was set at £29,999. 

In all, he scored 112 goals in 166 matches for United, including one in an FA Cup Final defeat against Aston Villa in 1957. He did win two championships with United during his time at the club.

Seen as a natural replacement for legendary England forward Nat Lofthouse, Taylor made his England debut in May 1953 against Chile and went on to score a remarkable 16 goals in just 19 appearances for his country, including hat tricks against Denmark and the Republic of Ireland, and two in his final game against France in November 1957. 

Attempting to take off after refueling in Munich following a European game in Belgrade, a plane carrying the team, club representatives, journalists, and fans crashed on February 6, 1958, killing 23 people, including Taylor and seven of his teammates. 

Reportedly, his internment in Barnsley (Monk Bretton) Cemetery following his death attracted most of the town. His gravestone reads:

"In loving memory of Thomas (Tommy) Taylor, Ex Manchester United and England centre-forward – son of Charles and Violet Taylor – who was killed in the Munich Air Disaster, February 6th, 1958, Aged 26 years."

The grave is often adorned with scarves from both of the clubs he played for and is located some two-thirds of the way down the cemetery.  

Related Tags

Soccer Gravestones Burial Places Graves

Know Before You Go

There is plenty of parking on the surrounding streets. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Jim F

Edited By

jonathancarey

  • jonathancarey

Published

April 16, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Tommy Taylor Grave
22 Cliffe Ct
Barnsley, England, S71 2HF
United Kingdom
53.562703, -1.455458
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Barnsley Main Colliery

Barnsley, England

miles away

Monk Bretton Priory

Barnsley, England

miles away

Oaks Memorial Sculpture

Barnsley, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Barnsley

Barnsley

England

Places 6

Nearby Places

Barnsley Main Colliery

Barnsley, England

miles away

Monk Bretton Priory

Barnsley, England

miles away

Oaks Memorial Sculpture

Barnsley, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Barnsley

Barnsley

England

Places 6

Related Stories and Lists

19 Places Dedicated to World Cup and Football History

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Geneva, Illinois

    Easy Chair Grave

    This carved armchair marks the final resting place for two pals in the Chicago suburbs.

  • Three concrete slabs with small, destroyed remains of headstones sit behind a V-shaped tree opening.

    Taos, New Mexico

    The Three Brujas

    Three witches are said to be buried beneath these unmarked concrete graves.

  • Bill Struth’s Grave

    Glasgow, Scotland

    Bill Struth's Grave

    The unconventional Scottish soccer coach required players to wear a collar, tie, and bowler hat for matches.

  • Birmingham, England

    Nanette Stocker's Grave

    This 19th-century performer's gravestone identifies her as "the smallest woman ever in this Kingdom."

  • Charles F. Mills Grave Bell

    Thunderbolt, Georgia

    Charles F. Mills Grave Bell

    A 19th-century cemetery device to ensure that the prematurely buried would be "saved by the bell."

  • Paisley, Florida

    Jeremiah M. Brewer's Tombstone

    Deep in the Ocala National Forest, a lonesome 19th-century grave.

  • The actual tombstone of Billy the Kid

    Fort Sumner, New Mexico

    Grave of Billy the Kid

    The final resting place of the most famous outlaw in the Old West.

  • William Oates Sykes Grave

    Horbury, England

    William Oates Sykes Grave

    This unusual gravestone was crafted for cricket lover and master bat maker William Oates Sykes.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.