Sir Jim Ratcliffe attends Munich anniversary service alongside Erik ten Hag

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford joined Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag at a service to mark the 66th anniversary of the Munich air disaster on Tuesday.

The Ineos chairman and his director of sport were among those present to pay their respects to the 23 people, including eight “Busby Babes”, who lost their lives in the tragedy that has done so much to shape the history of United.

Ratcliffe and Brailsford along with Ten Hag, United captain Bruno Fernandes and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and other prominent figures from the club assembled beneath the Munich memorial plaque at Old Trafford for the fan-led service on Tuesday afternoon.

Rev John Boyers, the former club chaplain, was the master of ceremonies for the 45-minute service featuring readings and songs by supporters.

Marc Skinner, the manager of the club’s women’s team, and their captain Katie Zelem were also present together with Patrick Stewart, who is serving as United’s interim chief executive before Omar Berrada takes over in the summer, and former players Brian Kidd and Paddy Crerand.

Kidd and Crerand were part of the United team managed by Sir Matt Busby and featuring fellow Munich survivor Sir Bobby Charlton that lifted the European Cup in 1968, a decade after the crash.

This is the first anniversary of the disaster since Charlton, arguably the greatest player in United’s history, died in October, aged 86.

Mike Phelan, the former United player and assistant manager, represented the club in Munich and visited the grave of Franz Beckenbauer on Tuesday morning with former Bayern player Franz Roth to lay a wreath before visiting Manchesterplatz. Beckenbauer died last month aged 78. He was part of the Bayern side with Roth that won three successive European Cups and he also won the World Cup as a player and manager with Germany.

Ratcliffe’s £1.03 billion deal for a 28.9 per cent stake in United is due to gain regulatory approval over the next fortnight and as part of the arrangement he has been given complete control of football operations by majority shareholders the Glazers plus an influence in other business decisions taken by the club.

The Oldham-born billionaire has been a visible presence since the deal was first announced on Christmas Eve and made a concerted effort to meet with staff at the club plus Ten Hag and players during a four-day visit to Old Trafford and the training ground last month.

He has also met with various fan groups and local civic leaders to listen to their opinions and offer a tentative outline of his wishes going forward, even though he has been limited in what he can say until the deal is given the green light.

Ratcliffe’s attendance at Tuesday’s service is the latest example of the Ineos founder and his team wanting to take a pro-active role in the day to day life of the club and is in stark contrast to the reclusive approach of the Glazers over the past 19 years.

Brailsford is due to formally commence his audit of football operations at United once the deal is given the go-ahead although he has been busy fact-finding for weeks now. In addition to Berrada, United are expected to appoint a new director of football in the coming weeks.