Former Man Utd player, 82, scoops £400,000 lottery jackpot

A former winger with Manchester United is back in the papers decades after signing, after winning a share of £3.2 million.

Cliff Bull, 82, said he was ‘staggered’ and ‘lost for words’ after a camera crew knocked on his door to inform him he would soon have an extra £400,000 in his bank account.

He plans to take his whole family on holiday somewhere warm with the jackpot money, which won’t be cheap given that there are 22 of them.

Cliff was signed by United legend Sir Matt Busby in October 1957 when he was a 15-year-old schoolboy.

He left school and moved close to Old Trafford in January, but the exciting moment turned awful when the Munich Air Disaster happened just ten days later.

Eight Man Utd players were among 23 victims of the fatal plane crash, which happened on the way home to the UK after a European Cup game.

The flight had been full of ‘Busby’s Babes’, a promising squad given the nickname due to their young ages.

Still so new to the team, Cliff was not on board, but the disaster had a lasting impact on him and he still keeps newspaper clippings about what happened on his wall as a way of keeping his teammates’ memories alive.

He spent two seasons with United, then signed for Nottingham Forest, where his football career ended prematurely due to a series of injuries which required around 26 operations and left him with has two artificial knees.

Despite his short career, Cliff played with some of the world’s best including World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, and Leeds United legend Johnny Giles.

He retrained as a plumber, and went on to have three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.

His eventful life hasn’t slowed down judging by his latest windfall.

Cliff, of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, said: ‘I’m overwhelmed to be quite honest. It’s beyond what I could ever have dreamt.’

He was joined by his three daughters Claire McReynolds, Rebecca Albans and Rachael Bull and they all screamed in delight when his winning cheque was revealed yesterday.

They gave an emotional tribute to their mum Jeanette Bull who died three years ago.

Rebecca said: ‘This is mum and dad’s ticket. And mum, God bless you, we know you are with us today and we miss you.

‘He’s been a provider all his life for all of us, and the fact that life is going to be a little easier for him now is just overwhelming.’

A teary-eyed Cliff added: ‘The overwhelming disappointment is that Jeanette’s not here to see it, but she’s a big part of this.’

The couple started playing the lottery to support charities, and after nearly losing their grandson to meningitis they became ambassadors of Meningitis Now.

Cliff, who is looking forward to being able to help out his grandchildren, was one of three neighbours on his street with the NG11 0JR postcode to win a share of the top prize on Saturday.

Shirley Woltman, 62, bagged the biggest prize of £800,000 thanks to playing with two tickets, and Cliff’s close-friend and next-door neighbour Mandy McMenamin, 57, also won £400,000.

The remaining half of the prize was shared out between 237 people in the postcode sector NG11 0, covering a string of south Notts villages, with each person winning at least £6,201 per ticket.

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