Dudley North MP Ian Austin shares his thoughts on the town, life in Parliament, football and everything in between! Writing exclusively every week, this is your chance to hear his views and share your opinions with him by clicking on the Comment button.

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FOR anyone, like me, who grew up in Dudley the name of Duncan Edwards is synonymous with the town and your childhood; your school competed for the Duncan Edwards Cup; you saw the stained glass windows at St Francis's Church. When you went swimming you'd see the shirts and the caps at the leisure centre.

It's not really surprising when you think about what he achieved in his tragically-short career - and what he might have achieved had it not been so cruelly cut short.

I couldn't attend last week's commemoration at the town centre statue because I was stuck in London on Parliamentary business, but I've asked the whips for time off so I can get to the official memorial in a fortnight.

A number of years ago I worked for Focus Housing when we came up with the idea to name our new development at Queens Cross after the great man at rest in the cemetery over the road. I organised the official opening and invited Bobby Charlton and the late Mrs Edwards to attend.

And what has always struck me is how Charlton - - the great Bobby Charlton, who played with the likes of Best, Law, Moore and Greaves, who's watched modern day super stars like Beckham, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho; who played against people like Pele - always said Duncan Edwards was the greatest of them all. "He was the only player who made me feel inferior," Bobby Charlton said.

And look at what he achieved. The youngest-ever England international until Michael Owen broke his record. 177 appearances and 21 goals for United. 18 caps and five goals for England. He won the league championship twice and was runner-up in the FA Cup final in 1957. And all this in so short a career.

Imagine what he would have gone on to achieve. There's no doubt Bobby Moore was a great player, but does anyone think he would kept a 29 year-old Edwards at the peak of his powers out of the England team in 1966?

"Duncan Edwards played in the same position, No 6, as Bobby," Terry Venables is reported to have said. "How could you ever pick Moore, great player though he was, ahead of Duncan?" The former England manager says Edwards was bigger, quicker and more versatile.

Imagine too what it must have been like for his parents. They'd already lost their only other child, Carole Anne, who died at just 14 weeks. I read in the Times this week that after his death, his father Gladstone left the ironworks at Sankeys to work at the cemetery as a gardener. According to the Times: "His job was just to sweep up the leaves," Sarah Anne once said, "but really I think he wanted to be close to Duncan."' What are your memories of the man? Did you ever see him play? Or did you like my friend and colleague Councillor Ken Finch know him, even play with him?

How good do you think he was? Where do you think he ranks amongst the games greatest?

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