Forgotten: Manchester United's Wembley snub to their European Cup heroes of 1968

Manchester United's American owners have delivered an incredible snub to the club's history by failing to invite their 1968 European Cup heroes back to Wembley for Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona.

Many of the players from the famous 4-1 victory over Benfica will have to watch the match on television or try to get tickets through other means.

Final insult: Several of Manchester United's 1968 European Cup heroes haven't been invited to Saturday's Champions League final

A close friend of one said on Saturday night: 'We have heard nothing from United. They are happy to talk up the history and traditions of the club, but the old players have been forgotten on this occasion.

Snub: United owners Bryan and Avram Glazer

'It would have been nice for Sir Matt (Busby's) team to have been invited to the game as a group. After all, the win at Wembley in 1968 is part of the club's history. Maybe the club have so many employees now they didn't have enough tickets left.'

United's 1968 victory earned Busby the European Cup triumph he craved 10 years after the Munich air crash destroyed his first great team. Sir Bobby Charlton, who scored twice in the 1968 final, will be at Wembley as a United director and regular MUTV pundit Paddy Crerand will also be looked after by the club.

But on Saturday night, the seven other surviving United players from that team were still unsure whether they would be attending. Alex Stepney, John Aston and David Sadler have been booked by a private company for corporate hospitality work at Wembley Arena before the final but have not yet been offered tickets by United for the match.

Brian Kidd, who scored United's third goal on his 19th birthday, has asked Manchester City, where he is assistant manager, if they can get him a ticket. United have not contacted him even though MUTV have made requests to interview him about the 1968 final.

Nobby Stiles, Bill Foulkes and Tony Dunne are not expected to attend.

Foulkes is in poor health and may not have been able to travel but the snub to the 1968 team will be seen by many United fans as another example of the club's history being overlooked by the Glazer family.

At a reunion in 2005, several members of the '68 team pose with Benfica legend Eusebio. Left to right: David Sadler, Brian Kidd, Sir Bobby Charlton, unknown, Bill Foulkes (holding cup), Pat Crerand (behind bill foulkes), Alex Stepney, Eusebio, Nobby Stiles and John Aston