1968–69 Manchester United F.C. season
The 1968–69 season was Manchester United's 67th season in the Football League, and their 24th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] After the end of the season, on 4 June 1969, United manager Matt Busby stepped down as manager after 24 years as manager; he had announced his intention to retire on 14 January. He was replaced with Wilf McGuinness who only managed the team for a year and a half before Matt Busby returned as United manager for another six months.
| 1968–69 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Louis Edwards | |||
| Manager | Sir Matt Busby | |||
| First Division | 11th | |||
| FA Cup | Sixth Round | |||
| European Cup | Semi-finals | |||
| Intercontinental Cup | Runners-up | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: George Best (19) All: Denis Law (30) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 63,500 vs Estudiantes de La Plata (16 October 1968) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 36,638 vs Queens Park Rangers (19 March 1969) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 53,271 | |||
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George Best was United's top goalscorer in the league with 19 goals, although Denis Law added to his 14 league goals with a further 16 in the cups to reach a grand total of 30 goals in all competitions to top the club's goalscoring charts.
United finished 11th in the First Division this season, and were semi-finalists in the European Cup.
First Division
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 August 1968 | Everton | H | 2–1 | Best, Charlton | 61,311 |
| 14 August 1968 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–3 | Charlton | 38,299 |
| 17 August 1968 | Manchester City | A | 0–0 | 63,052 | |
| 21 August 1968 | Coventry City | H | 1–0 | Ryan | 51,201 |
| 24 August 1968 | Chelsea | H | 0–4 | 55,114 | |
| 28 August 1968 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3–1 | Fitzpatrick (2), Beal (o.g.) | 57,380 |
| 31 August 1968 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 4–5 | Law (2), Best, Charlton | 50,490 |
| 7 September 1968 | West Ham United | H | 1–1 | Law | 63,274 |
| 14 September 1968 | Burnley | A | 0–1 | 32,935 | |
| 21 September 1968 | Newcastle United | H | 3–1 | Best (2), Law | 47,262 |
| 5 October 1968 | Arsenal | H | 0–0 | 61,843 | |
| 9 October 1968 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–2 | Crerand, Law | 56,205 |
| 12 October 1968 | Liverpool | A | 0–2 | 53,392 | |
| 19 October 1968 | Southampton | H | 1–2 | Best | 46,526 |
| 26 October 1968 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 3–2 | Best (2), Law | 31,138 |
| 2 November 1968 | Leeds United | H | 0–0 | 53,839 | |
| 9 November 1968 | Sunderland | A | 1–1 | Hurley (o.g.) | 33,151 |
| 16 November 1968 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–0 | 45,796 | |
| 23 November 1968 | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | 30,562 | |
| 30 November 1968 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | Best, Law | 50,165 |
| 7 December 1968 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | Law | 36,303 |
| 14 December 1968 | Liverpool | H | 1–0 | Law | 55,354 |
| 21 December 1968 | Southampton | A | 0–2 | 26,194 | |
| 26 December 1968 | Arsenal | A | 0–3 | 62,300 | |
| 11 January 1969 | Leeds United | A | 1–2 | Charlton | 48,145 |
| 18 January 1969 | Sunderland | H | 4–1 | Law (3), Best | 45,670 |
| 1 February 1969 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–1 | 30,837 | |
| 15 February 1969 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–2 | Best, Charlton | 44,023 |
| 8 March 1969 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 63,264 | |
| 10 March 1969 | Everton | A | 0–0 | 57,514 | |
| 15 March 1969 | Chelsea | A | 2–3 | James, Law | 60,436 |
| 19 March 1969 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 8–1 | Morgan (3), Best (2), Aston, Kidd, Stiles | 36,638 |
| 22 March 1969 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–0 | Best | 45,527 |
| 24 March 1969 | Stoke City | H | 1–1 | Aston | 39,931 |
| 29 March 1969 | West Ham United | A | 0–0 | 41,546 | |
| 31 March 1969 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–0 | Best | 41,892 |
| 2 April 1969 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | Best (2) | 38,846 |
| 5 April 1969 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3–1 | Morgan (2), Best | 51,952 |
| 8 April 1969 | Coventry City | A | 1–2 | Fitzpatrick | 45,402 |
| 12 April 1969 | Newcastle United | A | 0–2 | 46,379 | |
| 19 April 1969 | Burnley | H | 2–0 | Best, Waldron (o.g.) | 52,626 |
| 17 May 1969 | Leicester City | H | 3–2 | Best, Law, Morgan | 45,860 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Newcastle United | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 61 | 55 | 1.109 | 44 | 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup |
| 10 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 67 | 0.955 | 43 | |
| 11 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 57 | 53 | 1.075 | 42 | |
| 12 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 59 | 60 | 0.983 | 41 | |
| 13 | Manchester City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 64 | 55 | 1.164 | 40 | FA Cup winners, qualified for Cup Winners' Cup |
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.
FA Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 January 1969 | Round 3 | Exeter City | A | 3–1 | Fitzpatrick, Kidd, Newman (o.g.) | 18,500 |
| 25 January 1969 | Round 4 | Watford | H | 1–1 | Law | 63,498 |
| 3 February 1969 | Round 4 Replay |
Watford | A | 2–0 | Law (2) | 34,000 |
| 8 February 1969 | Round 5 | Birmingham City | A | 2–2 | Best, Law | 52,500 |
| 24 February 1969 | Round 5 Replay |
Birmingham City | H | 6–2 | Law (3), Crerand, Kidd, Morgan | 61,932 |
| 1 March 1969 | Round 6 | Everton | H | 0–1 | 63,464 |
European Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 1968 | Round 1 First leg |
Waterford United | A | 3–1 | Law (3) | 48,000 |
| 2 October 1968 | Round 1 Second leg |
Waterford United | H | 7–1 | Law (4), Burns, Charlton, Stiles | 41,750 |
| 13 November 1968 | Round 2 First leg |
Anderlecht | H | 3–0 | Law (2), Kidd | 51,000 |
| 27 November 1968 | Round 2 Second leg |
Anderlecht | A | 1–3 | Sartori | 40,000 |
| 26 February 1969 | Quarter-final First leg |
Rapid Wien | H | 3–0 | Best (2), Morgan | 61,932 |
| 5 March 1969 | Quarter-final Second leg |
Rapid Wien | A | 0–0 | 52,000 | |
| 23 April 1969 | Semi-final First leg |
Milan | A | 0–2 | 80,000 | |
| 15 May 1969 | Semi-final Second leg |
Milan | H | 1–0 | Charlton | 63,103 |
Intercontinental Cup
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 1968 | Estudiantes de La Plata | A | 0–1 | 55,000 | |
| 16 October 1968 | Estudiantes de La Plata | H | 1–1 | Morgan | 63,500 |
Squad statistics
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | European Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK |  Jimmy Rimmer |
4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7(1) | 0 |
| GK | Alex Stepney |
38 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| FB |  Shay Brennan |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| FB |  Francis Burns |
14(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19(3) | 1 |
| FB | Tony Dunne |
33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| FB | Frank Kopel |
7(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9(1) | 0 |
| HB | Pat Crerand |
35 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 2 |
| HB | John Fitzpatrick |
28(2) | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38(2) | 4 |
| HB | Bill Foulkes |
10(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17(3) | 0 |
| HB | Steve James |
21 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| HB | Nobby Stiles |
41 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 2 |
| FW | John Aston |
13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| FW |  George Best |
41 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 22 |
| FW | Bobby Charlton |
32 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 7 |
| FW | Alan Gowling |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Brian Kidd |
28(1) | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41(1) | 4 |
| FW | Denis Law |
30 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 30 |
| FW | Willie Morgan |
29 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 9 |
| FW | Jimmy Ryan |
6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| FW | David Sadler |
26(3) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33(4) | 0 |
| FW |  Carlo Sartori |
11(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15(2) | 1 |
References
- "Manchester United Season 1968/69". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
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