Club History: The Busby Babes 1945 - 1957

1945 - 1946: Matt Busby takes charge

Busby's footballing career had ironically enough began at Manchester City where he begun as a 17 year old and played more than 200 games before moving to Liverpool. Busby, the son of a Scottish miner, was a stylish half-back with Manchester City and Liverpool before World War Two and although he won only one full cap for Scotland, he skippered his country in several wartime internationals. He was only 34 when he took over at Old Trafford, but even so was in great demand, turning down Spurs, Liverpool, Reading and Ayre United to join the Reds. There was no doubt that Manchester was where Busby's heart lay. His arrival was to spark the fusion of two great forces.

1946 - 1947: Busby's great team is born
It was 1946 and the war was over, and League football kicked off again. The crowds flocked to the games hungry for football again after the long lay-off. Crowds were averaging 50,000 at the large clubs and United were getting 40,000 every week although playing at Maine road due to Old Trafford still not having being rebuilt yet. The United team that started the season was indeed impressive, with Jack Crompton in goal, Johnny Carey and John Aston in front of him, while Chilton, (who had been wounded in the war) Warner and Cockburn formed the halfback line. Up front there was Jimmy Delaney a 4,000 pound buy from Celtic and Stan Pearson a rugged energetic and scheming player who partnered the great Jack Rowley. Charlie Mitten prowled the left wing. It was an oustanding team and with Matt Busby and now Jimmy Murphy at the helm it was one that would transform United from the music-hall joke of pre-war football to giants of the post war years. United began the 1946-47 Season in great form with 5 victories, including a 5-0 win over eventual Champions Liverpool.

United were leading contenders all year along with Liverpool, Stoke City, and Wolves, but Liverpool out lasted them and won the title with United finishing as runners up. It had been a brave campaign by Busby's new team, who struck 95 goals and boasted fewer defeats than anyone else. Jack Rowley was leading scorer with 26 goals, followed by Stan Pearson with 19. Bert Whalley had been chosen regularly at half back, however in 1947 he decided to hang up his books and take a coaching job under Busby. This would prove to be highly significant in future years. Bert Whalley was an instant success as a coach, guiding, developing, and motivating a group of youngsters at the Club who would find recognition of their own in the near future, this group of youngsters would be later known to the Football world as: The Busby Babes.

1947 - 1948: Busby's first trophy
The 'News of the World' Newspaper called the 1948 Cup final 'Wembley's finest'. This was maybe a slight exaggeration, although there is no doubting it was one of the finest games ever played on the Wembley turf.

United had arrived at Wembley via a most difficult route. In the third round they defeated Aston villa 6-4 after being down a goal in 13 seconds, at half time they were leading 5-1 but Villa fought back to 5-4 before Stan Pearson scored a sixth for the Reds. Then they drew current League Champions Liverpool at home, but because Old Trafford was still not ready to be used and Maine road was not available due to City being also drawn at home United had to find another ground to play the Cup tie at. They plumped for Liverpool's rivals ground at Everton and it proved to be a lucky venue for the Reds as they won 3-0 at Goodison Park in front of a 74,000 crowd.

Next up was Charlton, but City had again been drawn at home and this time United chose to play at Leeds Road Huddersfield. Again the Reds won their 'home game' when they beat the London Club 2-0. On to the quarter-finals and a game against Preston North End, Man City having a league fixture arranged for the same day the Reds had to find yet another place to play, this time it was Villa Park and another win for United 4-2 in front of yet another 74,000. Derby County were to provide the opposition in the semi-final and it was slated for Hillsborough Sheffield. Stan Pearson hit a hat trick to add to the 4 goals he had already scored in the remarkable cup run, and United ran out winners 3-1.

United had faced 1st Division opposition in every round and had been watched by an astonishing 300,000 and the Wembley date would make it 400,000 aggregate attendance, which stands as a record to this day.

In the final United faced another Lancashire team in Blackpool who of course boasted the services of the great Stanley Matthews who was recognized all over the World as being the greatest player of the day. Blackpool took the lead when Shimwell scored from the penalty spot after 12 minutes, but United stormed back and 27 minutes into the game they levelled the scores as Jack Rowley out sprinted the Blackpool goalkeeper to thunder a shot into the net.

Blackpool were proving to be more than worthy opponents and they struck again when Stan Mortensen slotted home a goal from a Matthews free kick. Skipper Johnny Carey was having a storm of a game and his prompting and constant surges forward paid off when Rowley headed home a free kick to draw the two sides level again. Ten minutes later the Cup was secured for United when Stan Pearson slammed home the winner. Pearson had scored 8 goals in six matches for the Reds, and he would always be remembered as the man who fired United on their way to another Cup Triumph. The double was nearly achieved. United won at Wembley to lift the FA Cup for the second time, but were pipped by Arsenal for the League title.

1948 - 1949: No silverware this season
The next United tried again to achieve the covetted double, but again they failed. In the FA Cup the played the best football of England till the semi finals. Everyone was positive that United would also win this semi final and go for their second successive FA Cup win. But in the semi finals United lost. And in the league they couldn't win either.

For the third time in a row United finished second in the league. But the hard times from before the war were forgotten and with Busby as manager happy days lay ahead.

1949 - 1950: United return to Old Trafford
After 8 years absence from their home Manchester United returned to Old Trafford in 1949, the bomb damage had been mostly repaired there was still some work to be done, but the gates opened for a crowd of 42,000 to pack inside and watch the Reds face Bolton Wanderers on a breezy summer day in August.

It was an exciting event with traffic backed up for miles which caused many to be late for the kickoff, but when the Stadium finally filled, the noise was reported to be deafening and the Stretford End roared their approval as Charlie Mitten became the first player to score the a goal at Old Trafford for 8 years. United ran out 3-0 winners. United didn't finish the league as good as the last three years, the became fourth. In the FA cup the couldn't do it as well, they only reached the sixth round.

Busby bought a new goalkeeper, he signed Ray Wood for 6,000 from Darlington.

1950 - 1952: The Busby Babes are born
United fans were astonished when they read their morning newspapers during the summer of 1950. Charlie Mitten had deserted Old Trafford for an unknown Columbian team by the name of Santa Fe, after 113 consecutive appearances in the red shirt Mitten was off to South America. Mitten and his fellow professionals were earning a maximum 12 pounds a week, Santa Fe promised him a signing bonus of 2,500 pounds plus a salary of 2,500 pounds per year and a win bonus of 35 pounds a week, he was 29 years old.

Life in Bogata did not suit him however and he was soon on his way back to England, he was still officially a United player, but upon his return they made it apparent they would not continue with his services. He went on to sign with Fulham, later becoming manager of Mansfield before joining Newcastle as Manager.

On Saturday, 24th November 1951 United gave a debut to two youngsters who over the next few years would play a vital role in the club's fortunes. One of the players was named Jackie Blanchflower, the other Roger Byrne, they were selected to play against Liverpool at Anfield. Tom Jackson of the Manchester Evening News wrote: United's 'Babes' were cool and confident. It would be the first time the word `Babe' would be used in conjunction with United. The introduction of Byrne and Blanchflower signalled the beginning of changes in the team, United went on to win the Championship in 1952 with the old guard forming the backbone of the team, however in the reserve and youth teams players were pushing the older established players for their spots every week. Since the war United had never been out of the top four, so the title was long overdue when it finally arrived in 1952.

They moved on top in February and stayed there the rest of the season, even though in the end it took a win in the penultimate game of the season to secure the title. Arsenal needed to beat United by 7 goals to snatch the title, it was never to happen as the Reds finished the season in rousing form hammering the Gunners 6-1.

1952 - 1953: Tommy Taylor signs for £29,999
It was the day Stalin died, but more important to Man United fans it was the day United signed a young inside forward named Tommy Taylor. It was said that 17 different clubs had all put offers in to Barnsley for their free scoring gem, but Matt Busby was the manager who pulled off what was later to prove to be maybe his best signing. The highest fee United had ever spent (29,999 pounds) when asked why he had not made it 30,000 Busby replied that he had not wanted to burden the young man with a 30,000 fee.

Taylor was the final piece in the Busby jigsaw and went from strength to strength with the club. 1953 also saw the debut of another United great to be when a 16 year old Duncan Edwards was told by Busby `go get your boots son, you are playing for the first team against Cardiff City'. So on the 4th of April 1953 Edwards played against Cardiff City, he was the fifth teenager that year to wear the red of Man United.

1953 also marked the retirement of the great club servant Johnny Carey. Carey had appeared for United in no less than 9 different positions, and in seven different spots for his Country Ireland. He had played 344 games for the Reds and had captained them to FA cup and Championship glory. His replacement was a cool young player by the name of Roger Byrne.

Carey went on to become manager of Blackburn Rovers, and later Everton, Leyton Orient, and Notts Forest. In this year the youth team won the FA youth cup. Over two legs they beat Wolves 9-3 on aggregate. The team was Clayton, Fulton, Kennedy, Coleman, Edwards, McFarlaine, Whelan, Lewis, Pegg and Scanlon.

All the youth players that made their debut in these years are a tribute to the scouting skills of Joe Armstrong who succeeded Louis Rocca after the war. The Champions finished the league at only a 8th place, in the FA Cup they came till the fifth round and then lost.

1953 - 1954: Babes get first taste of the limelight
1954 saw United's Youth team repeat the previous years victory in the Youth Cup by defeating Wolves in a two legged affair 4-4 (home) and 1-0 at Molineux. The two games were watched by over 40,000 fans, United went on to capture the Youth Cup five times in succession. Many of the Youth team were being introduced into the senior side, Duncan Edwards had become a regular, while players such as Jackie Blanchflower, Dennis Violett, Colin Webster, Albert Scanlon, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Billy Whelan, and Bill Foukes were all experiencing their first taste of League soccer.

Roger Byrne although only 25 years old was already the established captain of the 1st Division side. Of the team that had beaten Wolves eight went on to claim regular spots in the starting lineup for the Reds, and three of these were to lose their lives in the Munich air crash. But still United did not became the champion of England, the finished 4th in the league and lost very disappointing in the third round of the FA Cup.

1954 - 1955: The calm before the storm
The Busby Babes were almost ready to take charge in the England football, but this year they couldn't bring the championship back home. The young team finished 5th in the league and managed to score 84 goals in 42 matches. United got till the fourth round of the FA Cup, while the youth team won another FA Youth Cup final, they won against West Bromwich Albion 7-1 on aggregate.

1955 - 1956: Busby Babes crowned Champions
United's new young team were making noises that they were ready to challenge for England's highest honor, the League Championship. Some football writers were predicting a great future for the exciting new team, but many of them quibbled that there was two much youth, and too little experience for the team to actually scale the top heights.

At the start of the season it looked like the media had been correct, with only three wins in 8 games, but from then on the youngsters found their feet and only lost 4 more games the rest of the season. By Christmas it was all over! United sat on top of the league and were never to look back, in the end they finished 11 points ahead of Blackpool, the youngsters had proved themselves and the English football public were in awe of the youthful Champions.

Young Denis Viollet scored twenty goals in this his first season with the senior squad (he had made his debut in 1953, but had to wait to 1955 to secure his spot in the team). Violett was born in Manchester and went on to score 20 plus goals a season for the next 6 seasons. When he left the Club in 1962 to join Stoke City he had scored 178 goals in 291 appearances (he went on to score 59 more at Stoke before leaving for the USA).

The championship was secured on April 7th when 62,277 fans watched the Red Devils beat Blackpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. In a period of 10 years United had only been out of the top 4 spots twice, and the latest Championship had been won by a team whose average age was just 22. United's fourth league title was ample consoladation for a shock exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Bristol Rovers. They still hadn't managed to win the double.

1956 - 1957: United's first steps into Europe
The Championship in 1955 had entitled United to play in a new competition named the European Cup. The competition had been dreamed up by the French Newspaper 'L'Equipe'. Chelsea had been invited the previous year but at the prompting of the Football League they had turned the chance down. United also heard serious argument from the football powers, but Manager Matt Busby stood defiant, even risking sanctions to accept the offer and to pave the way into Europe for the English. Busby as always was on the cutting edge of the game, he believed his young side were a match for the best in Europe, and was determined to prove his point. The Football league eventually backed down to him and United were in Europe!

At this time Old Trafford did not have floodlights, and it was our friends from across the City who once again came to our rescue. all United's home games in the European cup were to played at Maine road, the home of Manchester City. In the first tie they were drawn against Belgian Champions Anderlecht, who they disposed of 10-0. The next game they were drawn against the German team Borussia Dortmund, who they also disposed of to go on to meet the Spanish Champions Bilbao. Playing in Spain in the first leg the team slumped to its first defeat in the competition losing 5-2, on the return over 70,000 fans packed into Maine Road to watch them make a stunning comeback and defeat Bilbao 3-0 on goals from Taylor and Violett (2). By this time the accolades were pouring in, Jeff Mermans the Anderlecht captain called them 'Worldbeaters', and the Daily Herald's George Follows described the Bilbao game as "the greatest football match he had ever seen, the greatest football crowd he had ever heard, and the greatest centre forward display he had ever seen."

Everyone agreed, it had been Tommy Taylors Night! The team had also been on a big bonus to win the tie, a whopping 3 pounds! United were through to the semi-final, and the Mighty Real Madrid. The Spanish team boasted World class stars like Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Puskas, Gento and the Russian keeper Yashin. On the first leg the youth of the United team showed and Madrid tore them apart before 125,000 Fans in Bernabeau Stadium 3-1. The Old Trafford floodlights had been installed in time for the second leg and the game was played before 65,000, but it was not to be United's day and they settled for a 2-2 draw and elimination from the competition. Interestingly United's late equaliser came from a young forward named Bobby Charlton.

In addition to the good European Cup run, things had being going well on the domestic front with United through to Wembley to face Aston Villa, having already clinched the League Championship by finishing 8 points ahead of Spurs. The team were odds on favourites to clinch the Double with a win against Villa, but with just six minutes gone Villa's flying winger Peter McParland recklessly charged United keeper Ray Wood, who had possession of the ball and was preparing to kick upfield. It was a particularity nasty foul, and it has been debated many times over the years why the ref allowed McParland to remain on the field.

Woods' cheekbone had been shattered, and the United team were down to 10 men, (No subs allowed) so Jackie Blanchfower donned the goalie shirt for the rest of the second half which finished 0-0. Woods made a brave effort to return to the goal in the second half, but the weakened United team succumbed to two goals from McParland and their dream of League and Cup double had been extinguished. The building of a team that was christened the `Busby Babes' around 1956 was complete, but actually started in the youth teams of 1952 and on. The United youth team won the FA youth cup from the years 1952 through to 1957.

Munich Memorial 1958