Club History: The Poor Thirties 1930 - 1939

1930 - 1931: Crisis at Old Trafford

As if the previous season had not been bad enough the 1930-31 campaign had to go down as one of United's worst. They started the season losing 4-0 to Villa, followed by a 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough, and then things continued to go downhill. Losses to Chelsea 6-2, Huddersfield 6-0 and Newcastle 7-4 and United's usual devoted support started to wane. By the time Newcastle were waxing them at Old Trafford the crowd numbered less than 11,000.

There was much discontentment from the terraces and the normally placid Supporters club began to make waves. Handbills were passed out outside the ground on match days calling for the Club to heed a five point plan that they had presented to them. The supporters wanted a new manager, an improved scouting system, some new signings, five shareholders elected to the board, and money to be raised through a new share issue. The club ignored the demands refusing to even meet with them, arguing that the Supporters Club was an unofficial body not recognised by the club and unrepresentative of the bulk of the supporters.

Results continued to get worse and by the end of September they had lost all of the opening eight games and were sitting at the foot of the table. On October 4th the team went across town for the derby with Man City under a threat from the Supporters Club that if the board did not respond to them there would be a mass boycott of the home fixture against Arsenal scheduled for the 18th of October. The club did not respond. Man City defeated them 4-1, and the following week West Ham hammered them 5-1. The Supporters Club called an emergency meeting to be held at Hulme Town Hall and as many as 3,000 were reported to have turned up. Mr Greenhough, secretary of the Supporters Club moved that the boycott against Arsenal should go ahead.

Charlie Roberts, the former club captain spoke against the boycott and argued that the fans should be getting behind the team not boycotting them. Roberts was shouted down and the vote was taken to boycott the Arsenal game which was to be played the following day. The visit of the previous years Cup winning team was considered a huge game, and the newspapers had talked about a possible 50,000 crowd, 23,000 made the effort. United lost 2-1 and followed that with a 4-1 loss to Portsmouth.

After these games the attendances slumped even lower and in fact the only time the crowd bettered 10,000 the rest of the year was the local home derby with Man City. In their final game 3,900 watched them play out a 4-4 draw with Middlesbrough. They had lost 27 matches while only winning 7 and conceding a staggering 115 goals. At the end of the season the board finally acted and fired Herbert Bamlett, there was no immediate replacement for him and secretary Walter Crickmer and Louis Rocca took over the reins. But even the long serving secretary, and the man who had named the club Manchester United could not help United's slide and as 1931 ended the club were once again almost bankrupt.

It was at this point that a fairy godmother came to the rescue, this time James Gibson placed 2,000 pound at the club's disposal and indicated he was ready to make further funds available if the board would reconstitute itself. James Gibson was made President and another financial crisis was averted, Gibson placing cash at the club's disposal and guaranting the players' wages.

1931 - 1932: Struggling in Division 2 again
In May 1931 Herbert Bamlett was sacked as manager after United were relegated, finishing bottom and conceding 115 goals. Walter Crickmer, who was club secretary at the time, took over the duties of team selection along with Louis Rocca, until August 1932, when Scott Duncan, an ex-player, who had guested for the club during the 1st world war, was appointed. Duncan had played with Newcastle, and Dumbarton and was also one of the few players who could boast playing for both Glasgow Celtic and Rangers. Duncan was to be paid a salary of 800 pounds a year and after taking over at the helm he promised to infuse new blood into the team and to re-vamp the Youth system.

But Duncan did not fulfil his promises, spending a very large amount of money on new players, mainly from his native Scotland. His signings included Neil Dewar from Third Lanark, Chalmers from Cowdenbeath, Byrne from Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) and Bamford from Wrexham. He had the huge task to bring United back into the first division, but he couldn't do it in his first season at the former English champions. His first season saw United finish 12th in the second division and reach the third round of the FA Cup, but the hard years for Duncan still had to come.

1932 - 1933: Promotion still far off
The second season of Scott Duncan as manager of United was a little better. After finishing 12th in his first season he now finished 6th in the league, but he never got United anywhere near the promotion places, so it was hardly a return for the outlay.

In the FA Cup he reached, just like the previous year, the third round, but again United lost at home to Middlesbrough 1-4 in that third round. In this year, just as last year, United managed to score 71 goals in the league, what is a large amount for a team out the middle group in the second division.

1933 - 1934: Drop to 3rd Division avoided on last day
On December 26th 1933 Grimsby Town defeated the United team 7-3, things just were not getting any better at Old Trafford. During the season United searched for the right blend, and by season end they had used 38 players. On May 4th 1934 Manchester United travelled to Millwall knowing that only a victory could save them from the humiliating drop into the 3rd division north. The `Manchester Evening News' had already wrote them off and called it "the most heartbreaking season in the history of Manchester United".

They stood next to bottom on 32 points, while Millwall were just above them on 33 points. If United won the game Millwall would be relegated. Millwall started the game with a flourish and pinned the Reds back in defence for long periods of time. Then against the run of play United got a breakaway goal to make the score at halftime United 1 Millwall 0. Within two minutes of the restart Cape added another goal for United and the team began playing with confidence and won the game comfortably 2-0. United's travelling supporters numbered over 3,000 and upon returning to Manchester Central that night the team found many thousands more waiting to welcome their hero's home. United had survived once again at the last gasp!

1934 - 1935: Things slowly begin to improve
United could only improve after the worst season in their 47 years history. This season they finished in a good fifth place in the league playing good football, making it difficult for all teams in the league to beat them. But they only scored 55 goals themselves. In the FA Cup they did made good progress as well, reaching the fourth round.

By the end of the season United was tipped to gain promotion next year. At last things were starting to look up.

1935 - 1936: Promotion back to the top flight
The Thirties had so far not been good years at Old Trafford and the 1935-36 season started out just as bad as the previous years. On January 4th they were to lose to Bradford City, but in an amazing turnaround this loss was to be the last of the season. By Febuary they had begun climbing up the table. Manager Scott Duncan claimed it was a new plan he had instilled that was the reason for the upsurge, he said they had been concentrating on getting a point away and two at home. Whatever the reason it was working and by mid-March they had jumped to 4th place just three points behind the leaders.

In April they were in 2nd place and Old Trafford was sensing the prospect of promotion. The crucial game came on Wednesday 29 April when they travelled to nearby Bury, United had beaten them on the previous weekend at Old Trafford and a win was needed to stay in the promotion race. As many as 20,000 fans made the short trip to see United win the game and keep their hopes alive going into the last week of the season. United did not disappoint their travelling fans and defeated Bury 3-2.

After the game the fans invaded the field and carried their hero's shoulder high to the dressing rooms. The following Saturday only a point was needed for United to be crowned 2nd Champions, it was duly achieved with a 1-1 draw. It had been United's home record that formed the backbone of their triumph. They had lost just two games at Old Trafford and drawn only three, scoring 55 goals.

1936 - 1938: Shortlived stay in Division 1
United's return to the top flight was indeed short lived. They returned to division two the following season. 1937 however was to mark the year two players were signed who would dramatically change the club's future fortunes. Johnny Carey joined the club from Dublin side St James' Gate for 250 pounds, he began life at Old Trafford as an inside forward, but would soon convert to become one of the all time great fullbacks the World had ever seen. A month after Carey's debut Duncan signed another youngster, this time paying Bournemouth 3,000 pounds for Jack Rowley. After the first 15 games of 1937/38 Duncan resigned to take over at Ipswich Town, despite having 4 years of a 5 year contract remaining.

Crickmer again took over the managerial reins in November 1937. At the time United were nothing more than a good 2nd division side, however his first game United hammered Chesterfield 7-1 and began a run that would again gain them promotion as runners-up, while reigning champions Manchester City were relegated. The next manager of United became Jimmy Porter. He stayed manager of United until 1944. Crickmer continued his combined duties at that point until February 1945, when Matt Busby was offered a 5 year contract by the Directors upon completion of his army duties. Porter managed to give United their promotion and he did what others before him couldn't do, keep United in the first division.

1938 - 1939: Porter's first and only season at United
This was the first and only season for Porter with United in the first division. He had a hard fight to avoid relegation, but he managed to keep them there. They finished 14th in the league, with 11 wins, 16 draws and 15 defeats. United did not score more than 65 goals, but still had a high goal average of +27. A record Old Trafford attendance of 76,962 watches the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town in March. By that time United were already out of the FA Cup, having lost in the third round.

World War II
There was much apprehension on the terraces that final Saturday before war broke out. Everyone knew that the deadline given to Germany by the British government to pull out of Poland was only hours away and everybody had realised by then that Hitler would not retreat. United were away to Charlton on what was the third game of a new season. They had begun the season brightly winning 4-0 at Grimsby followed by a weekday tie at Chelsea, but Charlton beat them this day 2-0. The next morning at 11am war was declared on Germany.

The football league met two days later and made the decision to cancel the League season. It would be seven years before League soccer reappeared, although soccer was played in some form or fashion through that painful duration. In place of League play a series of regional leagues were formed much like what had happened in the 1st world war, and a guesting system was introduced once more. This made for strange bedfellows indeed with some small 3rd division sides often fielding famous international stars that just happened to be posted close by, while some major clubs scratched around for players. In June 1940 United fielded an unusual lineup on one occasion with Man City star Peter Doherty and Stanley Mathews featuring on the same forward line as a center forward who had been drafted out of a local pub team. Throughout the 6 years of hostilities there were few prizes to be won, and even fewer spectators showed up to watch, United rarely attracted a crowd of over 4,000.

For the record United won the Lancashire Cup in 1941, beating Burnley, and topped their regional League in 1941-42, there was little else to boast about other than a few spectacular scorelines. New Brighton were hammered 13-1 in 1941 and Wrexham were beaten 10-3 the same year, while Burnley were defeated 9-0 in 1944.

On the night of Tuesday 11th March 1941 there was a roar around Old Trafford, but it was not coming from the terraces but rather from the drone of German planes overhead. The magnificent stadium sustained heavy bomb damage, and was in a dilapidated state, a shadow of its former self. The terraces were covered in weeds and grass and out on the famous turf a 6' high bush had sprouted. Thanks to the kindness of Manchester City, United were given use of Maine Road, although they didn't return any favors slamming City 7-1 a month later.

The Busby Babes 1945 - 1957