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| Manchester United posing with the Charity Shield and Division One trophy |
The post Ernest Mangnall years were hardly a success for Manchester United. From the time that he left the club to manager neighbours, Manchester City, in 1911, up until the end of World War II, United experienced new management on nine different occasions – none of whom were able to bring in any silverware. With the second World War coming to a close United were once again on the hunt for a new manager, safe in the knowledge that the club would soon be competing competitively following the league’s suspension.
United were aware that Matt Busby, a former City and Liverpool defender, had been offered to opportunity to join the Merseyside club as their assistant manager. Louis Rocca, who played a pivotal role in United’s development since their transition from Newton Heath, wrote to Busby, offering him the job as manager at Old Trafford. Busby stipulated that should he take the job, he wanted no interference from the club’s directors and wished to manage the club his own way – he also told them it would take at least five years until they would see any tangible results. In fact, it was less, Busby’s United won the FA Cup less than three years after his appointment in 1948, in the now famous 4-2 victory over Blackpool. United had found their man, for sure. As 100,000 fans lined the streets for Untied’s victory parade, Frank Butler from the News of the World, declared that the club should be renamed Matt Busby United.
In 1950 Louis Rocca died, he had been responsible for brining in new players for much of the previous 15 years. By now however, Matt Busby had a new idea, one that would shape United’s future. He signed Joe Armstrong to recruit youths, this time from all over the UK. No longer was the club signing people purely from Manchester and its surrounding areas. Within a year Armstrong had signed Dennis Viollet, Jeff Whitefoot and Jackie Blanchflower.
Busby spoke at length to his new cohort exactly what it meant to represent Manchester United. Bobby Charlton later revealed in an interview that Busby would tell them, “All those lads you see going into the factory in Trafford Park, they come to watch you on Saturday. They have boring jobs, so you have to give them something, something they will enjoy.” And in the 1951-52 season, the United players did just that.
United weren’t known so much for their youth contingent this early on in Busby’s reign. The likes of Reg Allen, Johnny Carey and Stan Pearson (all 33) were coupled with Roger Byrne (22), Johnny Berry (25) and Ernie Bond (22).
The 1951-52 season began in rich vein as Jack Rowley scored nine goals in the opening four matches. United lost just once in their opening nine matches (1-0 to Bolton), but then found themselves on the back of two consecutive losses to Spurs and Preston. Back to back losses seemed mainstream for United throughout the season as they lost to Chelsea and Portsmouth in November 1951 and then Huddersfield and Portsmouth in March/April 1952. However United did go on a 16 match unbeaten league streak in between these losses. Rowley continued his fine form, scoring 30 league goals in 40 appearances, but this wasn’t enough to secure top goalscorer across the whole division as George Robledo at Newcastle usurped him by netting on 33 occasions.
United stormed to the title, sealed by a 6-1 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford on the final day of the season (including yet another hatrick from Rowley – his fourth of the season). They finished their campaign with 57 points, four ahead of second and third placed Spurs and Arsenal. This time it would only be four years until they recaptured the trophy once again.
-thanx to football-united-blogs.com
Untuk bahagian KETIGA ni jom la kita mengenang kembali sejarah Man Utd memenangi gelaran Liga utk kali ketiga pada season 1951/52!! Setelah hampir 40 tahun merindui gelaran akhirnya team season 1951/52 berjaya membawa pulang trophy kembali ke Old Trafford!! So..jangan lupa utk edisi keempat nya nanti ok..GGMU!!
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