1953–54 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United
1953–54 season
ChairmanHarold Hardman
ManagerMatt Busby
First Division4th
FA CupThird Round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Tommy Taylor (22)
All:
Tommy Taylor (23)
Highest home attendance49,853 vs Blackpool (21 November 1953)
Lowest home attendance18,161 vs Middlesbrough (9 September 1953)
Average home league attendance33,590

The 1953–54 season was Manchester United's 52nd season in the Football League, and their ninth consecutive season in the top division of English football.

United finished the season in fourth place, recovering well after an eight-match winless start. Top scorer for the season was Tommy Taylor, who in his first full season at the club scored 22 goals in the league and a further goal in the FA Cup. 20-year-old striker Dennis Viollet established himself in the first team this season and scored 12 goals, and 17-year-old Duncan Edwards gradually displaced the veteran Henry Cockburn at left-half.

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F – A 		Scorers Attendance
19 August 1953 Chelsea H 1 – 1 Pearson 28,936
22 August 1953 Liverpool A 4 – 4 Byrne, Lewis, Rowley, Taylor 48,422
26 August 1953 West Bromwich Albion H 1 – 3 Taylor 31,806
29 August 1953 Newcastle United H 1 – 1 Chilton 27,837
2 September 1953 West Bromwich Albion A 0 – 2 28,892
5 September 1953 Manchester City A 0 – 2 53,097
9 September 1953 Middlesbrough H 2 – 2 Rowley (2) 18,161
12 September 1953 Bolton Wanderers A 0 – 0 43,544
16 September 1953 Middlesbrough A 4 – 1 Taylor (2), Byrne, Rowley 23,607
19 September 1953 Preston North End H 1 – 0 Byrne 41,171
26 September 1953 Tottenham Hotspur A 1 – 1 Rowley 52,837
3 October 1953 Burnley H 1 – 2 Pearson 37,696
10 October 1953 Sunderland H 1 – 0 Rowley 34,617
17 October 1953 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1 – 3 Taylor 40,084
24 October 1953 Aston Villa H 1 – 0 Berry 30,266
31 October 1953 Huddersfield Town A 0 – 0 34,175
7 November 1953 Arsenal H 2 – 2 Blanchflower, Rowley 28,141
14 November 1953 Cardiff City A 6 – 1 Viollet (2), Berry, Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor 26,844
21 November 1953 Blackpool H 4 – 1 Taylor (3), Viollet 49,853
28 November 1953 Portsmouth A 1 – 1 Taylor 29,233
5 December 1953 Sheffield United H 2 – 2 Blanchflower (2) 31,693
12 December 1953 Chelsea A 1 – 3 Berry 37,153
19 December 1953 Liverpool H 5 – 1 Blanchflower (2), Taylor (2), Viollet 26,074
25 December 1953 Sheffield Wednesday H 5 – 2 Taylor (3), Blanchflower, Viollet 27,123
26 December 1953 Sheffield Wednesday A 1 – 0 Viollet 44,196
2 January 1954 Newcastle United A 2 – 1 Blanchflower, Foulkes 55,780
16 January 1954 Manchester City H 1 – 1 Berry 46,379
23 January 1954 Bolton Wanderers H 1 – 5 Taylor 46,663
6 February 1954 Preston North End A 3 – 1 Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor 30,064
13 February 1954 Tottenham Hotspur H 2 – 0 Rowley, Taylor 35,485
20 February 1954 Burnley A 0 – 2 29,576
27 February 1954 Sunderland A 2 – 0 Taylor, Blanchflower 58,440
6 March 1954 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1 – 0 Berry 38,939
13 March 1954 Aston Villa A 2 – 2 Taylor (2) 26,023
20 March 1954 Huddersfield Town H 3 – 1 Blanchflower, Rowley, Viollet 40,181
27 March 1954 Arsenal A 1 – 3 Taylor 42,753
3 April 1954 Cardiff City H 2 – 3 Rowley, Viollet 22,832
10 April 1954 Blackpool A 0 – 2 25,996
16 April 1954 Charlton Athletic H 2 – 0 Aston, Viollet 31,876
17 April 1954 Portsmouth H 2 – 0 Blanchflower, Viollet 29,663
19 April 1954 Charlton Athletic A 0 – 1 19,111
24 April 1954 Sheffield United A 3 – 1 Aston, Blanchflower, Viollet 29,189

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers (C) 42 25 7 10 96 56 1.714 57
2 West Bromwich Albion 42 22 9 11 86 63 1.365 53
3 Huddersfield Town 42 20 11 11 78 61 1.279 51
4 Manchester United 42 18 12 12 73 58 1.259 48
5 Bolton Wanderers 42 18 12 12 75 60 1.250 48
6 Blackpool 42 19 10 13 80 69 1.159 48
7 Burnley 42 21 4 17 78 67 1.164 46
8 Chelsea 42 16 12 14 74 68 1.088 44
9 Charlton Athletic 42 19 6 17 75 77 0.974 44
10 Cardiff City 42 18 8 16 51 71 0.718 44
11 Preston North End 42 19 5 18 87 58 1.500 43
12 Arsenal 42 15 13 14 75 73 1.027 43
13 Aston Villa 42 16 9 17 70 68 1.029 41
14 Portsmouth 42 14 11 17 81 89 0.910 39
15 Newcastle United 42 14 10 18 72 77 0.935 38
16 Tottenham Hotspur 42 16 5 21 65 76 0.855 37
17 Manchester City 42 14 9 19 62 77 0.805 37
18 Sunderland 42 14 8 20 81 89 0.910 36
19 Sheffield Wednesday 42 15 6 21 70 91 0.769 36
20 Sheffield United 42 11 11 20 69 90 0.767 33
21 Middlesbrough (R) 42 10 10 22 60 91 0.659 30 Relegation to the Second Division
22 Liverpool (R) 42 9 10 23 68 97 0.701 28
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A 		Scorers Attendance
19 January 1954 Round 3 Burnley A 3 – 5 Blanchflower, Taylor, Viollet 54,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Jack Crompton 15 0 0 0 15 0
GK Ray Wood 27 0 1 0 28 0
FB John Aston, Sr. 12 2 0 0 12 2
FB Roger Byrne 41 3 1 0 41 3
FB Bill Foulkes 32 1 1 0 33 1
FB Tommy McNulty 4 0 0 0 4 0
FB Billy Redman 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB Jackie Blanchflower 27 13 1 1 28 14
HB Allenby Chilton 42 1 1 0 43 1
HB Henry Cockburn 18 0 0 0 18 0
HB Duncan Edwards 24 0 1 0 25 0
HB Don Gibson 7 0 0 0 7 0
HB Jeff Whitefoot 38 0 1 0 39 0
FW Johnny Berry 37 5 1 0 38 5
FW Eddie Lewis 6 1 0 0 6 1
FW Noel McFarlane 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW David Pegg 9 0 0 0 9 0
FW Stan Pearson 11 2 0 0 11 2
FW Harry McShane 9 0 0 0 9 0
FW Jack Rowley 36 12 1 0 37 12
FW Tommy Taylor 35 22 1 1 36 23
FW Dennis Viollet 29 11 1 1 30 12
FW Colin Webster 1 0 0 0 1 0

References

  1. ^ "Manchester United Season 1953/54". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.