1954–55 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United
1954–55 season
ChairmanHarold Hardman
ManagerMatt Busby
First Division5th
FA CupFourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Dennis Viollet (20)
Tommy Taylor (20)
All:
Dennis Viollet (21)
Highest home attendance51,918 vs Blackpool (1 January 1955)
Lowest home attendance15,679 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (23 February 1955)
Average home league attendance33,815

The 1954–55 season was Manchester United's 53rd season in the Football League, and their tenth consecutive season in the top division of English football. United finished fifth in the league. Their top scorer was Dennis Viollet, with 21 goals. Departing the club at the end of the season was veteran forward Jack Rowley after 18 years at Old Trafford. With younger players continuing to form the mainstay of the side, several more made their debuts this season, including Dublin born forward Billy Whelan who made his senior debut just before his 20th birthday.[1]

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F – A 		Scorers Attendance
21 August 1954 Portsmouth H 1 – 3 Rowley 38,203
23 August 1954 Sheffield Wednesday A 4 – 2 Blanchflower (2), Viollet (2) 38,118
28 August 1954 Blackpool A 4 – 2 Webster (2), Blanchflower, Viollet 31,855
1 September 1954 Sheffield Wednesday H 2 – 0 Viollet (2) 31,371
4 September 1954 Charlton Athletic H 3 – 1 Rowley (2), Taylor 38,105
8 September 1954 Tottenham Hotspur A 2 – 0 Berry, Webster 35,162
11 September 1954 Bolton Wanderers A 1 – 1 Webster 44,661
15 September 1954 Tottenham Hotspur H 2 – 1 Rowley, Viollet 29,212
18 September 1954 Huddersfield Town H 1 – 1 Viollet 45,648
25 September 1954 Manchester City A 2 – 3 Blanchflower, Taylor 54,105
2 October 1954 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 2 – 4 Rowley, Viollet 39,617
9 October 1954 Cardiff City H 5 – 2 Taylor (4), Viollet 39,378
16 October 1954 Chelsea A 6 – 5 Viollet (3), Taylor (2), Blanchflower 55,966
23 October 1954 Newcastle United H 2 – 2 Taylor, own goal 29,217
30 October 1954 Everton A 2 – 4 Taylor, Rowley 63,021
6 November 1954 Preston North End H 2 – 1 Viollet (2) 30,063
13 November 1954 Sheffield United A 0 – 3 26,257
20 November 1954 Arsenal H 2 – 1 Blanchflower, Taylor 33,373
27 November 1954 West Bromwich Albion A 0 – 2 33,931
4 December 1954 Leicester City H 3 – 1 Webster, Rowley, Viollet 19,369
11 December 1954 Burnley A 4 – 2 Webster (3), Viollet 24,977
18 December 1954 Portsmouth A 0 – 0 26,019
27 December 1954 Aston Villa H 0 – 1 49,136
28 December 1954 Aston Villa A 1 – 2 Taylor 48,718
1 January 1955 Blackpool H 4 – 1 Blanchflower (2), Edwards, Viollet 51,918
22 January 1955 Bolton Wanderers H 1 – 1 Taylor 39,873
5 February 1955 Huddersfield Town A 3 – 1 Berry, Edwards, Pegg 31,408
12 February 1955 Manchester City H 0 – 5 47,914
23 February 1955 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 2 – 4 Edwards, Taylor 15,679
26 February 1955 Cardiff City A 0 – 3 16,329
5 March 1955 Burnley H 1 – 0 Edwards 31,729
19 March 1955 Everton H 1 – 2 Scanlon 32,295
26 March 1955 Preston North End A 2 – 0 Byrne, Scanlon 13,327
2 April 1955 Sheffield United H 5 – 0 Taylor (2), Berry, Viollet, Whelan 21,158
8 April 1955 Sunderland A 3 – 4 Edwards (2), Scanlon 43,882
9 April 1955 Leicester City A 0 – 1 34,362
11 April 1955 Sunderland H 2 – 2 Byrne, Taylor 36,013
16 April 1955 West Bromwich Albion H 3 – 0 Taylor (2), Viollet 24,765
18 April 1955 Newcastle United A 0 – 2 35,540
23 April 1955 Arsenal A 3 – 2 Blanchflower (2), own goal 42,754
26 April 1955 Charlton Athletic A 1 – 1 Viollet 13,149
30 April 1955 Chelsea H 2 – 1 Scanlon, Taylor 34,933

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Chelsea (C) 42 20 12 10 81 57 1.421 52 Disqualified from the European Cup[a]
2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 19 10 13 89 70 1.271 48
3 Portsmouth 42 18 12 12 74 62 1.194 48
4 Sunderland 42 15 18 9 64 54 1.185 48
5 Manchester United 42 20 7 15 84 74 1.135 47
6 Aston Villa 42 20 7 15 72 73 0.986 47
7 Manchester City 42 18 10 14 76 69 1.101 46
8 Newcastle United 42 17 9 16 89 77 1.156 43
9 Arsenal 42 17 9 16 69 63 1.095 43
10 Burnley 42 17 9 16 51 48 1.063 43
11 Everton 42 16 10 16 62 68 0.912 42
12 Huddersfield Town 42 14 13 15 63 68 0.926 41
13 Sheffield United 42 17 7 18 70 86 0.814 41
14 Preston North End 42 16 8 18 83 64 1.297 40
15 Charlton Athletic 42 15 10 17 76 75 1.013 40
16 Tottenham Hotspur 42 16 8 18 72 73 0.986 40
17 West Bromwich Albion 42 16 8 18 76 96 0.792 40
18 Bolton Wanderers 42 13 13 16 62 69 0.899 39
19 Blackpool 42 14 10 18 60 64 0.938 38
20 Cardiff City 42 13 11 18 62 76 0.816 37
21 Leicester City (R) 42 12 11 19 74 86 0.860 35 Relegation to the Second Division
22 Sheffield Wednesday (R) 42 8 10 24 63 100 0.630 26
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Chelsea were invited to play at the inaugural European Cup but were barred from participation by The FA.[2]

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A 		Scorers Attendance
8 January 1955 Round 3 Reading A 1 – 1 Webster 26,000
12 January 1955 Round 3
Replay 		Reading H 4 – 1 Webster (2), Viollet, Rowley 24,578
19 February 1955 Round 4 Manchester City A 0 – 2 75,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Jack Crompton 5 0 0 0 5 0
GK England Ray Wood 37 0 3 0 40 0
FB England Geoff Bent 2 0 0 0 2 0
FB England Roger Byrne 39 2 3 0 42 2
FB England Bill Foulkes 41 0 3 0 44 0
FB England Ian Greaves 1 0 0 0 1 0
FB England Mark Jones 13 0 0 0 13 0
FB Republic of Ireland Paddy Kennedy 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB Northern Ireland Jackie Blanchflower 29 10 3 0 32 10
HB England Allenby Chilton 29 0 3 0 32 0
HB England Henry Cockburn 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB England Duncan Edwards 33 6 3 0 36 6
HB England Don Gibson 32 0 3 0 35 0
HB England Freddie Goodwin 5 0 0 0 5 0
HB England Jeff Whitefoot 24 0 0 0 24 0
FW England Johnny Berry 40 3 3 0 43 3
FW England David Pegg 6 1 0 0 6 1
FW England Jack Rowley 22 7 3 1 25 8
FW England Albert Scanlon 14 4 0 0 14 4
FW England Tommy Taylor 30 20 1 0 31 20
FW England Dennis Viollet 34 20 3 1 37 21
FW Wales Colin Webster 17 8 2 3 19 11
FW Republic of Ireland Liam Whelan 7 1 0 0 7 1
– Own goals – 2 – 0 – 2

References

  1. ^ "Manchester United Season 1954/55". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. ^ The great Chelsea surrender