1952–53 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United
1952–53 season
ChairmanHarold Hardman
ManagerMatt Busby
First Division8th
FA CupFifth Round
FA Charity ShieldWinners
Top goalscorerLeague:
Stan Pearson (16)
All:
Stan Pearson (18)
Highest home attendance52,590 vs Preston North End (7 March 1953)
Lowest home attendance11,381 vs Newcastle United (24 September 1952)
Average home league attendance34,794

The 1952–53 season was Manchester United's 51st season in the Football League, and their eighth consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1]

The regeneration of squad continued as younger players continued to take the place of the players who had been in the 1948 FA Cup winning team and the previous season's title campaign. Making their senior debuts this season were teenagers Duncan Edwards, a half-back from Dudley, and Doncaster-born winger David Pegg.[2] Also joining the ranks was 21-year-old centre-forward Tommy Taylor from Barnsley for a club record fee of £29,999 in April 1953, a month before Edwards made his debut.[3]

FA Charity Shield

Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
24 September 1952 Newcastle United H 4–2 Rowley (2), Byrne, Downie 11,381

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance League
position
23 August 1952 Chelsea H 2–0 Berry, Downie 43,629 3rd
27 August 1952 Arsenal A 1–2 Rowley 58,831 8th
30 August 1952 Manchester City A 1–2 Downie 56,140 14th
3 September 1952 Arsenal H 0–0 39,193 13th
6 September 1952 Portsmouth A 0–2 37,278 19th
10 September 1952 Derby County A 3–2 Pearson (3) 20,226 13th
13 September 1952 Bolton Wanderers H 1–0 Berry 40,531 11th
20 September 1952 Aston Villa A 3–3 Rowley (2), Downie 43,490 12th
27 September 1952 Sunderland H 0–1 28,967 15th
4 October 1952 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 2–6 Rowley (2) 40,132 17th
11 October 1952 Stoke City H 0–2 28,968 21st
18 October 1952 Preston North End A 5–0 Aston (2), Pearson (2), Rowley 33,502 17th
25 October 1952 Burnley H 1–3 Aston 36,913 19th
1 November 1952 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–1 Berry (2) 44,300 18th
8 November 1952 Sheffield Wednesday H 1–1 Pearson 48,571 19th
15 November 1952 Cardiff City A 2–1 Aston, Pearson 40,096 15th
22 November 1952 Newcastle United H 2–2 Aston, Pearson 33,528 15th
29 November 1952 West Bromwich Albion A 1–3 Lewis 23,499 16th
6 December 1952 Middlesbrough H 3–2 Pearson (2), Aston 27,617 15th
13 December 1952 Liverpool A 2–1 Aston, Pearson 34,450 11th
20 December 1952 Chelsea A 3–2 Doherty (2), Aston 23,261 8th
25 December 1952 Blackpool A 0–0 27,778 9th
26 December 1952 Blackpool H 2–1 Carey, Lewis 48,077 8th
1 January 1953 Derby County H 1–0 Lewis 34,813 8th
3 January 1953 Manchester City H 1–1 Pearson 47,883 7th
17 January 1953 Portsmouth H 1–0 Lewis 32,341 6th
24 January 1953 Bolton Wanderers A 1–2 Lewis 43,638 7th
7 February 1953 Aston Villa H 3–1 Rowley (2), Lewis 34,339 7th
18 February 1953 Sunderland A 2–2 Lewis, Pegg 24,263 7th
21 February 1953 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–3 38,269 8th
28 February 1953 Stoke City A 1–3 Berry 30,219 9th
7 March 1953 Preston North End H 5–2 Pegg (2), Taylor (2), Rowley 52,590 9th
14 March 1953 Burnley A 1–2 Byrne 45,682 9th
25 March 1953 Tottenham Hotspur H 3–2 Pearson (2), Pegg 18,384 8th
28 March 1953 Sheffield Wednesday A 0–0 36,509 8th
3 April 1953 Charlton Athletic A 2–2 Berry, Taylor 41,814 8th
4 April 1953 Cardiff City H 1–4 Byrne 37,163 8th
6 April 1953 Charlton Athletic H 3–2 Taylor (2), Rowley 30,105 8th
11 April 1953 Newcastle United A 2–1 Taylor (2) 38,970 8th
18 April 1953 West Bromwich Albion H 2–2 Pearson, Viollet 31,380 8th
20 April 1953 Liverpool H 3–1 Berry, Pearson, Rowley 20,869 7th
25 April 1953 Middlesbrough A 0–5 34,344 8th

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 Arsenal (C) 42 21 12 9 97 64 1.516 54
2 Preston North End 42 21 12 9 85 60 1.417 54
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 19 13 10 86 63 1.365 51
4 West Bromwich Albion 42 21 8 13 66 60 1.100 50
5 Charlton Athletic 42 19 11 12 77 63 1.222 49
6 Burnley 42 18 12 12 67 52 1.288 48
7 Blackpool 42 19 9 14 71 70 1.014 47
8 Manchester United 42 18 10 14 69 72 0.958 46
9 Sunderland 42 15 13 14 68 82 0.829 43
10 Tottenham Hotspur 42 15 11 16 78 69 1.130 41
11 Aston Villa 42 14 13 15 63 61 1.033 41
12 Cardiff City 42 14 12 16 54 46 1.174 40
13 Middlesbrough 42 14 11 17 70 77 0.909 39
14 Bolton Wanderers 42 15 9 18 61 69 0.884 39
15 Portsmouth 42 14 10 18 74 83 0.892 38
16 Newcastle United 42 14 9 19 59 70 0.843 37
17 Liverpool 42 14 8 20 61 82 0.744 36
18 Sheffield Wednesday 42 12 11 19 62 72 0.861 35
19 Chelsea 42 12 11 19 56 66 0.848 35
20 Manchester City 42 14 7 21 72 87 0.828 35
21 Stoke City (R) 42 12 10 20 53 66 0.803 34 Relegation to the Second Division
22 Derby County (R) 42 11 10 21 59 74 0.797 32
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
10 January 1953 Round 3 Millwall A 1–0 Pearson 35,652
31 January 1953 Round 4 Walthamstow Avenue H 1–1 Lewis 34,748
5 February 1953 Round 4
Replay 		Walthamstow Avenue A 5–2 Rowley (2), Byrne, Lewis, Pearson 49,119
14 February 1953 Round 5 Everton A 1–2 Rowley 77,920

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Charity Shield Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Reg Allen 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
GK England Jack Crompton 25 0 0 0 0 0 25 0
GK England Les Olive 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
GK England Ray Wood 12 0 4 0 1 0 17 0
FB England John Aston, Sr. 40 8 4 0 1 0 45 8
FB England Roger Byrne 40 2 4 1 1 1 45 4
FB Republic of Ireland Johnny Carey 32 1 4 0 1 0 37 1
FB England Bill Foulkes 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
FB England Mark Jones 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
FB England Tommy McNulty 23 0 0 0 1 0 24 0
FB England Billy Redman 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
HB Northern Ireland Jackie Blanchflower 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
HB England Allenby Chilton 42 0 4 0 1 0 47 0
HB England Henry Cockburn 22 0 4 0 0 0 26 0
HB England Duncan Edwards 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
HB England Don Gibson 20 0 0 0 1 0 21 0
HB England Jeff Whitefoot 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
FW England Johnny Berry 40 7 4 0 1 0 45 7
FW England Ernie Bond 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
FW England Frank Clempson 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
FW England John Doherty 5 2 0 0 0 0 5 2
FW Scotland Johnny Downie 20 3 2 0 1 1 23 4
FW England Eddie Lewis 10 7 4 2 0 0 14 9
FW Scotland Harry McShane 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
FW England Stan Pearson 39 16 4 2 1 0 44 18
FW England David Pegg 19 4 2 0 0 0 21 4
FW England Jack Rowley 26 11 4 3 1 2 31 16
FW Northern Ireland Jackie Scott 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
FW England Tommy Taylor 11 7 0 0 0 0 11 7
FW England Dennis Viollet 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 1

References

  1. ^ "Manchester United Season 1952/53". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. ^ "Legends – Duncan Edwards". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Legends – Tommy Taylor". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 9 March 2012.