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troy andreas · 03-01-2014, 04:05 PM

United's first FA Cup win

As United's bid to win a twelfth FA Cup begins with a home tie against Swansea, we recall the club's maiden success in 1909.

Ernest Mangnall’s Manchester United team entered the club's first FA Cup-winning season of 1908/09 as league champions, having cantered down the home straight in '08 in a manner befitting Usain Bolt.

The club's first league title was won with a record 52 points (two points for a win), nine more than runners-up Aston Villa. Goals were also in bounteous supply as United were the division's leading scorers with 81, Sandy Turnbull (25) and George Wall (19) leading the way.

But if Mangnall’s best-laid plans had not hit the skids, they’d certainly suffered a wobble as 1908/09 unfolded. Five straight league wins to start the season had suggested another procession could be in the offing, but that was followed by a bout of wholly unpredictable form including nightmare defeats at Sunderland (6-1) and Middlesbrough (5-0). No wonder the FA Cup became a welcome distraction from the faltering champions' league travails.

The route to United's first FA Cup final started at home to Southern League outfit Brighton (1-0), continued with another home win over Everton (1-0) and then gained momentum with a 6-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers with Scottish stars Sandy Turnbull and Jimmy Turnbull (namesakes but not related) notching a hat-trick apiece.

There was to be no accompanying bounce in the league - the Reds won only one of the last 14 league games - but at least Lady Luck was smiling on the Cup run. With United trailing 1-0 in the quarter-final at Mangnall’s old club Burnley, referee Herbert Bamlett – who would later manage the Reds – called a halt to the game when a blizzard obscured the pitch markings. In the rematch, United were far better, Turnbull (2) and Halse doing the honours in a 3-2 win. Newcastle, closing in on the title and in pursuit of the first Double of the century, were then defeated 1-0 in a nervy semi-final at Bramall Lane, to set up a first FA Cup final appearance for United, against Bristol City, on 24 April 1909.

Cup fever gripped Manchester – dozens of special trains were laid on for London – and more than 70,000 fans including huge contingents from the North West with (‘jars of strong ale and sandwiches an inch thick’) packed Crystal Palace for the final.

Mangnall, a wily old bird, well ahead of the curve on sports psychology, hired fabled music-hall comic George Robey to entertain his team at their Chingford base in the week-long build up, and had his players relaxing with golf and light training – doubtless a pleasant change from the punishing physical schedule that was his wont.

Finally, the big day came, and with it injury worries in the shape of Sandy Turnbull’s knee. As United fretted over whether to risk him, Charlie Roberts, a man clearly attuned to what has become a fine club tradition, urged the boss to throw caution to the wind. “Let him play – he might get a goal and if he does, we can afford to carry him,” he said.

Roberts was right; in the 22nd minute, a Halse effort struck the bar, and the arch-opportunist Turnbull pounced and thrashed the ball home. With chances scarce and Meredith pulling the strings, three months before his 35th birthday, United held out for another 1-0 win. Meredith's influence also extended to the kit worn by the players - the all-white change strip with a plunging red ‘V’ was supplied by the canny Welshman’s own sports shop.

The first of United’s eleven FA Cups had been won, and thousands craned for vantage points in Manchester's Albert Square to welcome home their heroes in a horse-drawn, open-topped bus.

United's 1909 FA Cup final team: Harry Moger; George Stacey, Vince Hayes; Dick Duckworth, Charlie Roberts, Alex Bell; Billy Meredith, Harold Halse, Jimmy Turnbull, Alexander 'Sandy' Turnbull, George Wall.

HTML Code:

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2014/Jan/manchester-united-first-fa-cup-triumph-in-1909.aspx#

Photo gallery:

03-01-2014, 04:05 PM	#13
troy andreas moderator Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Far away from Tomohon Posts: 9,233 Thanks: 2,370 Thanked 1,947 Times in 1,102 Posts Mentioned: 273 Post(s)	Re: United History on FA Cup United's first FA Cup win As United's bid to win a twelfth FA Cup begins with a home tie against Swansea, we recall the club's maiden success in 1909. Ernest Mangnall’s Manchester United team entered the club's first FA Cup-winning season of 1908/09 as league champions, having cantered down the home straight in '08 in a manner befitting Usain Bolt. The club's first league title was won with a record 52 points (two points for a win), nine more than runners-up Aston Villa. Goals were also in bounteous supply as United were the division's leading scorers with 81, Sandy Turnbull (25) and George Wall (19) leading the way. But if Mangnall’s best-laid plans had not hit the skids, they’d certainly suffered a wobble as 1908/09 unfolded. Five straight league wins to start the season had suggested another procession could be in the offing, but that was followed by a bout of wholly unpredictable form including nightmare defeats at Sunderland (6-1) and Middlesbrough (5-0). No wonder the FA Cup became a welcome distraction from the faltering champions' league travails. The route to United's first FA Cup final started at home to Southern League outfit Brighton (1-0), continued with another home win over Everton (1-0) and then gained momentum with a 6-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers with Scottish stars Sandy Turnbull and Jimmy Turnbull (namesakes but not related) notching a hat-trick apiece. There was to be no accompanying bounce in the league - the Reds won only one of the last 14 league games - but at least Lady Luck was smiling on the Cup run. With United trailing 1-0 in the quarter-final at Mangnall’s old club Burnley, referee Herbert Bamlett – who would later manage the Reds – called a halt to the game when a blizzard obscured the pitch markings. In the rematch, United were far better, Turnbull (2) and Halse doing the honours in a 3-2 win. Newcastle, closing in on the title and in pursuit of the first Double of the century, were then defeated 1-0 in a nervy semi-final at Bramall Lane, to set up a first FA Cup final appearance for United, against Bristol City, on 24 April 1909. Cup fever gripped Manchester – dozens of special trains were laid on for London – and more than 70,000 fans including huge contingents from the North West with (‘jars of strong ale and sandwiches an inch thick’) packed Crystal Palace for the final. Mangnall, a wily old bird, well ahead of the curve on sports psychology, hired fabled music-hall comic George Robey to entertain his team at their Chingford base in the week-long build up, and had his players relaxing with golf and light training – doubtless a pleasant change from the punishing physical schedule that was his wont. Finally, the big day came, and with it injury worries in the shape of Sandy Turnbull’s knee. As United fretted over whether to risk him, Charlie Roberts, a man clearly attuned to what has become a fine club tradition, urged the boss to throw caution to the wind. “Let him play – he might get a goal and if he does, we can afford to carry him,” he said. Roberts was right; in the 22nd minute, a Halse effort struck the bar, and the arch-opportunist Turnbull pounced and thrashed the ball home. With chances scarce and Meredith pulling the strings, three months before his 35th birthday, United held out for another 1-0 win. Meredith's influence also extended to the kit worn by the players - the all-white change strip with a plunging red ‘V’ was supplied by the canny Welshman’s own sports shop. The first of United’s eleven FA Cups had been won, and thousands craned for vantage points in Manchester's Albert Square to welcome home their heroes in a horse-drawn, open-topped bus. United's 1909 FA Cup final team: Harry Moger; George Stacey, Vince Hayes; Dick Duckworth, Charlie Roberts, Alex Bell; Billy Meredith, Harold Halse, Jimmy Turnbull, Alexander 'Sandy' Turnbull, George Wall. HTML Code: http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2014/Jan/manchester-united-first-fa-cup-triumph-in-1909.aspx# Photo gallery: A souvenir napkin from the 1909 FA Cup final Front side of the official match programme sheet Other side of the single-sheet match programme A souvenir postcard of the 1909 final United's 1909 FA Cup final team United's FA Cup final goalkeeper Harry Moger United captain Charlie Roberts leads out the team View of the cup-final pitch at Crystal Palace Sandy Turnbull scores the winning goal Crowds welcome United back to Manchester Roberts holds the FA Cup at Manchester Town Hall Ernest Mangnall's cup-winning squad __________________ "setial masa ada orangnya, setiap orang ada masanya."