Manchester United History

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1950 - 1952: The Busby Babes are born

United fans were astonished when they read their morning newspapers during the summer of 1950. Charlie Mitten had deserted Old Trafford for an unknown Columbian team by the name of Santa Fe, after 113 consecutive appearances in the red shirt Mitten was off to South America. Mitten and his fellow professionals were earning a maximum 12 pounds a week, Santa Fe promised him a signing bonus of 2,500 pounds plus a salary of 2,500 pounds per year and a win bonus of 35 pounds a week, he was 29 years old.

Life in Bogata did not suit him however and he was soon on his way back to England, he was still officially a United player, but upon his return they made it apparent they would not continue with his services. He went on to sign with Fulham, later becoming manager of Mansfield before joining Newcastle as Manager.

On Saturday, 24th November 1951 United gave a debut to two youngsters who over the next few years would play a vital role in the club's fortunes. One of the players was named Jackie Blanchflower, the other Roger Byrne, they were selected to play against Liverpool at Anfield. Tom Jackson of the Manchester Evening News wrote: United's 'Babes' were cool and confident. It would be the first time the word `Babe' would be used in conjunction with United. The introduction of Byrne and Blanchflower signalled the beginning of changes in the team, United went on to win the Championship in 1952 with the old guard forming the backbone of the team, however in the reserve and youth teams players were pushing the older established players for their spots every week. Since the war United had never been out of the top four, so the title was long overdue when it finally arrived in 1952.

They moved on top in February and stayed there the rest of the season, even though in the end it took a win in the penultimate game of the season to secure the title. Arsenal needed to beat United by 7 goals to snatch the title, it was never to happen as the Reds finished the season in rousing form hammering the Gunners 6-1.

1952 - 1953

It was the day Stalin died, but more important to Man United fans it was the day United signed a young inside forward named Tommy Taylor. It was said that 17 different clubs had all put offers in to Barnsley for their free scoring gem, but Matt Busby was the manager who pulled off what was later to prove to be maybe his best signing. The highest fee United had ever spent (29,999 pounds) when asked why he had not made it 30,000 Busby replied that he had not wanted to burden the young man with a 30,000 fee.

Taylor was the final piece in the Busby jigsaw and went from strength to strength with the club. 1953 also saw the debut of another United great to be when a 16 year old Duncan Edwards was told by Busby `go get your boots son, you are playing for the first team against Cardiff City'. So on the 4th of April 1953 Edwards played against Cardiff City, he was the fifth teenager that year to wear the red of Man United.

1953 also marked the retirement of the great club servant Johnny Carey. Carey had appeared for United in no less than 9 different positions, and in seven different spots for his Country Ireland. He had played 344 games for the Reds and had cap***ned them to FA cup and Championship glory. His replacement was a cool young player by the name of Roger Byrne.

Carey went on to become manager of Blackburn Rovers, and later Everton, Leyton Orient, and Notts Forest. In this year the youth team won the FA youth cup. Over two legs they beat Wolves 9-3 on aggregate. The team was Clayton, Fulton, Kennedy, Coleman, Edwards, McFarlaine, Whelan, Lewis, Pegg and Scanlon.

All the youth players that made their debut in these years are a tribute to the scouting skills of Joe Armstrong who succeeded Louis Rocca after the war. The Champions finished the league at only a 8th place, in the FA Cup they came till the fifth round and then lost.

1953 - 1954

1954 saw United's Youth team repeat the previous years victory in the Youth Cup by defeating Wolves in a two legged affair 4-4 (home) and 1-0 at Molineux. The two games were watched by over 40,000 fans, United went on to capture the Youth Cup five times in succession. Many of the Youth team were being introduced into the senior side, Duncan Edwards had become a regular, while players such as Jackie Blanchflower, Dennis Violett, Colin Webster, Albert Scanlon, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Billy Whelan, and Bill Foukes were all experiencing their first taste of League soccer.

Roger Byrne although only 25 years old was already the established cap***n of the 1st Division side. Of the team that had beaten Wolves eight went on to claim regular spots in the starting lineup for the Reds, and three of these were to lose their lives in the Munich air crash. But still United did not became the champion of England, the finished 4th in the league and lost very disappointing in the third round of the FA Cup.

1954 - 1955

The Busby Babes were almost ready to take charge in the England football, but this year they couldn't bring the championship back home. The young team finished 5th in the league and managed to score 84 goals in 42 matches. United got till the fourth round of the FA Cup, while the youth team won another FA Youth Cup final, they won against West Bromwich Albion 7-1 on aggregate.

1955 - 1956: Busby Babes crowned Champions

United's new young team were making noises that they were ready to challenge for England's highest honor, the League Championship. Some football writers were predicting a great future for the exciting new team, but many of them quibbled that there was two much youth, and too little experience for the team to actually scale the top heights.

At the start of the season it looked like the media had been correct, with only three wins in 8 games, but from then on the youngsters found their feet and only lost 4 more games the rest of the season. By Christmas it was all over! United sat on top of the league and were never to look back, in the end they finished 11 points ahead of Blackpool, the youngsters had proved themselves and the English football public were in awe of the youthful Champions.

Young Denis Viollet scored twenty goals in this his first season with the senior squad (he had made his debut in 1953, but had to wait to 1955 to secure his spot in the team). Violett was born in Manchester and went on to score 20 plus goals a season for the next 6 seasons. When he left the Club in 1962 to join Stoke City he had scored 178 goals in 291 appearances (he went on to score 59 more at Stoke before leaving for the USA).

The championship was secured on April 7th when 62,277 fans watched the Red Devils beat Blackpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. In a period of 10 years United had only been out of the top 4 spots twice, and the latest Championship had been won by a team whose average age was just 22. United's fourth league title was ample consoladation for a shock exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Bristol Rovers. They still hadn't managed to win the double.