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The Busby Babes 1945 - 1957

1945 - 1946: Matt Busby takes charge

Actual News report as reported in the Manchester Evening News Monday 19th Feb 1945:

Matt Busby signs as United Manager
Company Sergeant-Major Instructor Matt Busby, Liverpool right back and Scotland cap***n, today signed an agreement to become manager of Manchester United when he is demoblised. Only a few years ago Busby (now aged 34) who has proved himself one of the great half backs of modern times, was the "forgotten man" of International Football.

ATTRACTIVE PLAYER

His thousands of Manchester fans, remembering him as a stylish and attractive player when he turned out For Manchester City, unswervingly believed in his brilliance when Scotland's selectors seem to have neglected and forgotten him. And he justified their faith. After one pre-war international cap in 1934 we was ignored until the 1941-42 season, since when he has appeared for Scotland in eight games, several times as skipper. in these games he has been outstanding, and today he made a name in Scottish Football. "Busby has had a number of offers, but he approached us himself as he particularly wanted to come back to Manchester," Mr W. Crickmer Manchester United secretary explained today. "He will build up the team and put it where it belongs-at the top." Busby who played with Alex James as a boy, left Manchester City for Liverpool in 1936 at a fee of 8,000 pounds, and has been released from his appointment as Liverpool's post-war coach.

Although nobody could have known it, the signing of Matt Busby was as momentous an event as any in the history of Manchester United. It ranked alongside the appointment of Ernest Mangnall, the signing of Billy Meredith and the timely intervention of JH Davies to save the Club from bankruptcy.
At the time Busby was still on Liverpool's books and still in the Army as an instructor at the Sandhurst Military Academy when he received a letter from Louis Rocca, the United scout, informing him of the managerial vacancy at Old Trafford. Busby was keen to come to Old Trafford and quickly arranged a meeting with Crickmer the United secretary. The rest is history.

Busby's footballing career had ironically enough began at Manchester City where he begun as a 17 year old and played more than 200 games before moving to Liverpool. Busby, the son of a Scottish miner, was a stylish half-back with Manchester City and Liverpool before World War Two and although he won only one full cap for Scotland, he skippered his country in several wartime internationals. He was only 34 when he took over at Old Trafford, but even so was in great demand, turning down Spurs, Liverpool, Reading and Ayre United to join the Reds. There was no doubt that Manchester was where Busby's heart lay. His arrival was to spark the fusion of two great forces.

1946 - 1947: Busby's great team is born

It was 1946 and the war was over, and League football kicked off again. The crowds flocked to the games hungry for football again after the long lay-off. Crowds were averaging 50,000 at the large clubs and United were getting 40,000 every week although playing at Maine road due to Old Trafford still not having being rebuilt yet. The United team that started the season was indeed impressive, with Jack Crompton in goal, Johnny Carey and John Aston in front of him, while Chilton, (who had been wounded in the war) Warner and Cockburn formed the halfback line. Up front there was Jimmy Delaney a 4,000 pound buy from Celtic and Stan Pearson a rugged energetic and scheming player who partnered the great Jack Rowley. Charlie Mitten prowled the left wing. It was an oustanding team and with Matt Busby and now Jimmy Murphy at the helm it was one that would transform United from the music-hall joke of pre-war football to giants of the post war years. United began the 1946-47 Season in great form with 5 victories, including a 5-0 win over eventual Champions Liverpool.

United were leading contenders all year along with Liverpool, Stoke City, and Wolves, but Liverpool out lasted them and won the title with United finishing as runners up. It had been a brave campaign by Busby's new team, who struck 95 goals and boasted fewer defeats than anyone else. Jack Rowley was leading scorer with 26 goals, followed by Stan Pearson with 19. Bert Whalley had been chosen regularly at half back, however in 1947 he decided to hang up his books and take a coaching job under Busby. This would prove to be highly significant in future years. Bert Whalley was an instant success as a coach, guiding, developing, and motivating a group of youngsters at the Club who would find recognition of their own in the near future, this group of youngsters would be later known to the Football world as: The Busby Babes.

1947 - 1948: Busby's first trophy

The 'News of the World' Newspaper called the 1948 Cup final 'Wembley's finest'. This was maybe a slight exaggeration, although there is no doubting it was one of the finest games ever played on the Wembley turf.

United had arrived at Wembley via a most difficult route. In the third round they defeated Aston villa 6-4 after being down a goal in 13 seconds, at half time they were leading 5-1 but Villa fought back to 5-4 before Stan Pearson scored a sixth for the Reds. Then they drew current League Champions Liverpool at home, but because Old Trafford was still not ready to be used and Maine road was not available due to City being also drawn at home United had to find another ground to play the Cup tie at. They plumped for Liverpool's rivals ground at Everton and it proved to be a lucky venue for the Reds as they won 3-0 at Goodison Park in front of a 74,000 crowd.

Next up was Charlton, but City had again been drawn at home and this time United chose to play at Leeds Road Huddersfield. Again the Reds won their 'home game' when they beat the London Club 2-0. On to the quarter-finals and a game against Preston North End, Man City having a league fixture arranged for the same day the Reds had to find yet another place to play, this time it was Villa Park and another win for United 4-2 in front of yet another 74,000. Derby County were to provide the opposition in the semi-final and it was slated for Hillsborough Sheffield. Stan Pearson hit a hat trick to add to the 4 goals he had already scored in the remarkable cup run, and United ran out winners 3-1.

United had faced 1st Division opposition in every round and had been watched by an astonishing 300,000 and the Wembley date would make it 400,000 aggregate attendance, which stands as a record to this day.

In the final United faced another Lancashire team in Blackpool who of course boasted the services of the great Stanley Matthews who was recognized all over the World as being the greatest player of the day. Blackpool took the lead when Shimwell scored from the penalty spot after 12 minutes, but United stormed back and 27 minutes into the game they levelled the scores as Jack Rowley out sprinted the Blackpool goalkeeper to thunder a shot into the net.

Blackpool were proving to be more than worthy opponents and they struck again when Stan Mortensen slotted home a goal from a Matthews free kick. Skipper Johnny Carey was having a storm of a game and his prompting and constant surges forward paid off when Rowley headed home a free kick to draw the two sides level again. Ten minutes later the Cup was secured for United when Stan Pearson slammed home the winner. Pearson had scored 8 goals in six matches for the Reds, and he would always be remembered as the man who fired United on their way to another Cup Triumph. The double was nearly achieved. United won at Wembley to lift the FA Cup for the second time, but were pipped by Arsenal for the League title.

1948 - 1949

The next United tried again to achieve the covetted double, but again they failed. In the FA Cup the played the best football of England till the semi finals. Everyone was positive that United would also win this semi final and go for their second successive FA Cup win. But in the semi finals United lost. And in the league they couldn't win either.

For the third time in a row United finished second in the league. But the hard times from before the war were forgotten and with Busby as manager happy days lay ahead.

1949 - 1950: United return to Old Trafford

After 8 years absence from their home Manchester United returned to Old Trafford in 1949, the bomb damage had been mostly repaired there was still some work to be done, but the gates opened for a crowd of 42,000 to pack inside and watch the Reds face Bolton Wanderers on a breezy summer day in August.

It was an exciting event with traffic backed up for miles which caused many to be late for the kickoff, but when the Stadium finally filled, the noise was reported to be deafening and the Stretford End roared their approval as Charlie Mitten became the first player to score the a goal at Old Trafford for 8 years. United ran out 3-0 winners. United didn't finish the league as good as the last three years, the became fourth. In the FA cup the couldn't do it as well, they only reached the sixth round.

Busby bought a new goalkeeper, he signed Ray Wood for 6,000 from Darlington.