Manchester United Reds

1921/22

Since the end of the war United had finished up in 12th and 13th position in the league and had no joy in the FA Cup. The 1921 season started out in terrible fashion with just five points from 7 games. Their manager John Robson had become ill and it was agreed that he would step down to assistant manager to make way for John Chapman, a Scot United hired away from Airdrieonians. The deterioration continued under Chapman's watch with Man City thrashing them 4-1. United sank to the bottom of the league and stayed there the length of the season. They were relegated to the 2nd division again after finishing with only 28 points. Joe Spence was the only bright light for the team. He had joined United in 1919 from Scotswood and remained at Old Trafford until June 1933 when he moved to Bradford City. In all he made 510 appearances for the club, a record that stood for 40 years when it was bettered by Bill Foulkes.

1922/23

In 1923 life in the second division proved to be more difficult than United had anticipated, they were favorites to return to the top flight on their first attempt, instead they finished in 4th place while Notts County finished as Champions and were promoted. During the season County had stayed on top and it was very surprising to them that while entertaining United at the City Ground, United soundly thrashed them 6-1. County had a goalie that was considered one of the best anywhere, Albert Iremonger who stood 6' 6" tall, but on that day he spent the whole afternoon trying to keep the rampant reds away. The man of the match was Frank Barson, the United center half. He had been signed by United from Aston Villa for 5,000 pounds and the promise of his own pub if United gained promotion within three years. They were and the story goes that when Frank opened the door of his new pub he was swamped in the rush and decided then and there that running a pub was not the life for him. The story of United's season this year was one of a team that had all the talent, but maybe not the will to win.

1923/24

If 1923 wasn't difficult enough for United than this year was even worse. They had their third worst season in their history. They lost in the second round of the FA Cup but in the league they finished 14th, with 13 wins, 14 draws and 15 defeats. The club that had been the champions of England 12 years ago, now had to worry about avoiding relegation to the third division.

1924/25

But there came no relegation. The next season United got themselves together and finished the league in a fine second position in the league. This meant that United were promoted back to the first division. In this season United lost 8 of their 42 matches, but won 23 of them, scoring only 53 goals in all their matches. In the FA Cup United lost once again in the first round. A combined United/City team met a Liverpool/Everton side in a testimonial match for Ernest Mangnall who had led United in two league Championships and an FA Cup triumph.

1925/26

The first year back in the first division after four years was not a bad year for United. They finished a long way from the Championship, but they also never came in any danger of relegation. At the end of the season United finished in 9th place, with two more wins than defeats (19-17). Their goal average was not so good, having only scored 66 goals while scoring 73 goals. In the FA Cup United did very well, they reached the semi finals, but couldn't get into the final. That season would be the last season for the United manager John Chapman, who was manager from 1921 till 1926. With him United had been relegated once and promoted three years later, he did not win any trophies with United in this difficult time for the club.

1926/27

On the 20th of September 1926 an FA investigating committee met at the Grand Hotel in Manchester to begin an inquiry into the affairs of Manchester United. The committee met again in Sheffield the following week and then met once more back in Manchester the first week of October. What they were investigating to this day remains unknown but on the 7th of October they announced to an astonished footballing public that United manager John Chapman was to be suspended from Football for improper conduct in his position as secretary-manager of the Manchester United Football Club. Nothing further was added and no explanation has ever been given to this day. In Chapmans place United appointed Clarence Hilditch as caretaker, Clarence was the starting right half for United. To this date he remains the only player-manager in the club's history. Hilditch did a workmanlike job and managed to keep the Reds in the first division that year, but only by the skin of their teeth. United finished 15th in the league. Hilditch was replaced 7 months later by an old Friend of United's!

1927/28

The Old Trafford team began the 1927/28 season with a new manager, Herbert Bamlett. His claim to fame had been to take a struggling Middlesborough from the second to the first the previous year. But United fans remembered him for something else. Bamlett had been an accomplished referee and had even refereed the 1915 FA Cup final, he was also the referee that had called off the 1909 Burnley - United Cup tie because of the snowstorm (United won the rearranged match and went on to lift the Cup). Maybe United owed him a favor for that decision? The new manager did no bring good times back to Old Trafford, the team hovered just above the relegation zone all season and on April 22nd found themselves at the foot of the table. It was the last game of the season and the log jam at the bottom was so tight that there was only 7 points separating the bottom club from the 4th placed team in the league. United were 2nd from the bottom but all the three bottom clubs were level on points and games played. It was to come down to the last game of the season, and goal difference. The visitors that day were Liverpool and not many of the United faithful held much hope with both Spurs and Middlesborough having better goal difference. Within 11 minutes United favorite Joe Spence had shot United into the lead. Rawlings added two more before Liverpool replied and then Spence added another to make the halftime score 4-1. As the teams came out for the second half Old Trafford was electric, the 30,000 strong crowd willing the team on, and it worked, Spence scoring two more to complete a hat trick and send Liverpool home losers by 6 goals to one. At the end of the game the players stayed on the field waiting nervously for the Spurs and Middlesborough results, had they done enough to stay up? They had!! Spurs and Middlesborough went down and United had dodged the drop, they stayed up on goal difference. The 6th goal had proved decisive.

1928/29

United lost 15 matches before March 1929 was over and again were looking contenders for relegation. However thanks to a rousing end to the season they again managed to survive, finishing the last 6 games with 5 wins and a tie. Most of the explanation for this turn around could be found in the signing of Tom Reid from Liverpool. Reid, a Scot scored 14 goals in 17 appearances that season and went on to score 67 goals in just 101 games before joining Oldham five years later. But United were still not setting the league alight, it seemed as though they stayed in a never ending battle to stay out of the relegation zone. And it was to get Worse!

1929/30

And worse it got in the next season, when United had a lot of trouble staying in the first division. They finished the league in 17th place, just enough to stay in the top division. But from 42 games United lost 19 and won only 15, with a goal average of -21 (67-88). But although United played no role whatsoever in the title run-ins of the last few years, they did better in the FA Cup. In the 1925/26 season they reached the semi-finals of the competition. In 1926/27 they reached the third round, in 1927/28 they got to the sixth round, while in 1928/29 they lost in the fourth round and in 1929/30 United were knocked out in the third round.

1930/31

As if the previous season had not been bad enough the 1930-31 campaign had to go down as one of United's worst. They started the season losing 4-0 to Villa, followed by a 3-0 loss to Middlesborough, and then things continued to go downhill. Losses to Chelsea 6-2, Huddersfield 6-0 and Newcastle 7-4 and United's usual devoted support started to wane. By the time Newcastle were waxing them at Old Trafford the crowd numbered less than 11,000. There was much discontentment from the terraces and the normally placid Supporters club began to make waves. Handbills were passed out outside the ground on match days calling for the Club to heed a five point plan that they had presented to them. The supporters wanted a new manager, an improved scouting system, some new signings, five shareholders elected to the board, and money to be raised through a new share issue. The club ignored the demands refusing to even meet with them, arguing that the Supporters Club was an unofficial body not recognized by the Club and unrepresentative of the bulk of the supporters. Results continued to get worse and by the end of September they had lost all of the opening eight games and were sitting at the foot of the table. On October 4th the team went across town for the derby with Man City under a threat from the Supporters Club that if the board did not respond to them there would be a mass boycott of the home fixture against Arsenal scheduled for the 18th of October. The Club did not respond. Man City defeated them 4-1, and the following week West Ham hammered them 5-1. The Supporters Club called an emergency meeting to be held at Hulme Town Hall and as many as 3,000 were reported to have turned up. Mr. Greenhough, secretary of the Supporters Club moved that the boycott against Arsenal should go ahead. Charlie Roberts, the former club captain spoke against the boycott and argued that the fans should be getting behind the team not boycotting them. Roberts was shouted down and the vote was taken to boycott the Arsenal game which was to be played the following day. The visit of the previous years Cup winning team was considered a huge game, and the newspapers had talked about a possible 50,000 crowd, 23,000 made the effort. United lost 2-1 and followed that with a 4-1 loss to Portsmouth. After these games the attendances slumped even lower and in fact the only time the crowd bettered 10,000 the rest of the year was the local home derby with Man City. In their final game 3,900 watched them play out a 4-4 draw with Middlesborough. They had lost 27 matches while only winning 7 and conceding a staggering 115 goals. At the end of the season the board finally acted and fired Herbert Bamlett, there was no immediate replacement for him and secretary Walter Crickmer and Louis Rocca took over the reins. But even the long serving secretary, and the man who had named the club Manchester United could not help United's slide and as 1931 ended the club were once again almost bankrupt. It was at this point that a fairy godmother came to the rescue, this time James Gibson placed 2,000 pound at the club's disposal and indicated he was ready to make further funds available if the board would reconstitute itself. James Gibson was made President and another financial crisis was averted, Gibson placing cash at the club's disposal and guaranteeing the players' wages.

1931/32

In May 1931 Herbert Bamlett was sacked as manager after United were relegated, finishing bottom and conceding 115 goals. Walter Crickmer, who was club secretary at the time, took over the duties of team selection along with Louis Rocca, until August 1932, when Scott Duncan, an ex-player, who had guested for the club during the 1st world war, was appointed. Duncan had played with Newcastle, and Dumbarton and was also one of the few players who could boast playing for both Glasgow Celtic and Rangers. Duncan was to be paid a salary of 800 pounds a year and after taking over at the helm he promised to infuse new blood into the team and to re-vamp the Youth system. But Duncan did not fulfill his promises, spending a very large amount of money on new players, mainly from his native Scotland. His signings included Neil Dear from Third Lanark, Chalmers from Cowdenbeath, Byrne from Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) and Bamford from Wrexham. He had the huge task to bring United back into the first division, but he couldn't do it in his first season at the former English champions. His first season saw United finish 12th in the second division and reach the third round of the FA Cup, but the hard years for Duncan still had to come.

1932/33

The second season of Scott Duncan as manager of United was a little better. After finishing 12th in his first season he now finished 6th in the league, but he never got United anywhere near the promotion places, so it was hardly a return for the outlay. In the FA Cup he reached, just like the previous year, the third round, but again United lost at home to Middlesborough 1-4 in that third round. In this year, just as last year, United managed to score 71 goals in the league, what is a large amount for a team out the middle group in the second division.

1933/34

On December 26th 1933 Grimsby Town defeated the United team 7-3, things just were not getting any better at Old Trafford. During the season United searched for the right blend, and by season end they had used 38 players. On May 4th 1934 Manchester United traveled to Millwall knowing that only a victory could save them from the humiliating drop into the 3rd division north. The `Manchester Evening News' had already wrote them off and called it "the most heartbreaking season in the history of Manchester United". They stood next to bottom on 32 points, while Millwall were just above them on 33 points. If United won the game Millwall would be relegated. Millwall started the game with a flourish and pinned the Reds back in defense for long periods of time. Then against the run of play United got a breakaway goal to make the score at halftime United 1 Millwall 0. Within two minutes of the restart Cape added another goal for United and the team began playing with confidence and won the game comfortably 2-0. United's traveling supporters numbered over 3,000 and upon returning to Manchester Central that night the team found many thousands more waiting to welcome their hero's home. United had survived once again at the last gasp!

1934/35

United could only improve after the worst season in their 47 years history. This season they finished in a good fifth place in the league playing good football, making it difficult for all teams in the league to beat them. But they only scored 55 goals themselves. In the FA Cup they did made good progress as well, reaching the fourth round. By the end of the season United was tipped to gain promotion next year. At last things were starting to look up.

1935/36

The Thirties had so far not been good years at Old Trafford and the 1935-36 season started out just as bad as the previous years. On January 4th they were to lose to Bradford City, but in an amazing turnaround this loss was to be the last of the season. By February they had begun climbing up the table. Manager Scott Duncan claimed it was a new plan he had instilled that was the reason for the upsurge, he said they had been concentrating on getting a point away and two at home. Whatever the reason it was working and by mid-March they had jumped to 4th place just three points behind the leaders. In April they were in 2nd place and Old Trafford was sensing the prospect of promotion. The crucial game came on Wednesday 29 April when they traveled to nearby Bury, United had beaten them on the previous weekend at Old Trafford and a win was needed to stay in the promotion race. As many as 20,000 fans made the short trip to see United win the game and keep their hopes alive going into the last week of the season. United did not disappoint their traveling fans and defeated Bury 3-2. After the game the fans invaded the field and carried their hero's shoulder high to the dressing rooms. The following Saturday only a point was needed for United to be crowned 2nd Champions, it was duly achieved with a 1-1 draw. It had been United's home record that formed the backbone of their triumph. They had lost just two games at Old Trafford and drawn only three, scoring 55 goals.

1936-38

United's return to the top flight was indeed short lived. They returned to division two the following season. 1937 however was to mark the year two players were signed who would dramatically change the club's future fortunes. Johnny Carey joined the club from Dublin side St James' Gate for 250 pounds, he began life at Old Trafford as an inside forward, but would soon convert to become one of the all time great fullbacks the World had ever seen. A month after Carey's debut Duncan signed another youngster, this time paying Bournemouth 3,000 pounds for Jack Rowley. After the first 15 games of 1937/38 Duncan resigned to take over at Ipswich Town, despite having 4 years of a 5 year contract remaining. Crickmer again took over the managerial reins in November 1937. At the time United were nothing more than a good 2nd division side, however his first game United hammered Chesterfield 7-1 and began a run that would again gain them promotion as runners-up, while reigning champions Manchester City were relegated. The next manager of United became Jimmy Porter. He stayed manager of United until 1944. Crickmer continued his combined duties at that point until February 1945, when Matt Busby was offered a 5 year contract by the Directors upon completion of his army duties. Porter managed to give United their promotion and he did what others before him couldn't do, keep United in the first division.

1938/39

This was the first and only season for Porter with United in the first division. He had a hard fight to avoid relegation, but he managed to keep them there. They finished 14th in the league, with 11 wins, 16 draws and 15 defeats. United did not score more than 65 goals, but still had a high goal average of +27. A record Old Trafford attendance of 76,962 watches the FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town in March. By that time United were already out of the FA Cup, having lost in the third round.
World War II:
There was much apprehension on the terraces that final Saturday before war broke out. Everyone knew that the deadline given to Germany by the British government to pull out of Poland was only hours away and everybody had realized by then that Hitler would not retreat. United were away to Charlton on what was the third game of a new season. They had begun the season brightly winning 4-0 at Grimsby followed by a weekday tie at Chelsea, but Charlton beat them this day 2-0. The next morning at 11am war was declared on Germany. The football league met two days later and made the decision to cancel the League season. It would be seven years before League soccer reappeared, although soccer was played in some form or fashion through that painful duration. In place of League play a series of regional leagues were formed much like what had happened in the 1st world war, and a guesting system was introduced once more. This made for strange bedfellows indeed with some small 3rd division sides often fielding famous international stars that just happened to be posted close by, while some major clubs scratched around for players.