Manchester United v Crystal Palace PL match programme, 02.02.25

UNITED

MANCHESTER UNITED

24/25 HOME JERSEY

“There is a strength in this club which I think is unique. Every day, we need to show that strength”

WRuben AMORIM

hen I first arrived at Manchester United in November, one of the first things I did was take a tour of Old Trafford so I could learn more about the club’s history.

I had heard about the Munich Air Disaster, but in taking that tour and really absorbing the details of the tragedy and how the club reacted afterwards, I started to understand how special this club really is. Today, because we are in a difficult season, it feels like there

is so much pressure on us, but when you look back at how the club responded to such a devastating event in 1958, we have it easy in comparison. That’s why it is so important to keep honouring the memory of Munich, as we mark our closest home game to the 67th anniversary of the disaster next Thursday. If you come here, you know you are joining a club with a history of winning, but it is more than that. More than trophies and success, there is a history of spirit and determination. There is a strength in this club which I think is unique. Every day, we need to show that strength. We will need it today as we welcome Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace to Old Trafford for a difficult Premier League game, but we need it every other day too, whether we are playing, training or representing the club elsewhere.

When you represent Manchester United, either as head coach, player, staff or supporter, there is a responsibility to maintain standards. Of course, we all want success and we all want to restore the club’s history of winning major titles all the time, but in order to do that we must ensure we respect and demonstrate the character that’s always made Manchester United so special.

MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB LTD

Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Michael Edelson, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill CBE, Omar Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc

Secretary Rebecca Britain Honorary president Martin Edwards

TIME TO BUILD

Ruben Amorim’s Reds have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, but only three points will do against Palace this afternoon

Welcome back to Old Trafford, where today we take on Crystal Palace in what is our first Premier League fixture of February.

As this issue of UR went to print, we didn’t know the outcome of Thursday night’s UEFA Europa League game against FCSB. But as we write, United have recorded a promising run of results, having won away at Fulham and at home to Rangers and Southampton, with our defeat to Brighton the only blemish in January.

A week ago, the Reds ground out the kind of victory missing for much of this season – one reliant on grit, resilience and a spot of good fortune. Craven Cottage has proven a happy hunting ground for United over the past decade

or so, and it was once again thanks to Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike with 12 minutes remaining.

Where we have struggled this term – under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim (right) – is stringing sequences of consecutive wins together, particularly in the Premier League. That must change, and soon, if we’re to break into the top 10 and make a late dart for those distant European spots.

Crystal Palace are in decent nick, too. The Eagles have won

three times in their last five Premier League matches, a run which includes two away victories, at West Ham and Leicester. Oliver Glasner’s side can overtake us in the table if they are victorious today, as they were on their most recent visit to Old Trafford, in September 2023, when Joachim Andersen (now of Fulham) scored the game’s only goal. So the 90 minutes to come are sure to be a tricky proposition, but our support from minute one is the best way of giving Ruben’s Reds a vital boost in the quest to take all three points.

Come on United!

Lisandro Martinez was the match-winner in our last Premier League outing, and building on our away win at Fulham is today’s sole aim

Two fixture changes for next month

Two of our Premier League matches in March have been altered, due to broadcast selections. Our home game against Arsenal, originally scheduled for Saturday 8 March, will now take place at 4.30pm on Sunday 9 March. The following weekend’s trip to Leicester City’s King Power Stadium also makes a similar move, and will now kick off on Sunday 16 March at 7pm. Both matches will be shown live in the UK, via Sky Sports.

UNITED WOMEN UP TO SECOND

Ella Toone continued her fantastic form last Sunday, as United Women beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 to move up to second in the Women’s Super League Table. Our no.7 opened the scoring within two minutes at Leigh Sports Village – her fifth goal in four games – before strikes from Hinata Miyazawa and Celin Bizet completed a comfortable victory. Marc Skinner’s team are in action later today, when they take on Tottenham Hotspur in north London. The WSL game kicks off at 6.45pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

United’s Under-21s completed a perfect group stage of the National League Cup on Wednesday, by defeating Oldham Athletic 5-0 at Boundary Park. The match was goalless for over an hour, but the Reds scored five times in the final 30 minutes, thanks to Jack Moorhouse, Chido Obi, Malachi Sharpe, Sam Mather and Victor Musa. The young Reds now await news of our opponents in the quarter-finals, after topping Group B with four wins from four. The last-eight fixtures will take place on 5 and 6 February. Keep an eye on ManUtd.com and the official app for updates.

Toone fires the Reds into a quickfire lead as she continues her goalscoring run since a welcome return from injury last month

The Reds’ visit to the King Power has been moved to an evening kick-off

Forward Musa wraps up the convincing win at Boundary Park in midweek

UNITED TRIBUTE...

Commemorations for the darkest day in the club’s history take place today, with further tributes in Munich and Old Trafford on Thursday…

OThat date is seared into the consciousness of everyone with an affection for the club, and Thursday will see officials, staff and supporters gather here at Old Trafford, and also at the Manchesterplatz memorial site in Bavaria, to pay their respects to the 23 people –including eight United players and three staff members – killed in the Munich Air Disaster. Prior to that fateful day 67 years ago, Manchester United was a successful football club with a young, vibrant team that looked destined to continue their domination of English football but also capable of conquering the

TODAY’S MATCH

With this fixture against Crystal Palace being our last home game before the anniversary, supporters will again conduct a matchday memorial service under the Munich clock. Starting at 12 noon, the service will last approximately 25 minutes and feature poems, songs and readings by representatives from the Academy and Manchester United Foundation.

The families of the Busby Babes are invited guests, club flags will fly at half-mast, and 15 minutes before the match the well-known Flowers of Manchester will be played. Then, as the teams take to the pitch, the ‘We’ll Never Die’ surfer banner will be displayed across the Stretford End lower. Manager Ruben Amorim will lay a commemorative wreath shortly before kick-off, and the players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect.

MANCHESTERPLATZ

On Thursday, services will take place both in Munich and here at the stadium. Fan group Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation will be leading the ceremony at Manchesterplatz, accompanied by director of fan engagement, Rick McGagh, and club ambassador, Andy Cole. Plenty of fans are expected to visit the site of the accident again, with the service starting at 1.45pm, which supporters can also follow on MUTV.

OLD TRAFFORD

An hour later, here at the stadium, an anniversary service will take place from 2.45pm, with supporters invited to congregate under the Munich clock at 2.40pm. Roy Cavanagh MBE will open with his memories of the Busby Babes, followed by former United player, Alex Stepney, sharing how the club grieved, recovered and rebuilt to 1968. Representatives from the Under-13 boys and girls will participate in the service and Manchester United Foundation will close the ceremony with a poem. Representatives from our respective senior teams, Academy sides, plus club officials will attend.

Afterwards, supporters are invited to stay and share memories in the International

Suite, in the Stretford End, where tea and coffee will be available. Members of United’s media team will be in attendance with a camera, providing the opportunity for fans to share their stories about the Busby Babes. Supporters are invited to attend any of the events later this week, as the club and fans come together to ensure that memories of our great team, and all those that perished at Munich 67 years ago, are never forgotten.

Memorials at Old Trafford and Manchesterplatz (below left) will once again bring fans together in solidarity and remembrance of those who lost their lives

Below: The ‘We’ll Never Die’ surfer banner will be displayed across the Stretford End lower as the players take to the pitch this afternoon

The lives of eight United players will be remembered, along with the 15 others who perished in the disaster

After a remarkable introduction to first-team life, Gaskell went on to make 120 appearances across his 10 seasons with Busby’s Reds, before going on to play for Wigan Athletic and Wrexham

Keeping one of his 21 career clean sheets for United in the 1963 FA

Remembering David Gaskell

Our former goalkeeper sadly passed away last week at the age of 84, having played a record-breaking role in United’s history...

Last week, Manchester United bade farewell to David Gaskell, holder of a club record which has remained untouched for almost 70 years.

The tough, Lancashire-born goalkeeper made 120 appearances over 10 seasons in Matt Busby’s first-team set-up, including a crucial display in the 1963 FA Cup final victory over Leicester as the Reds collected silverware for the first time since the Munich Air Disaster.

It was Gaskell’s first United outing, however, which remained his most famous.

David arrived at Old Trafford in July 1956 as a 15-year-old. As with most youngsters in the United system, he moved into accommodation alongside fellow players. “Suddenly I was sharing digs with Duncan Edwards and Billy Whelan,” he recalled. “I was this lad who had just joined the club, but they didn’t look down on me at all, even though they were both international footballers.”

Even though he hadn’t trained with his housemates or any of the first team, Gaskell

found himself unexpectedly flung into the senior picture three months after his arrival. Attending the Charity Shield between United and Manchester City at Maine Road as a fan, David was literally plucked from the crowd by trainer Bert Whalley when Reds goalkeeper Ray Wood was injured in the opening minutes. Gaskell immediately took to the action, performed heroically and kept a clean sheet as United won the Shield. He was only 16 years and 19 days old –the youngest player in club history.

Despite his astonishing introduction to the senior game, David was carefully used by Busby thereafter. He enjoyed his most sustained runs of involvement in the 1961/62 and 1962/63 campaigns, when he totalled 48 outings. That spell included a run of six successive clean sheets in early 1962 and priceless performances in the 1963 FA Cup semi-final against Southampton and final against Leicester, as the Reds’ post-Munich recovery stepped up.

In 2023, he was also retrospectively awarded medals for his part in the Reds’ 1964/65 and 1966/67 title-winning campaigns.

A larger-than-life character with a scarcely believable story, David will be missed by all at Manchester United, where his place in club folklore is assured.

Cup semi-final defeat of Southampton at Villa Park

UGARTE Manuel

“I

love the details of matches, the tactical side”

Our Uruguayan no.25 has a passion for the finer points of the game – something that’s clear to see whenever he takes to the pitch, but it’s also evident as he joins UR for a chat...

We’re just past halfway in your first Premier League season. How have you found it so far – the style of football, the pace of play, the crowds...

Well, I am really happy to be here. In the first few games, I admit it was a bit tricky to adapt to the games as there was a big transition. Now I feel better, I know the rivals we are playing better, which is important, and this makes me feel more comfortable on the pitch.

The Palace away game was only your second in the Premier League – can you think back to those early days and reflect on how much you’ve learned since then?

I feel I have grown, learnt and improved –especially in my understanding of the league. Obviously, United have to win and it is always good to have that mentality, even in every

training session. Overall, I certainly think I have improved since then.

Ruben Amorim has said it’s been easier to pass his tactical message to you as you played with him previously at Sporting. Have you found that to be true?

Yes, as I have already played in this system, which is absolutely key and really important. Any player can adapt to this system, but it is certainly easier for me as I have played this system with him before.

Are you able to help your team-mates to adapt to the system too, then?

Certainly, as my team-mates often ask me about it. Sometimes, my team-mates ask what he prefers, and I know this as I have been with him before.

UNITED TO DELIVER EXCELLENCE

DXC supports the Reds on and off the pitch connecting with fans and the community through technology. Discover more in the Manchester United App.

Ruben, and Erik ten Hag before him, both said they appreciate the fact you’re from Uruguay and the character traits this brings – can you see why this is? It’s a beautiful thing when they recognise you. For Uruguayans, it is a lifestyle – day-to-day, we fight. There aren’t many of us, but we win a lot, so this represents my mentality. We think in a similar way – to train how you play, and this is a great mentality.

In terms of team-mates, would it be fair to say you’re closest to Lisandro Martinez? Is it true that he drives you to training? Yes, we travel together. Sometimes I drive, sometimes he drives. We go in having maté [hot tea/herbal drink], as in Argentina they also drink maté. We relax, chat and we enjoy it.

Do you see similarities with the way you and Licha play? Obviously you’re both from a similar part of the world but there’s that shared passion and never-say-die attitude… It is very similar, we are passionate. The Uruguayan and Argentinian cultures are very similar, and we have a lot in common, which aids a good relationship.

“For Uruguayans, day-to-day, we fight. There aren’t many of us, but we win a lot, so this represents my mentality”

It’s something we saw in the big results at Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal recently. Do those big games bring out the best in you?

Obviously, they’re very important [games], as United is a big club, but we must focus on all the matches. This is the main difference. Top players play well in every game. So, in this regard, we must improve and transition to be able to beat any team.

Do you get a big buzz for those kind of games and battles, when we see the fans are really involved in it? You seem to enjoy those games and the physical aspect of them? It motivates me a lot, playing against big clubs

Helping safeguard three precious points during our last Premier League outing, the 1-0 win at Craven Cottage

in this league. I have lots of desire to recover the ball, to fight as if it were the last. This defines my game.

Are you feeling settled here now and at home in Manchester?

I like the city more and more. Obviously, it is cold, but I feel comfortable. It is a relaxed city, and I also like the nature aspect.

Do you have any family or friends over here with you?

I am currently alone, but my father and friends often come to visit me.

Are you close to other players? We know you had a chance to speak to former Reds Facundo Pellistri and Edison Cavani from your homeland, but do you keep in touch with other players from across the Premier League? I have spoken with many. Pellistri, Diego Forlan, Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, everyone says the same – it is the best league in the world. This ensures I prepare each and every day.

You shared your impressive collection of football shirts on Instagram – some of those were shirts swapped with you, while others were your own. How many do you have in total from throughout your career? Well, I have lots more in Uruguay! Generally, I get them with players I have a relationship with – more for the people they are rather than the players they are. I like to swap shirts after a game as it is something that gives you good memories.

Which shirt would you like to have?

I want two that I don’t have – Wayne Rooney and Diego Forlan.

A lot of us are quite obsessive about football shirts and – as we might say in English! –even nerdy about them. Is it like that for you, that you will keep collecting them?

I am like you! I play football, but I am a football fan. I am very lucky to have these shirts. I have lots more in Uruguay.

You scored recently for Uruguay, and we saw you celebrate by raising your arms. However, reading an old interview, you said you didn’t know how you will celebrate a goal! Have you

thought how you might celebrate when you score your first goal at Old Trafford?

I don’t have a celebration! I need to think of one but accompany it with goals… if there’s no goals, there’s no celebrations. Once I score more goals, I will get used to celebrations!

Casemiro says all the time that it’s not his job to score goals, that he leaves that to the other players… even though he does score goals! Do you appreciate that, though – that it’s not the main part of your job either?

Casemiro has scored more than me! It’s not the main role but, regardless of the position, it is something that’s important. I don’t put all my focus on it, but, if it can be improved upon, it must be improved on.

As you do a lot of unseen work on the pitch, you must be quite pleased to play in an era where those actions do get recognised through in-game data, and people understand how important that is…

Of course, it is great that they recognise me not just for goals; it motivates me a lot.

However, I love the details of the matches, and the tactical side of things. These days, the other sides of the game are just as important, not just the goals and assists.

“I think a special moment was the victory against City. Not just the result but how we connected with the fans”

Has there been any one single moment when you’ve really felt connected with our fans?

A special moment was the victory against City. Not just the result but how we connected with the fans. I think this was the moment I enjoyed the most.

So do the fans really help support you in this way, and help you to give 100 per cent in every game? Without doubt. Not just on the pitch, but in the city and on the street, they recognise you and support you, which is so important.

You’re learning English, so how is that going?

Much better. I am improving. I know English well. I am just not yet comfortable enough to speak English in an interview, though!

What are your aims, firstly in the short term, for the rest of the season, and then, beyond that, at Manchester United?

Short term – the next games, we need to win them. In general, the next game is the most important. Long term – as a team we need to be able to win every game, especially at home. Personally, I want to give everything I can to impact this.

Finally, do you feel there is still much to look forward to this season?

Of course, we need to look forwards. Obviously, we haven’t been in great form, but the most important thing is to continue and keep moving forwards.

Our midfield enforcer celebrates December’s late victory at the Etihad with the visiting United fans – a winning feeling Ugarte wants to see many more times in the weeks and months ahead

CRYSTAL PALACE

UNBEATEN IN 2025 PRIOR TO LAST WEEKEND’S HOME SETBACK TO BRENTFORD, THE EAGLES HAVE PICKED UP THE MAJORITY OF THEIR LEAGUE POINTS ON THE ROAD THIS SEASON AND THEY’LL BE AIMING TO ADD TO THAT TALLY HERE IN M16 TODAY...

Nicknames: The Eagles, The Glaziers

Founded: 1905

Ground: Selhurst Park (capacity 25,486)

Last season: Premier League, 10th

Top achievements:

FA Cup runners-up: 1990, 2016

Full Members Cup winners: 1991

Best league finish: 3rd, Div One (top flight), 1990/91

NEED TO KNOW

Not even when his Crystal Palace side picked up just three points from a possible 24 to start the season did Oliver Glasner doubt that the Eagles’ form would eventually come good. The 50-year-old Austrian, the 2022 Europa League-winning Eintracht Frankfurt boss who replaced Roy Hodgson just under 12 months ago, oversaw six wins in Palace’s final seven games last term and has steadied a similarly listing ship in 2024/25. A 3-1 victory over bitter rivals Brighton in mid-December proved the prelude to wins against Southampton, Leicester and West Ham, alongside a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea, as Glasner’s front-to-back style has increasingly borne fruit. Last weekend’s razor-thin 2-1 loss to Brentford was only a second defeat in 12 in the league, with the visiting Bees winning the game’s big moments in a way that has become Palace’s calling card. “Both teams neutralised each other and it looked like the team that made the first mistake would lose it,” said Glasner of the penalty – retaken for encroachment – his side conceded in going a goal down. “Today, we made the mistake.”

strong frontrunners

That opener annoyed Glasner because he knows his side’s strength as frontrunners. Palace have dropped only nine points from winning positions this season, turning 10 leads into six wins and three draws, thanks to a resolute back three that not even in-form loanee Trevoh Chalobah’s Chelsea recall has

TACTICS BOARD

New teenage arrival Esse makes a goalscoring debut for the Eagles during last Sunday’s narrow defeat to Brentford

Latest news from the Eagles camp, plus profiles and tactics...

affected. Ahead of this weekend’s run of fixtures, only six teams across the division have conceded fewer than Palace’s 30. With a progressive pressing system that squeezes central midfield, Palace also dominate at set-pieces. They have scored nine and conceded just three from dead-ball situations – only Arsenal, and Manchester City and Brentford, respectively, have better records – with skipper Marc Guehi’s desire to attack crosses in both boxes vital.

If creativity from open play has suffered since Eberechi Eze’s reimagining from dribble machine into an all-round performer, and Michael Olise’s summer exit to Bayern Munich, the recent signing of Romain Esse from Millwall should help. The teenage winger

Glasner’s 3-4-3 has developed his side into an industrious machine that constricts space in central areas. The Eagles top the division’s stats for pressures, and they are particularly effective in the middle third, as they look to congest the pitch the moment the opposition enter their half. Once they have the ball, Palace look to turn opposition defences as quickly as possible, with only Forest, Ipswich and Everton averaging less possession. Mateta has made more runs in behind opposition defences than any other PL player, and he frequently occupies centre-backs by attacking the front post and creating space for out-to-in wingers Sarr and Eze to sweep on to byline cutbacks. Seven players have appeared in 13 of Palace’s last 14 matches, the continuity and consistency of keeper Henderson, wing-backs Munoz and Mitchell, and centre-backs Guehi and Lacroix, being key to their improved form, with Richards slotting in seamlessly alongside the latter two. Lerma, Kamada and Devenny alternate as Hughes’s central-midfield partner depending on Glasner’s desire for athleticism or creativity.

scored a minute into his Palace career against Brentford last Sunday and is the club’s latest attempt to find value in highly rated young Championship players after past successes with Eze, Olise and Adam Wharton. The Eagles have missed the latter’s midfield invention and tempo-setting since October following his groin surgery but the 20-year-old England international is nearing a return. Maintain their form and Palace’s current mid-table ranking could even turn into a first crack at European football (aside from a very brief Intertoto Cup experience in 1998). “This is a great group to work with,” Glasner said recently. “They always listen. It is about staying humble and keep trying to get the result.”

GRITTY WING-BACK

Daniel Munoz

No Premier League player has won more tackles this season than Munoz, whose £6.8m January 2024 arrival from Belgian side Genk has proven to be a superb bit of business. Only Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell have appeared more often than the 28-year-old wing-back among the Eagles’ outfielders this term, while the Colombian’s surging forward run and low cross for Romain Esse’s debut goal last weekend was a third assist of the season in all competitions for the multi-dimensional defender.

MADE FOR THE SYSTEM

Jean-Philippe Mateta

That only Erling Haaland, Mo Salah, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak can better Mateta’s 22-goal Premier League output in the past 12 months is testament to a centre-forward approaching his peak years full of confidence. Often sharing starting duties with Odsonne Edouard under Roy Hodgson, the 27-year-old has established himself as Oliver Glasner’s first-choice line-leader since the Austrian replaced the former England manager last February, firing 12 goals in his final 13 league games of last term and a further 11 in 27 in all competitions in 2024/25. Mateta, one of three overage players selected by Thierry Henry for the France squad that took silver at last summer’s home Olympics, has notably improved his hold-up play, while his mobility to stretch opposition defences is central to Glasner’s direct approach. “Oliver’s system really suits me,” said Mateta recently. “I’m a player who likes to go in behind, get involved in the box and have fun.” The 24 goals that Mateta, who joined from Bundesliga side Mainz in January 2021, has scored from 45 Premier League starts during the last two seasons would suggest that ‘having fun’ is working.

ELECTRIC ATTACKER

Ismaila Sarr

It took Sarr until the end of November to force his way into Glasner’s starting XI, but the summer signing from Marseille has made up for lost time. Beginning with a Player-of-the-Match goal and assist in a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, the electric 26-year-old Senegal international has provided seven goal involvements in his first Palace season. A brace in the 3-1 win against rivals Brighton only endeared the former Watford man further to the Palace faithful.

THE SQUAD GOALKEEPERS

DEFENDERS

MIDFIELDERS

FORWARDS

PLAYER

United and Palace connections vary by generation. To long-serving United fans it could be hearing of Frank O’Farrell’s sacking the day after a 5-0 December 1972 defeat to the Eagles, while their offspring will recall Lee Martin securing Sir Alex Ferguson’s maiden United trophy in 1990’s FA Cup final replay after Ian Wright had nearly won Palace’s first major honour in a thrilling 3-3 draw. For younger fans, it’ll be Jesse Lingard’s extra-time winner in the 2016 FA Cup final [right] for Louis van Gaal’s side. And the wider football diaspora? Eric Cantona’s infamous Selhurst Park kung-fu kick in January 1995.

→ No United player has scored more goals v Palace than Joe Spence’s eight, from our first six meetings between 1922-25, all in Division Two. The skilful forward (right), the Reds’ all-time top scorer until Jack Rowley broke his record in the ’50s, struck half his tally in a 5-1 home win in April 1924.

→ Don Rogers’ first goal of a sublime brace in Palace’s record 5-0 win that led to Frank O’Farrell sacking in 1972 was so good that legendary ITV commentator Brian Moore compared him to an all-time great. “Rodgers, in a way, doing a Pele,” Moore roared as the Palace forward ran one way, the ball the other, to round Reds keeper Alex Stepney and score.

→ Ex-Red Steve Coppell has taken charge of Palace more than any opposition boss in this fixture, winning twice, drawing twice and losing 10, including 1990’s FA Cup final replay (right). 61 67 PLAYED

classic picture

Of the 67 previous meetings between today’s teams, the most high-scoring encounter came at Selhurst Park on 17 April 1971. The Division One fixture saw Alan Birchenall give Bert Head’s Palace a fourth-minute lead, before Bobby Tambling doubled their advantage on 24 minutes (pictured). While our own Bobby couldn’t find the target that day for the visiting Reds – led by returning boss Matt Busby in the dugout following the sacking of Wilf McGuinness four months earlier –Charlton was a threat as we battled back in style, with his two Trinity team-mates reaping the rewards on a thrilling Saturday afternoon in London. A Denis Law hat-trick (43, 48, 66 mins), either side of George Best’s brace (58, 65 mins) put the Reds –wearing all white – in control in front of nearly 40,000 fans at Palace’s home, before Gerry Queen pulled one back for the hosts late on. Full-time: Palace 3 United 5.

→ David De Gea holds our appearance record against the Eagles, with 19 games in all competitions across a decade from 2013. He kept nine clean sheets along the way.

WE ALL FOLLOW

UNITED!

Meet the fan in the handshake p 28-29 / your messages and photos p 30-34

Orlando’s Red Army touches down in m16

One of our rapidly growing Floridian supporters’ clubs attended the Rangers game

Manchester United welcomed the Orlando Red Army to Old Trafford in January, as the club’s Stateside support continues to go from strength to strength.

The branch formed back in 2014 and now boasts more than 700 members, and last month’s visit – for the dramatic 2-1 win over Rangers – was the supporters’ club’s inaugural collective trip to M16. Ahead of kick-off, the group enjoyed a pitchside meet-and-greet with our legendary former captain Bryan Robson, before the memorable game was settled late on by Bruno Fernandes’s stoppage-time winner.

“It was incredible, really,” reflected the branch’s lead contact, Matthew Crisp, when UR caught up with him in the days that followed. “For some, it was their first time to England, their first time to Manchester and Old Trafford – it was my first European night as well.

“From the minute you walked in the atmosphere was electric, the fans were buzzing, and you just knew something special was in the air. Even after the equaliser you could just tell we had another one in us, and sure enough our captain pulled through.”

ORA’s vice-president, Julie, described the whole experience as “electrifying”, but noted that one of the main pleasures of the trip was the bond it generated between the travelling members.

“Being able to attend a couple of matches at the legendary Theatre of Dreams was nothing short of

spectacular,” she said. “Hearing the chants that we sing at our home bar – Elixir in Orlando –live with the Stretford End was surreal. It was absolutely special to see all the tributes and memorials dedicated to what makes Manchester United such a historic football club, too.

“We came together as a supporters’ group but, quite honestly, returned home as lifelong friends and family.” Great to see you, Orlando Red Army – come back soon!

Representatives of our supporters’ club in Orlando are welcomed to Old Trafford for their first group visit by legendary Red Bryan Robson as a memorable night gets under way with a pitchside pic

‘I CAN STILL SEE THE GOALS NOW’

Fittingly at this time of year, United Review’s latest fan in the handshake is a supporter whose life was shaped by watching the great Busby Babes…

For most modern United fans, visualising what it would have been like to watch the Busby Babes requires deep, imaginative concentration. We read the books, we watch the few grainy clips available, and we try to create something in our minds.

For Derek ‘Digger’ Gardner, there are no such problems. Meeting those who saw the Babes is rare enough in 2025, but Digger is something rarer still: a United fan who can recall their goals and moves in granular detail.

“I can still see games from the ’50s,” he marvels. “I can’t remember games from two years ago, but I can see the Babes in my head. I always remember being at Huddersfield once: United got a corner, and Tommy Taylor ran over to Johnny Berry and said something. Tommy went and stood outside the penalty area, Berry sent the ball across, Taylor started running... he must have jumped six feet in the air and headed a thunderbolt.

“The game against Bilbao, too,” Gardner continues, warming to his theme. “I can still see the goals now; I was stood on the halfway line. We needed to win by three, and it was 2-0. There was no away goals, so it would have been a replay in Paris. For some reason, Busby changed things and put Berry at centre-forward and Taylor on the wing. Tommy got the ball near where I was, went down the wing, crossed and Berry put it in from about 14 yards. They said you could hear the cheering in Oldham!”

Derek was also present at the famous 5-4 win at Arsenal on 1 February 1958 – the Babes’ final game in England before the Munich Air Disaster – he went down on a coach with scores of other Reds; friends he’d made on the old Stretford End. Afterwards, an Arsenal fan approached him, simply saying: “That’s the best display of football I’ve ever seen.”

Digger’s love of United never wavered in the subsequent decades, even when marriage, kids and a police career all put further demands on

his time and finances. But the Babes remain his lodestar; the teams that won the 1955/56 and 1956/57 titles the finest United sides he has witnessed. For him, the United Trinity is not Best, Law and Charlton, but Taylor, Viollet and

Digger chats to a Real Sociedad fan in San Sebastian as he continues to follow the Reds home and abroad

SEASON 2024/25

Paying his

On another European away day, this

Whelan – the trio that blasted 93 goals between them in the last full season before Munich. The Reds scored 143 that campaign – still easily the most prolific season in United history.

Tommy Taylor remains his ultimate hero, and is it any wonder? With 131 goals in 191 games, the Barnsley-born forward has a better goals-per-game ratio than any other United forward (minimum 25 goals).

“He was robust,” remembers Digger. “He wasn’t the best dribbler, but his vision of the game was unbelievable. He knew where the ball would fall. He could head it, and it was amazing how he could find the net. He’d score with his knee! I’ve always liked centre-forwards; it was Jack Rowley I liked before Tommy.”

Taylor wasn’t a distant idol, either. Like many of the Babes, he felt like a friend, or an older brother, to Digger and his pals.

“I met him on a few occasions: on the train coming back from London, at Sale Locarno [ballroom],” Gardner reminisces. “He was a typical working-class man; there were no airs and graces. He wasn’t bragging that he

was a footballer. He’d talk to you... they all would. They’d get on the same buses as us. After games, we used to have a kickabout near where the Munich Tunnel is now. They’d come and play with us – until Matt Busby came out one day and said: ‘Come on, home! You’ll get injured!’ They didn’t play after that!”

Digger cherishes his memories, but he’s not one to live in the past. He still follows the Reds everywhere, at 85 years old. The loss of his partner, Pam, in 2017, only encouraged

DIGGER’S ALL-TIME UNITED XI

Schmeichel; Carey, Byrne; Keane, Stam, Edwards; Best, Whelan, Taylor, Viollet, Charlton

Subs: Gregg, Irwin, Ferdinand, Beckham, Cantona, Law, Rooney

Left: Always happy to be in the company of fellow Reds, Digger joins some of our supporters from Australia

Below: Joining friends at Wembley, a trip he’s made many times over the course of his United-supporting life

him to keep following that passion. “When she passed away, I made a conscious decision: I’m going to apply for every away game,” he admits. “I was on the coach one day and we stopped at a service station, and this Irish lad called Matt Battle came up to me and said: ‘Are you a friend of Paul Gardner?’ Paul is my son. So we got talking. I was on a stick then and Matt said: ‘Come with us.’ Ever since then, we got friendly. A lot of people think I’m his dad! I’d be proud to be his dad... We’ve been to Munich together, and he looks after me and books all our trips. “Everywhere I go, people look after me,” he stresses, highlighting the special spirit that resides within United’s home-and-away community.

Where does he get the energy, UR asks. “I only drink semi-skimmed milk!” chuckles Digger. “I wouldn’t say going to games keeps me young, but it keeps my mind active. I don’t want to be just sat in the house watching television. Next to my family, United is my life.”

respects to the victims of the Munich Air Disaster, many of whom he was fortunate to see play

time getting ready to cheer the Reds on in Seville

MESSAGES for matchday

EMAIL US : UNITED.FAMILY @ MANUTD.CO.UK

Happy birthday, Paul. With love from Carol, Sam, Laura and Harry.

Happy second birthday, Paulo! He’s been to two United games in the US, and even at such a young age, loves to watch and yell ‘goooal!’ Love Mom and Dad.

We welcome Daniel Barron for his first visit to Old Trafford. Ireland’s biggest United fan is here with his dad, Brian. Enjoy the game, Daniel.

Alan Lester is a matchday steward and tour guide at Old Trafford, and he and his wife, Carole, recently celebrated their diamond anniversary for 60 years of marriage. They even received a telegram from the King! Congratulations to you both, and here’s to many more years of happiness together.

Many happy returns to lifelong Red and season ticket holder Beryl Davies, who’ll celebrate turning 92 on 11 February. Born in Salford and still living near Old Trafford, she took son Mark to his first United game when he was six, and they’ve been watching together ever since.

Happy seventh birthday, Joshua, who’s enjoying his first taste of Old Trafford today with his dad.

Happy seventh birthday to Oscar for 3 February. He is football mad and plays as a defender for his local team.

Huge congratulations to Frankie Tang and Celia, who celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary in December, visiting Old Trafford for United v Bournemouth with children Siena and Shane to mark the special occasion.

Hello to Kaya and Caoimhe McCaffrey, attending their first United game with dad, Enda.

James and Oliver Poots are here at their very first match – Santa brought them the best Christmas gift ever! Enjoy your visit, boys.

Happy 10th birthday, Riley Deacon. A true Red who stands hours in the rain just to see the players. Hope you have a great day and United get the win. Love from Mummy, Daddy and Ezra.

Happy seventh birthday for this weekend, Daniel. Enjoy your first visit to Old Trafford, a dream that is coming true!

A happy eighth birthday to Dylan Rooney for 26 January. Hope you had the best time and enjoy today’s match.

Wishing a happy 11th birthday to Zach Tyrrell, who will be at the match today visiting from Ireland. Come on, you Reds!

Happy ninth birthday, Frankie Marshall. Have an amazing day. We love you lots. Dad, Mum, Bethany and Rosie.

Happy birthday to Joanna Conneely, here this afternoon watching with nephew Conor

Jack Connell is here today as part of his 10th birthday celebrations. Many happy returns, Jack.

Wishing a big happy 50th birthday to Barry Flanagan

Charlie Dalton from Ireland, pictured alongside his sister, Maggie, is here today to celebrate his seventh birthday with his dad and Uncle Geoff.

Wishing a very happy ninth birthday to Finn Parkinson for 5 February. He’s here with dad Tom in the Stretford End.

SHOUT-OUTS!

Happy 18th birthday, Elliot Mairs! Love from Mum, Dad and Casper.

Welcome Tiernán, Catháoir and Caiden to your first Manchester United match. We hope you have a great day.

Happy 25th birthday for 2 February to MUSC Sligo branch member James Canning, a third generation Red here with dad Brian.

Happy birthday to Macsen, a passionate Red and Alejandro Garnacho fan, who turned 13 on 28 January. Hope you get to see a United win today. Lots of love from all your family.

Big congratulations to Noel Welch, from Cork in Ireland, on his recent retirement. He’s attending today’s game in East Stand with his sons, David and Kevin, to follow his favourite team, United. Enjoy retirement, and this afternoon’s match, Noel!

Four generations of the Ronchetti family are here for today’s game: Edna Ronchetti (90), her son Ian (69), her granddaughter Adele (39) and her great grandson Jax (nearly seven). Edna and Ian have been supporters for more than 60 years and have attended many matches with Adele. This is the first time Jax has seen the Reds and his first time at Old Trafford. We wish the team well and here’s to a great match.

Happy 30th birthday, Joe Williams. Enjoy your day and enjoy the match! We love you lots, from your parents, Keeley and Baby Bump Williams.

Welcome Daniel and Carter Lewis, on behalf of Rugbi Industrial and Portwest.

‘We hope you are having a very special day, Alexa. Love Mammy and Daddy.’

Gabriel Peter, 15, is here visiting today from New York. Have a fantastic trip, Gabriel, and let’s get the three points.

FOR THE CLUB

Here’s Fraser, who celebrates his 11th birthday on 19 February. His favourite player is Amad. Many happy returns!

Happy eighth birthday to Faye, here today with her dad, James, hoping for a big win! Love from Dad, Mum, Willow, and Jesse.

Wishing Dylan a happy 10th birthday. He’s a huge United fan and his favourite player is Garnacho. Here he’s pictured at last season’s FA Cup final!

‘Happy 10th birthday to Zac de la Cour. You’re living the dream today! Love you, from Mum and Dad.’

Happy 13th birthday for 1 February to Charlie McCabe He’s here from Ireland for this today’s game with dad Derek.

Happy 14th birthday to Jessica Fennesy! A dedicated United fan, she travels to Old Trafford at least four times a year to support her team. Jessica is also a proud member of Co. Longford MUSC.

Many happy returns to Amy Triggs, who is celebrating her 13th birthday this month, and happy ninth birthday for this weekend also to cousin Oscar. They’re both here today along with cousin Luca, as well as all three of their dads.

Wishing a happy 13th birthday to Poppy. Love from Mum, Dad and Beau.

All the best to Michael O’Rourke Smith for your 10th birthday.

Eric has flown over from Ireland to attend his first United match. He’s a massive fan and hopes to see Alejandro Garnacho get on the scoresheet today. Happy seventh birthday, Eric. Lots of love, Mam, Dad, Jake and Oscar.

‘Happy birthday to my husband, Dave (02.02), our son, Daniel (11.02) and our granddaughter, Stevie, who will be two on 28 February. Love from all the family.’

Many happy returns to Jacob Quigley, who turns five on 6 February and is down today from Scotland for his first time at Old Trafford.

Happy 30th birthday, Vinesh!

We hope Emma Nelson has a great time at her first United game today. She’s here as her Christmas present and is so excited to finally see the Reds in real life.

Paul McEwen has been a huge United fan his entire life, and has travelled down from Aberdeen for today’s game as part of his 30th birthday celebrations. Have a good one, Paul.

We hope you have the best time visiting from Ireland for your first Old Trafford match, Danny Kennedy, and a very happy fifth birthday to you for 20 January.

Happy 45th birthday to Ben Boateng (Dollar). We love you more than you can ever imagine. Here’s to the next 45! From Lorna, Brianne and Jerome.

Many happy returns to Tyler Flannery for his 12th birthday.

Daniel Havelin celebrates his 13th birthday today and is here watching all the way from Scotland. Many happy returns.

A big welcome to Lennox and Ralphie Weston, two future United prospects watching their first game at Old Trafford! Enjoy it, boys!

Wishing a happy 70th birthday to Aidan Fearon for 10 February. He’s a lifelong fan and has attended every home game for the past 50 years. He even moved to Manchester from Northern Ireland for university because of United. Top effort!

Happy 11th birthday, Hudson! We love you so much.

A very happy seventh birthday for today to Eddie Durrant, made even better by being at your first United game!

Welcome back to Luca Mullan from Northern Ireland, here today with his Mum and Papa.

Happy birthday, John ‘Phatboy’ McCourt. Have a good one.

Wishing a very happy 18th birthday, Jenson Irving –pictured here a little younger!

‘Happy 45th birthday to Gareth Phin for 9 February. He’s the biggest United fan we know and loves attending games with his sister, Joanna. Love Mum, Joanna and all the family.’

‘Happy second birthday, Brodie! You’re growing up so fast. We can’t wait to see you cheering on United soon, our little football crazy bubba. Love from Mum, Dad, Tayla, Callum, Freddie and Bruno.’

Zach Gallagher, seven, and dad Christopher are here to support the Reds today. Let’s get that win!

Welcoming Declan to his first United game – the first of many! Enjoy it. Love Mummy and Daddy

Happy 80th birthday to Dave Latham, a lifelong United fan and season ticket holder.

IN MEMORIAM

In memory of Martin O’Leary, who sadly passed on 24 November. He was a lifelong Red, from Cork in Ireland, who supported United from the Busby Babes through to today’s team. His favourite player was Eric Cantona. His wife, Ann, six kids and 17 grandchildren will all miss the house being decorated for the big games in jerseys and scarves. Forever a Red.

Have a very happy 12th birthday celebrating today at Old Trafford, Reuben Guidal.

Many happy returns to Scott O’Leary for his 21st birthday today. Love from Mam, Dad, your brother and sister, and girlfriend Holly.

Seán Ógs is here for his first trip to Old Trafford, all the way from Ireland. Welcome!

A very happy 50th birthday for 11 February from all of us at United to Paul Beggs.

Noah, nine, is absolutely ecstatic to be here today from Scotland after getting a ticket for Christmas.

Sending birthday wishes to Lewis Dixon ahead of turning 16 on 5 February.

Wishing a happy 21st birthday to Callum Mapp.

A massive happy birthday shout-out to Kian Williams, as he celebrates turning 11. Enjoy your first game!

Happy 60th birthday to Ian Roberts. Best wishes from Dilys, Garry, Wendy, Lee and Lisa.

Happy birthday, Derek Johnstone, with love from all the family.

Wishing a happy 10th birthday to Maximilian Hegarty. We hope it’s a great one!

Dave Banwell (24.11.1944 – 14.01.2025) was a season ticket holder at Old Trafford since the 1960s. He witnessed United win our first European Cup in 1968 at Wembley and was also in Barcelona to see the Reds lift the cup for the second time. He was a Red through and through and followed them in the good times and bad, watching his last game on Sunday 12 January 2025, in the FA Cup penalty shoot-out win over Arsenal. Dave died suddenly two days later and will be missed by all his friends and family in England, Australia and Malta. Rest in peace.

A guided talk around the Munich exhibition at the Old Trafford museum allowed Eriksen and De Ligt to learn more about the tragedy and how the Reds rose again

PART OF OUR HISTORY

Matthijs de Ligt and Christian Eriksen recently partook in a private tour of the Old Trafford museum, learning more details about the tragic events of Munich in 1958…

“I think it goes with the badge,” said Christian Eriksen, musing on the importance of the Munich Air Disaster in Manchester United’s history. “Whatever happened at the crash belongs to the badge of the club.”

Speaking from the Munich exhibition at the Old Trafford museum, the Danish midfielder and his colleague Matthijs de Ligt recently spent time taking in the gravity of the disaster during a private tour conducted by club receptionist and VIP experiences executive, Jason Leach. The pair were typically studious as they listened to Jason detailing the club’s darkest day. They also studied artefacts from the exhibition and, whether looking at Duncan Edwards’ England shirt, listening to the history

of United’s competition-record five successive FA Youth Cups or reading the famous edition of United Review for the post-crash visit of Sheffield Wednesday, both members of Ruben Amorim’s squad were engrossed in the details.

“It does [have an impact],” admitted Matthijs, whose stint at Bayern Munich afforded him the opportunity to see the disaster from different angles, “especially because I played in Munich for those two years. I’m quite interested, for example, to see where the crash was. It’s a really big and defining moment in the history of United; it’s obviously a horrible moment but it also shaped the club, I think, so it’s something really big for this club.

“Every year the United fans and Bayern fans come together to remember this horrible

“Every year United and Bayern fans come together to remember this horrible moment. It’s really important and really nice that these two clubs bond to keep this memory, and that people are still remembering them so fondly”

The exhibition details those who lost their lives (left) and preserves their memory with the help of some Munich-themed memorabilia

The duo heard all about the horrors of 6 February 1958 while taking in the many artefacts on display

“It’s nice that people keep remembering the people who were there, the many who were involved and the survivors. The turnaround, what the club was and what it became afterwards, is special. It helps the history and the tradition of the club”

– CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

to completing the European Cup quest a decade later, to the endless comebacks and late winners of more modern times, United’s unbreakable spirit was forged in Munich.

As Christian put it: “It’s special when you play here. Obviously, we’ve heard about it [Munich] a few times, seen clips and had a few talks about it. It’s a special moment and it’s nice that people keep remembering the people who were there, the many who were involved and the survivors, but it’s a special thing to be a part of the club. Afterwards, the turnaround, what the club was and what it became afterwards, is special. It helps the history and the tradition of the club.”

moment. I think it’s quite special that they’re still doing that, that they still keep these players and people in mind. It’s really important and really nice that these two clubs bond together to keep this memory in the heads of the people. I think it still makes a big impression to everybody that the people are still remembering them so fondly. It was a big moment in the

history of the club, unfortunately not a happy moment but definitely a big moment.”

Though shaken to its core back on 6 February 1958, United’s reaction to Munich, rather than the disaster itself, became the true essence of the club. From its early manifestations in simply getting back out on the pitch within a fortnight of the crash,

Some 67 years may have passed since that devastating chapter in United’s history, but the continued appetite of the club and its players to honour and remember the events of Munich mean that the indefatigable spirit of Sir Matt Busby, Jimmy Murphy and company will live on within the walls of Old Trafford and the badge on the United shirt. ●

Poignant keepsakes on display include old United Review programmes and a Duncan Edwards-worn England shirt, while the rebuilding of the Reds and Busby’s eventual conquering of Europe (right) is recorded among other souvenir items

The duo give thanks to Jason for the informative talk before stating the importance of keeping the story of Munich alive

#4 matthijs de ligt

#37 Kobbie Mainoo

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IF EVER THEY’RE PLAYING IN YOUR TOWN...

The true mark of the Busby Babes’ greatness was not the adoration they received from the watching Reds in the stands, but the dazzling impression they left on almost every opposition supporter…

For decades, it’s been conventional to say that the tragedy of Munich immortalised the Busby Babes. That it turned Manchester United into a national and international concern, elevating us above almost every other football club. And, as with many clichés, there’s probably some truth in there.

But another argument can also be made: that United and the Babes had already achieved legendary status, long before that harrowing day in Bavaria. Think about the words that headline this article, which still ring around whichever stadium happens to be hosting the Reds, almost every week of the season: ‘Whenever they’re playing in your town, get yourself to that football ground…’

That chant was, of course, birthed by Edric Connor’s recording of Manchester United Calypso – the ultimate paean to the football magic generated by the Babes. But it was released in 1957, the year before the disaster, and had its verses printed in the pages of United Review before Munich. It focuses not on a then-unforeseen tragedy, but on the Babes’ national fame, their greatness, and the excitement and hysteria they were stoking at grounds up and down the country each week.

Think about the song’s creation, too. The tune was composed by a Mancunian, Ken Jones, but its genesis was lyrics penned by a teenager from Bangor, County Down, across the Irish Sea. The vocal was then delivered by a Trinidadian actor-cum-singer. In other words, the Babes were already a sensation, even then. One that was transcending club affiliations, and even football itself. Testimonies as to their powers of captivation didn’t just flow

in from the United fans who watched and loved them, or the journalists who were thrilled and inspired by their performances, but also from opposition supporters.

In the years leading up to Munich, the Babes took not just the First Division by storm, but also the FA Cup and the European Cup too. And it was in these cup competitions, away from Old Trafford, where the mania they gave rise to really revealed itself...

IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, GO AND SEE THEM PLAY...

Between January 1954 and January 1958, the Babes played eight away FA Cup ties (excluding matches on neutral soil). Two took place at huge, established First Division grounds – Turf Moor (Burnley) and Maine Road (Manchester City) – where the Reds were watched by crowds

of 54,000 and 74,723, respectively. But you’d expect that, right? Both fixtures pitted United against fellow top-tier big-hitters and delivered local intrigue: a Manchester derby and a Lancastrian one. But the other six took the Babes out into provincial England and Wales. From Workington on the Cumbrian west coast to Hartlepool on the east, in County Durham. They went down south to Bournemouth in Dorset, to Reading in Berkshire, and then further east to

Bristol Rovers. We also journeyed to Wrexham in Wales. Some of the clubs from these towns are now well established but, back then, none were on the proverbial football map.

It’s no exaggeration to state that the games that took place at these grounds are still talked about with reverence and awe among the fans of the opposition clubs in question. Even by those that weren’t alive to witness them, who only inherited the tales from older friends and family members.

“The fourth of January 1958 remains the most significant date in the 104-year history of Workington Football Club,” remarks Steve Durham, straightforwardly. A long-time follower of the club, he also acts as Workington AFC’s programme editor and club historian.

“We’ve always been in the lower divisions and never really achieved anything in the Football

League – we’d had one promotion in 26 seasons, titles few and far between, FA Cup runs too. We went to Liverpool in 1952 and then Man United was the only other massive tie that we’ve played. We played in the Third Division North then, so our average gate would have been 6,500 – on a good day. But that day there was 21,000... it’s never been bettered.”

Durham estimates that the entire town’s population would have only come to around 25,000 at the time, so the United match was a pretty colossal event in Workington’s civic history. BBC Radio Cumbria’s John Walsh, who attended the game as a young fan and still reports on his team now, remembers fevered anticipation among his schoolmates that lasted weeks. “I was at grammar school and although it was rugby-playing, we had a crew of us who were football

fanatics and there was plenty of conversation about the match. It was tremendous.”

“Duncan Edwards’ name always cropped up, Viollet too,” Durham says, when remembering conversations with fellow fans who were there at Borough Park to watch United come from behind to win 3-1, thanks to an eight-minute hat-trick from the latter player. The game took place just weeks before Munich.

“Duncan Edwards was the man; he was coming through and was the name on everyone’s lips. I suppose it was like when Rooney came through: they’ve got a reputation coming through, and they don’t let you down from day one. But it was more the club’s name than individuals, at that time.

“In those days, everybody’s second-favourite club was Man United,” he continues. “They had a sort of aura about them. Probably

“In those days, everybody’s second-favourite club was Man United. They had a sort of aura about them. Probably thousands hadn’t seen them in the flesh”

– John Walsh, BBC Radio Cumbria

FA Cup fever grips Bournemouth’s Dean Court in March 1957 as competition headliners United arrive for a sixth-round tie

thousands [at the Cup game] hadn’t seen them in the flesh. The television coverage was nothing then, but everyone was aware of what was happening at Man United. People made it their business to find out.”

A TYPE OF FOOTBALL SECOND TO NONE...

United’s aura was such that four of these FA Cup ties during this period delivered record attendances for the football grounds that staged them. Records that still hold to this day. As Steve Durham notes, the 21,000 at Borough Park for the Workington tie remains the Cumbrian club’s highest-ever crowd. Hartlepool’s Victoria Park (17,426 in January 1957), Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground (34,445 later in the same month) and Bournemouth’s Dean Court (28,799 in March 1957), have never hosted larger audiences in all the decades since. At the Wrexham fourth-round tie, tickets were reportedly being hawked outside for £5 – the equivalent of £154 in today’s money! All three stadiums are still in use now, but the days that the Babes bowled in still stand apart.

United fan Derek ‘Digger’ Gardner (interviewed in section eight of this programme) was present at every one of these cup ties and remembers atmospheres of unfailing warmth – along with a feverish sense of excitement and anticipation. “You’d go and stand with them [the opposition fans] and they’d come up and say: ‘What’s Tommy Taylor like? What’s Roger Byrne like?’ We had three players playing for England at that time, and Duncan was a superstar. He was the talk of everywhere, with him being such a young lad, and the physique of him.

“They loved it. They were all saying: ‘What’s it like watching a good side every

Tommy Taylor closes in on Wrexham keeper William Waters as the Reds’ fourth-round FA Cup visit in January 1957 sets a record attendance at the Racecourse Ground

United’s Ray Wood diverts a Bournemouth effort around the post during the Babes’ closely contested visit to the south coast

telly. The only way you’d see things were Pathé News. There weren’t many league games until Match of the Day much later. It was like seeing superstars for them.”

Not that every match was easy for United. Second-tier Bristol Rovers stunned the Babes (who would finish the season as English champions) in January 1956, with a 4-0 victory that led to the headline ‘Busby Babes Bubble Bursts’ in one of the local papers. The late, great United fan Tom Clare told UR about bumping into a Rovers fan years after and reminiscing about the game. “I suppose that’s one of your

Busby’s Babes gather ahead of their flight for a first-ever competitive fixture in Ireland where they would begin the 1957/58 European Cup quest with a preliminary-round tie against Shamrock Rovers

greatest memories, then?” Clare offered. “Aye, yeah, but let me tell you: Edwards didn’t play in that game,” responded the modest Bristolian.

At Hartlepool, in the third-round tie the following season, United raced into a 3-0 lead within half an hour, only to get a nasty fright in the second period. “We’d just beat Anderlecht

“That was the sort of impact that they had on the game. People knew they were going to be entertained when they turned up. They knew they were going to see some good football”

– Beryl Townsend, United fan

10-0 a few months earlier and within no time we were 3-0 up,” remembers Derek Gardner. “I thought: ‘We’re going to get 10 again here!’ Then they got it to three each. We were struggling a bit, but thankfully Billy Whelan popped up and we won it 4-3.”

But whatever the outcomes, those attending knew that excitement was almost guaranteed, for it was laid out in bold on page one of the Busby manifesto. After beating Hartlepool in round three, United went on to overcome Wrexham (5-0) then Everton (1-0) before being drawn away to Bournemouth in round six. There, another diehard United fan of that era, Beryl Townsend, remembers the Reds receiving a reception that would have satisfied a royal delegation.

“I don’t know if it was because they [the Babes] were young, or because of the way they played,” she muses. “I used to absolutely adore that Spurs side that won the Double later on, because they were just sheer class to watch, and the Busby Babes were like that. You couldn’t feel anything but affection for them.

“When we went down to Bournemouth, they’d decked the whole town out because the Babes were coming! Every store – Woolworths, everything – was all decked out, because the Busby Babes were actually coming that day. That was the sort of impact that they had on

the game. People knew they were going to be entertained when they turned up. They knew they were going to see some good football.”

TAKE A LESSON, COME TO SEE...

One of the principal reasons for United’s popularity spreading so virally throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland was the club’s decision to venture into Europe. It instantly placed the Babes on a pedestal above the rest of England’s clubs, who only competed domestically, and it also added some welcome exoticism and colour to the English scene.

In September 1957, Busby’s team began their second – and final – European campaign before the Munich disaster, which started with a two-legged preliminary tie against Dublin’s Shamrock Rovers. United’s first-ever competitive game in Ireland – a country that already had strong links with the club –almost brought Eire to a standstill.

“The country nearly went into hysterics!” remembers Joe Barnes, a then 22-year-old Rovers fan. “Matt Busby was a saint to Irish people. He was the man. And if you mentioned the Busby Babies [sic] to someone over here,

you could be talking to them for about two days.” Barnes, who worked in the lighthouse business, remembers having to knock off work early to make the kick-off, which was brought forward to 5.45pm due to Dalymount Park’s lack of floodlights and the short September evenings. More than 45,000 were in attendance, which is still the stadium’s record for a club game.

“The first half we did quite well,” recalls Barnes, now 90. “But United’s experience and quality just pushed us aside, especially Liam Whelan, Lord have mercy on him. When he scored two goals, that was the end of it.”

The game was 1-0 until Whelan’s second, in the 51st minute, but three in the final 10 minutes took the score to 6-0, which effectively ensured United’s progression. But the onesided second half took nothing away from the occasion, even for hardcore Rovers fans like Joe. “Did they live up to reputation? Bloody sure they did!” he chortles. “They annihilated us in the second half! The crowd were cheering all United’s goals –there was only five of us shouting for Rovers! But there was something about them... they were electric. Your blood got hot. I think Taylor had

springs on his feet, he could go so high and head the ball. He would nearly jack-knife when he went up. He was supreme in the air. You can talk about individual players, but the whole team were so good: Jackie Blanchflower, Foulkes... I remember Freddie Goodwin, too – he was really good. Berry and Pegg…”

Like many Irish football fans, Barnes also follows a ‘second’ team in England, in his case West Bromwich Albion. But United are third in his heart due to that day at Dalymount Park, and powerful memories of watching the Babes’ buccaneering football.

“I’ll never forget 1957,” he says. “It’s stuck in my mind; I can tell you nearly everything that happened that day. I was right behind one of the goals and I could see, in the second half, all the goals going in. They were fantastic. You should be very proud of your club. Manchester United were the flag-bearers for everybody in England.

“There were great United teams after that – Robson, Keane, all those teams. But, in my opinion, the Busby Babies were the team. To me, that day was special, even though we were hammered, because Rovers were playing against the best team in the world. Any time I went to see United after that, there was always a little tinkle in the heart.”

FOOTBALL TAUGHT BY MATT BUSBY...

To modern readers, much of this might whiff of hyperbole, filling a vacuum left by an absence of high-quality video footage. But for Matt Busby – who watched United from 1945 until 1994, of course – there was little doubt that all the words of praise were more than justified.

Years after he had won the European Cup that the Babes died trying to capture – and with a team stuffed with three Ballon d’Or winners – he firmly said: “Believe me, it is almost impossible to exaggerate about those players.”

Track down the opinions of anyone who watched them – United fan or non-United fan – and you are likely to receive a similar verdict to the one that emerges from many of the quotes in this piece.

What this great side might have gone on to achieve if not for Munich remains the most mysterious question in Manchester United’s history. But don’t let that tantalising mystery, and the tragic nature of what befell them, overshadow what they did achieve in the short time they graced the football pitches of England and Europe.

The Busby Babes’ story came to a shuddering, awful halt at Munich. But the excitement, entertainment and colour they brought to the grey grind of 1950s life uplifted a nation that had only just seen the back of food rationing. Their youth, their vigour and their style pointed towards a new, more expressive age for football – one that would achieve full florescence in the 1960s, with the advent of Match of the Day and cross-cultural superstars like George Best. The Busby Babes didn’t make it that far. But the first team from football’s future left a lifetime of memories for those fans lucky enough to revel in their splendour. ●

Busby observes Wilf McGuinness, Dennis Viollet, David Pegg and Tommy Taylor in training as he continues to build a team that attracted feverish attention and acclaim wherever they played

From the shadows

While the infamous blank team sheet in United Review has always symbolised the horror of the Munich Air Disaster, it also marked the night Jimmy Murphy’s Marvels set into motion a new club ethos…

Nineteenth of February 1958. Thousands of copies of United Review, clutched behind backs by gloved hands. The snowflakes had stopped falling. The hysterical hum of 60,000 mourners had subsided into the deepest silence. The grieving masses huddled together in the bitter cold. Some must have hoped they’d wake up soon: that there was no crash, that the Busby Babes carried on. But in those crumpled pages of the match programme, the reality was clear – 11 blank spaces where once were the names these people held so dear.

Some of those in Old Trafford began to fill in these spaces, as the public address system instructed. Some began… ‘1 Harry Gregg’, ‘2 Bill Foulkes’, only to stop, feeling they were erasing the memories of ‘3 Roger Byrne’, ‘4 Eddie Colman’ and ‘5 Mark Jones’. Some left it blank. Some filled it all in with the team whose performance that night, 13 days after the Munich Air Disaster, made lifelong believers out of the most cold-hearted football sceptics.

The line-up had been completely unclear in the days before the game, against Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The first place it appeared with any certainty was in that day’s Manchester Evening News: Gregg;

Foulkes, Greaves; Goodwin, Cope, HARROP OR CROWTHER, Webster, Taylor, Dawson, Pearson, Hunter. But, there, in the phrase ‘HARROP OR CROWTHER’, was a sign of the stress endured by assistant-turned-manager Jimmy Murphy over that fortnight. For when the Evening News was distributed in Manchester’s streets at 5pm on that Wednesday afternoon in February, Jimmy still didn’t know his team.

The bringer of news to United fans on their way to Old Trafford, who could provide at least some of the players starting this symbolic game, was the journalist David Meek. He’d been introduced to Reds supporters only the day before as the man “who will be following Manchester United in their soccer adventures”.

Meek was, just like the players he now wrote about, a replacement – a young man stepping into another man’s shoes long before his time. His predecessor, Tom Jackson, was one of eight journalists killed in the crash. At the Manchester Evening Chronicle, another young man, Keith Dewhurst, replaced Alf Clarke.

Keith was subbing the final feature pages of the Saturday ‘pink’ on Thursday 6 February when Alf called from Munich to explain the plane had been delayed. A few minutes passed until a follow-up call. The plane was attempting a third take-off. More minutes came and went before the lives of those in that office, and everyone connected with Manchester United, changed for good. The next call came from

London. “There have been unconfirmed reports of an accident,” it said. The tragic, gruesome details soon followed.

Not long after, sitting numb amid the shrill ringing of phones, clattering of typewriters and hum of chatter, one of United’s players was sitting in that office near Keith Dewhurst. Wilf McGuinness, ruled out of action through injury, had come in after seeing a newspaper placard outside. The newspapermen gave him updates on his friends. He sat with tears in his eyes while they gave him cups of tea.

Dewhurst compiled the list of the ‘dead’, ‘believed saved’ and ‘saved’. A few days later, he was offered a dead man’s job and taken to the Norbreck Hydro, on the cliffs above Blackpool’s North Shore, where Jimmy Murphy had taken what remained of the United squad. Introduced by the Chronicle’s editor, Jimmy gripped Keith’s hand, and his elbow. His hooded eyes blazed into Dewhurst’s and he said: “Never mind criticism – what we need is support!”

Over the following days, as Murphy pulled together something resembling a football team – when he was not attending funerals – Meek and Dewhurst, the team’s new sidekicks, would gather at the end of the swimming pool. Murphy held his press conferences there. Meek thus always associated those days with the smell of chlorine. For Murphy, it all went by in a blur, with that team sheet the main thing on his mind... how to fill that blank team sheet.

Bill Foulkes leads Murphy’s makeshift Reds out at Old Trafford for the first match since the Munich Air Disaster

Photographers gather to capture the pre-match coin toss as the Reds resume action against Sheffield Wednesday

Most of United’s senior players were dead, injured or in shock. Reserves became first-teamers overnight, but even that was insufficient. Murphy delved deeper into his orchard – “golden apples,” he had called the Babes – to find those who weren’t quite ripe yet, but would do. The Welshman showed remarkable prescience despite the sleepless chaos of the time. “My main worry is the fear that we are bringing these youngsters into league football too fast,” he commented, “but at the moment what else can I do?”

His list of available players read like “a team of schoolboys”. He needed experience, so he and survivor Bill Foulkes went to Blackpool to talk to veteran Ernie Taylor, who had recently lost his seven-year-old son in a car accident. It was a depressingly neat fit. Taylor had won the FA Cup with both Newcastle and Blackpool and, even if his best years were behind him, provided much-needed experience.

Though Murphy was in, by his own admission, “a mental turmoil through sheer sorrow”, he had to find a way to fashion and inspire a new side while helping the two available survivors – 25-year-old Harry Gregg and Foulkes, one year his senior – to process the horror of their darkest days. Foulkes remembered this time as “nothing more than blank misery”.

As Wednesday 19 February approached, someone had to ask Murphy for his team. And then take his answer that there wasn’t one. And so the cranking began at the Philips Park Press and a blank team sheet was printed.

‘AN UNNERVING ATMOSPHERE’

Fans arrived at Old Trafford early on the day of the game. They bought their programme. In it, as well as the blank home line-up they would also find missing the usual columns from Matt Busby – fighting for his life in hospital – Tom Jackson (dead) and Alf Clarke (dead), as well as the cartoons of George Butterworth and Frank Smart (mourning). United Review had hardly altered format for 12 years, such was its popularity. But not any more.

Whatever team sheet Murphy had written was meaningless until an hour before kick-off when HARROP – an inexperienced 21-year-old – was crossed out for new signing CROWTHER.

At £18,000 from Aston Villa, Stan Crowther was expensive, but not glamorous. A tough wing-half who would never truly fit in, he met the motley crew that were his new team-mates at Old Trafford. They had driven from Norbreck with new trainer Jack Crompton, the 1948 FA Cup-winning keeper who returned to help out. “We had done our best to remain cheerful on

the bus from Norbreck,” Foulkes said, “but when we reached the ground the atmosphere was unnerving, somehow unnatural.” Inside the dressing room, silent but for the brushing of material and clicking of studs, the young boys felt like imposters. Full-back Ian Greaves could only think of Roger Byrne, the man he was replacing. Murphy could only picture those he’d lost, too. But he found enough within him to give one of football’s great team talks…

“Play hard for yourselves, play hard for the players who are dead, play hard for

The fifth-round defeat of the Owls is modestly celebrated back in the home dressing room

those still in hospital, and play hard for the great name of Manchester United!”

As those copies of United Review were clutched by gloved hands in the falling snow, it was clear this was a night fuller with symbolism than a Shakespearean play: the programme with its 11 empty spaces (something missing); the red-and-white fan scarves with the names of our 1957 title-winning team stitched into them – but with a black diamond now showing by the names of the dead (something added). Black added to red and white… United colours.

‘MATURITY, POLISH AND SKILL’

Foulkes, United’s new captain, thought he resembled a ghost when leading the team out. Although he survived with hardly a nick, when he and Gregg had returned to the Munich crash site they found Bill’s pack of cards shorn of a half-centimetre. He had ducked down. Luckily.

The Old Trafford crowd included non-football fans, and those who had travelled from afar. Denis Law was one. Playing at Huddersfield at the time, he said: “We just had to be there.” He and a friend paid eight times the normal price of a ticket, bought their programme and paused upon the blank names. Everyone did.

As the team was announced – with Crowther included – some filled it in. Harry Gregg, survivor and goalkeeper. Bill Foulkes, survivor and captain. Ian Greaves, 23-year-old left-back. Freddie Goodwin, described as “the best reserve half-back in the country”. Ronnie Cope, the reserve centre-half. Stan Crowther, new signing from Aston Villa. Colin Webster, Welsh international. Alex Dawson, 17-year-old forward lighting up the FA Youth Cup. Ernie Taylor, new signing from Blackpool, aged 32. Mark Pearson, 18-year-old local lad. Shay Brennan, 20-year-old inside-forward fresh off National Service.

Then the ground went silent. Profoundly silent. Some clutched their programmes. Some looked at the ground, others to the sky, others across the pitch where their heroes would never play again. Some just closed their eyes.

The roar followed, and a constant hum resumed. They hid the sobs of some of those in the crowd. But with the referee’s whistle, the pain could pause for Murphy, Foulkes and Gregg, concentration and determination in its place. Then, at 7.56pm, Shay Brennan scored. His right-footed in-swinging corner, he would recall, “swung beautifully under the glaring floodlights, wafted further towards goal by a gust of wind and curled over the ’keeper’s head into the net”.

A different kind of silence followed. The short intake of breath. And then the eruption of noise. “Hats and scarves flew into the air, many never to be seen by their owners again, but who cared?” recalled one spectator. “There were tears too, as never before could a solitary goal have meant so much to so many.”

United won 3-0. Brennan scored two, Dawson one, and Cope and young Pearson stood out. ‘Their maturity, polish, and skill left one wondering what other magic is hidden away in Old Trafford,’ wrote one reporter.

The Daily Express said United ‘were born again’. Another reporter summed up the feeling of the nation. ‘There’s the crystallisation of the British idea of sport! There’s the triumph over adversity we all enjoy! Well done, Manchester United.’

“There were tears, as never before could a solitary goal have meant so much to so many”

‘If ever there was vindication of a long-term policy this was it,’ posited the Manchester Guardian. And they were right. It was Busby and Murphy’s unwavering commitment to youth and developing their own that had allowed it. They’d only signed two players to complement the two Munich survivors.

The Mirror’s front page claimed, ‘Something of a shadow seemed to lift when United won.’ It did. Foulkes wept and a teary Jimmy Murphy declared: “Now

Munich survivor and new United skipper Foulkes heads clear as the Reds march on in the Cup

Stand-in manager Murphy greets newcomer Stan Crowther to his United side with less than an hour to go before kick-off against Wednesday

‘Life must go on, and so must United’s ambitious planning for the future if the club is going to rise again from the ashes of its former glory’

we know that the future has its sunshine.”

But the shadow returned. It returned in the reality of United’s situation. Jimmy now had to pick a team for Saturday’s league visit of Nottingham Forest. But not just for the first team, also the Reserves, A Team and B Team, who would all resume their fixtures. And Cope had a strained back, Pearson a bruised foot and Brennan a bruised shin.

And then Duncan Edwards died, succumbing to his injuries in a Munich hospital 15 days after the crash, and the world seemed a truly dark place once again. Despite the magnificent Cup victory, a new black cloud filled the air.

‘GREATNESS WAS SHOWN’

Where once there had been grief and uncertainty, now it was only grief. There was no blank team sheet in the Forest match programme. This time around there were 11 names of men whose performance against Sheffield Wednesday had made United admired the world around. There were also new columns: Keith Dewhurst had one, Eric Thornton the other.

Three days on from the FA Cup defeat of Wednesday, the Reds return to Old Trafford for our first post-Munich league fixture, against Nottingham Forest

‘Although the United Review has lost two wonderful friends I feel sure we have gained two new ones,’ wrote the editor, who reluctantly replaced Busby’s column himself.

Thornton noted: ‘There are so many empty spaces, so many missing faces. But life must go on, and so must United’s ambitious planning for the future if the club is going to rise again from the ashes of its former glory.’

Before Forest’s visit, an interdenominational service of remembrance was held pre-match on the halfway line, dedicated especially to Edwards, whose coffin was being flown back from Munich at that moment.

A post-war record crowd of 66,123 attended, walking through Mancunian snow to do so. As on Wednesday, they paid a silent tribute. Meek called it ‘one of the most memorable scenes in the history of British football’. Then the team paid their tribute, too.

Forest led but United levelled with less than 20 minutes remaining. Dawson’s goal ‘brought as much hysteria as I have heard on the football grounds of the world,’ added Meek. And United probably deserved to win, inspired by the diminutive Ernie Taylor, who orchestrated the young boys around him.

The Weekly Dispatch commented: ‘For the second time in a week the greatness of Manchester United as a club, if not as a team, was shown at Old Trafford. The loyalty of Manchester trekking through the snow to support the new United was shown in a remarkable post-war record attendance. So this great city expressed again the unique bond which exists between it, the club, and its players.’

The writer Bob Ferrier, meanwhile, noted: ‘This United team is more than a shadow.’ Indeed. No more emptiness above dotted lines. No blank team sheets. Instead, a philosophy that has lived forever more: UNITED WILL GO ON. ●

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WEARER OF THE GREEN

Among the lives lost on 6 February 1958 was proud Irish international Liam ‘Billy’ Whelan, a rising star at the dawn of a promising international career…

This striking green jersey, which looks more like a rugby shirt than a football one, was worn by Busby Babe Liam ‘Billy’ Whelan. The Dubliner represented his country four times prior to his death in the Munich Air Disaster at the age of 22, with the highly rated inside-forward making his international debut against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on 10 May 1956 – the Irish winning 4-1 in front of 65,000 fans. And there were further United connections across the side for the impressive win: future skipper Noel Cantwell and future manager Frank O’Farrell were also in the Irish XI, while our former skipper Johnny Carey was team manager.

That game against the Dutch was a friendly fixture, but Whelan’s other three caps all came from qualifiers for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. The first of those came five months on from his Ireland debut when Billy contributed to a 2-1 home win against Denmark, with his final two outings both coming against England in May 1957.

On 8 May, he was part of the Ireland side beaten 5-1 at Wembley – a game in which he faced United team-mates Roger Byrne, Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor, who fired a first-half hat-trick. It was much closer when the sides reconvened in Dublin 11 days later, however, with the Three Lions snatching a 1-1 draw in the final seconds thanks to a header from Bristol City’s John Atyeo. Again Whelan lined up against the same trio of fellow Reds, plus this time England debutant David Pegg.

The result saw England reach the Sweden finals at the expense of the Irish. And, tragically, this was to be Billy’s final Ireland outing due to the accident in Munich. The crash claimed the lives of all five Old Trafford team-mates in the qualifier, with this shirt one of the many reminders of the great Busby Babes that can be found in the club museum. Gone but never forgotten.

and prodigious talent, aged just 22

The international jersey of Busby Babe and Irish inside-forward Billy Whelan, capped four times by the Republic and just two appearances short of his century for United before tragedy in Munich claimed his life

Real respect

9 February 1958: Paco Gento places a black armband on Real Madrid team-mate Alfredo Di Stefano as a sign of mourning for all those killed in the Munich Air Disaster, ahead of their side’s Primera Division fixture against Real Jaén at Estadio Bernabeu.

The previous season, the Busby Babes and Real Madrid had met in the European Cup semi-finals, with Los Blancos winning 5-3 on aggregate. They were thrilling games, resulting in a mutual respect and friendship developing that meant the aircrash was deeply felt in the Spanish capital. Indeed, Di Stefano, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, later spoke movingly about how he’d heard the terrible news of the crash over the phone at home. “My heart was filled with sadness,” he said. “I felt I had lost many, many friends. But I was more sorry for the game of football... for this Manchester United team was magnificence itself. It contained some of the world’s greatest players.”

The affection between the two clubs grew further in the years after Munich, with the European champions halving their usual fee to play a series of friendly fixtures to help raise funds for United’s rebuild, and give valuable experience to Matty Busby’s new young side. Five prestige friendlies against Real Madrid were played between 1959 and 1962, with each game full of extravagant skill and drama.

FOCUS ACADEMY

SIR ALEX JOINS THE CELEBRATION

Our legendary former manager was at Old Trafford last weekend to attend annual Academy event – being joined by plenty of the club’s alumni, from all walks of life...

“All I had to go back to was the 1950s and Sir Matt Busby, producing fantastic players and teams,” Sir Alex Ferguson tells an audience inside Old Trafford’s Manchester Suite, discussing what he chose to do upon his arrival as United manager in November 1986.

This is no after-dinner speech, nor is it a media interview; he’s here addressing more than 150 current Academy players, and their parents.

“That was the motivation – for me to carry on what Sir Matt did. He made this club, there’s absolutely no question about that, and I just followed on. And it was a joy to see young players coming through like they did.”

During Sir Alex’s reign, 89 youngsters represented the first team, supplemented by regular signings of talents from across world football. Some were initially moulded at other clubs but honed at the Reds, such as our 2008 UEFA Champions League-winning attacking pair of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

The latter, who remains United’s all-time leading goalscorer, is also in the room. He’s not a guest of honour, as he was last year, but simply a parent, sat on a table with other parents, and his wife Coleen, enjoying one of the landmark dates in the Academy calendar.

At a club and an institution where some traditions stretch back nearly a century, this is a much newer one. The Celebration Event started two years ago, and Academy staff believe it’s the only one of its kind in England.

The achievements celebrated are not only those on the pitch, although there are some such clips, and the three Under-18s trophies on stage are a nod to the continuing success at Carrington. The focus is wider than that, with acknowledgement of success in other sports and education, as well as those who have given back to their communities, or shown personal growth.

It is these awards – named ‘United At Heart’ – which Sir Alex hands out on stage midway through the Celebration Event, with that classic, heart-warming phrase: “Well done, son.”

United fans know well the significance of this man, but a dozen years after his retirement, his impact endures on a new generation. “I want to cry,” says the mother of one youngster who

Sir Alex welcomes one of many award winners on to the stage at the recent Celebration Event

received an award from Sir Alex. And the tears gather in her eyes as she’s shown a photo of her son with United’s great former manager.

The theme of leadership is a constant during this Saturday morning. The CEO of Manchester United Foundation is in attendance, to thank the players there for committing their time to charity projects and to remind them of the importance of doing so. But also, as a long-time friend of the late Sir Bobby Charlton, John Shiels OBE is well placed to talk on the values instilled by United’s Academy.

“As well as being a football academy, I actually think this is a leadership academy,” he says. “It’s amazing when I look out here and see so much talent. It’s talent that’s been matched with opportunity. That’s what both the Foundation and the Academy try to do together, to help the young leaders in front of us develop themselves to be young men and women and then grow.”

That’s the fundamental philosophy of United’s modern Academy. The belief is that a focus on individuals will bring a by-product of first-team debuts, and the evidence is pretty strong. As one representative of the Premier League attending remarks, it could feel wrong to celebrate off-pitch achievements at a football academy if its graduates were not going on to play senior football there. But that isn’t the case at United. Ethan Wheatley became our 250th graduate last April. He was one of three to debut in 2024, who are all celebrated in this ceremony, the other two being Toby Collyer – now getting regular minutes – and Omari Forson, who left last summer to join AC Monza.

Leaving United doesn’t mean severance of the connection, though. Many in attendance can attest to that. Two were receiving awards, but others like Tom Thorpe, Devonte Redmond, Febian Brandy and Fraizer Campbell were not. They were there because they’d been invited and because they wanted to attend. Conversation

between them and Sir Alex sometimes goes to other Academy alumni achieving success elsewhere – whether as managers in the Football League, property developers somewhere in England or something more unusual.

Phil Mulryne is one of the unusual – orthodox perhaps in his beliefs, but not in his career path. As recipient of the Dave Bushell Award for Lifelong Learning, Mulryne is back at Old Trafford for just the second time in 20 years. “He was a wonderful winger,” recalls Bushell, who is given an award himself, for 30 years of service to the club. “Phil used to turn people inside out.”

Mulryne made five appearances under Sir Alex at United in the late 1990s. He left in 1999 and became a regular starter and fan favourite at Norwich City, helping them secure Premier League promotion. After retirement, Mulryne began studying for the priesthood. He was ordained in 2017, two decades after his United debut. He now lives in a monastery. “I get asked

A table of aspiring young Reds give a priceless reaction during the event, held at Old Trafford’s Manchester Suite

The club’s most successful manager provides cherished moments and added motivation to the United youngsters in attendance

“There’s 15 of us in the monastery, so there’s the sense of dependency on each other... the things that Manchester United taught me” – PHIL MULRYNE

a lot, ‘are there any similarities between being a footballer and a priest?’” Mulryne says.

“And I live in a monastery now, so I’m more of a monk, really. But there are. A lot of the qualities that Sir Alex was saying there: sacrifice, giving yourself to something greater than you. I live in a community of brothers, there’s 15 of us in the monastery, so there’s the sense of dependency on each other. It’s the things that Manchester United taught me, all these virtues and characteristics you learn from being here.”

There is no TV in his monastery. He watches United highlights on one of the two computers. It’s one of the more extraordinary stories, and right to be celebrated. As is that of the winner of the Tony Whelan Alumni Award for Achievements in Football, Craig Cathcart. With 75 caps for Northern Ireland, Cathcart modestly admits he had a “decent career” and puts it down to United’s Academy. “I’ve had coaches say it to me down the years,” he says. “We [Academy alumni] always stand out, just the way we are around the place. Respectful, with a good work ethic.”

Those are the values held dear at the Celebration Event, with Sir Alex then sharing his own simple but memorable words of wisdom: “Work hard. Sacrifice. Practise.

And let me just say this: the people I want to thank today are the parents, for trusting Manchester United to give your young boys an opportunity at Manchester United. You’ve done very well, thank you very much.”

And suddenly you can imagine Sir Alex sitting at a family’s kitchen table in those early days of the late ’80s, encouraging a mother or father to put their faith in Manchester United Football Club. The impact of that dedication and belief is still inspiring youngsters and their families today. ●

HEAR MORE FROM SIR ALEX...

Lifeblood: United At Heart is an upcoming short film telling the story the Academy and Sir Alex Ferguson in 2025. What do the current generation of young Reds really know about our great manager who retired before some of them were even born? How does Sir Alex’s legacy still live on in the corridors of Carrington, and how will one young player react when they get the chance to be the boss’s chaperone for the day at Old Trafford? That’s all in the latest release of MUTV’s popular Lifeblood series, coming soon on club channels.

Sir Alex chats to one of his former players Phil Mulryne, whose post-football career has taken him in a very different direction

Wayne Rooney was another legend in attendance, with his son Kai now part of the Academy

Story behind the shot

From his vantage point at his favoured away ground last Sunday, club snapper Ash Donelon (above) captured another celebratory moment against Fulham…

MARTINEZ HAS THE MOVES

Image taken: Sunday 26 January, Craven Cottage, London.

Ash says: “Craven Cottage has become my favourite away stadium to work at, mainly because United always seem to find a way to win there – even if we do leave it late! When I arrived on Sunday I made sure to reserve a spot right in front of the away section, as this was where Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes both ran to celebrate their stoppage-time winners in 2022 and 2023 respectively, resulting in some of my favourite pictures from those seasons. This time after nearly 80 minutes of the match and precious few goalscoring chances, I began to wonder if our winning streak at this ground might be coming to an end. Thankfully, Lisandro Martinez’s shot found the back of the net and he raced towards the United fans, meaning I was able to capture this photo. I love the way Amad is echoing Martinez’s unusual celebration, which was apparently inspired by a dance performed by an Argentinian singer. It was yet another memorable moment at this historic venue and I’m already looking forward to our next visit there!”

As the Reds recovered from Munich, boss Matt Busby pieced together a thrilling new squad featuring some of the club’s best talents...

Before the Munich Air Disaster in February 1958, Matt Busby’s United side were firmly in the title race, chasing league leaders Wolves and aiming to win a third successive First Division crown.

The tragic events that followed naturally set United back years, and the Reds didn’t win another trophy until 1963, when Leicester City were beaten 3-1 in the FA Cup final. Five years on from Munich, silverware had returned to Old Trafford, but the main aim was to complete the club’s quest to win the European Cup. Back in the 1960s, that meant winning the league in order to qualify. Fortunately, Busby and his assistant Jimmy Murphy had the

FRED ASKS... WHAT MADE BUSBY’S THIRD GREAT TEAM SO SPECIAL?

Law scores one of his two goals in the 3-1 defeat of Arsenal to secure the 1964/65 Division One title, with Busby later joining his players in the dressing room to celebrate their crowning glory (below)

THE UNITED TRINITY

Only four players have won the Ballon d’Or – the biggest individual prize in football – while at United, and incredibly three of them played in the same team! In the space of just five years, Denis Law (1964), Bobby Charlton (1966) and George Best (1968) all picked up the glittering honour. They became known as the United Trinity and, long after retiring with a combined 665 goals and 1,632 games for the Reds, the club unveiled their statue (right) on the Old Trafford forecourt as a permanent reminder of their brilliance.

foundations in place for a team which would soon be contesting all the major honours.

“Our attendances were evidence of what the public thought about our methods,” smiled the manager as the crowds flocked to Old Trafford.

Denis Law had made his mark in 1962/63, scoring 29 goals in his first season since signing from Torino, but the Lawman would comfortably surpass that feat in his second term, scoring a club record 46 goals in 42 games. That same season, George Best broke into the senior side and announced himself as a generational talent. With Bobby Charlton also in the ranks alongside David Herd, another prolific Scottish scorer, United’s attack was looking increasingly sharp, while 1963 recruit Paddy Crerand added steel and skill to the Reds’ midfield.

In 1964/65, the Reds won 10 of our final 12 league games in a sensational sprint finish, with the title clinched by a 3-1 victory over Arsenal

at Old Trafford in the final home game of the campaign. Despite finishing level on points with second-placed Leeds, Busby’s men took the crown on goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded, rather than the modern game’s basic goal difference).

Handed another chance to tackle the European Cup, the Reds reached the last four in 1965/66, suffering a shock semi-final exit against Partizan Belgrade, losing 2-1 on aggregate. Having also exited the FA Cup at the semi-final stage while finishing fourth in the First Division, 10 points behind Liverpool – their second title in three seasons – Busby was, by his own admission, crestfallen. He wondered out loud if United were destined to never win Europe’s biggest prize, but was overheard by midfielder Crerand, who said “we’ll win it, believe me,” with such confidence

Left: Two years on from clinching the 1964/65 Division One title, this team of Reds would soon reclaim that crown, and with it another shot at conquering Europe

Below: Busby joins his players for another title toast after a 6-1 annihilation of West Ham (far left) in May 1967 provided the cue for more dressing room celebrations

that the manager was overcome by optimism. “Somehow I felt better,” recalled Busby. “Crerand was good for morale!”

United won 13 of our first 18 league games in 1966/67, but it was a Boxing Day loss to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane which would become a marker in the season. After that, the Reds went unbeaten for the remainder of the campaign, a 20-game run in which the title was once again

clinched with a game to spare, this time by the 6-1 away destruction of West Ham in early May. Powered by the most prolific forward line in the league and underpinned by one of the division’s meanest defences, Busby’s Reds were worthy champions, four points clear of second-placed Nottingham Forest and swaggering back into the European Cup, and another attempt at finishing some deeply personal business...

FRED’S PUZZLES

MEET THE MASCOTS

We hope you all enjoy the experience today...

Alessia

OH, WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE C-SIDES!

Crystal Palace are one of five ‘C’ clubs we’ve faced in a Premier League game, but can you put them in order from most played to least played in the Prem?

FILL IN THE GAPS

Sami

AARON WAN-BISSAKA

These three have all turned out for United and Palace, but can you find the missing clubs (all current Premier League sides) from their career path? ?

DEAN HENDERSON

SAM JOHNSTONE

(loan)

SCORER

SCRAMBLE

Rearrange the letters to find five ex-Reds who’ve scored against today’s opponents for United...

YOU SHY ANGLE

(Clue: English full-back/winger)

ANT JAM ICEMAN

(Clue: Midfielder from Serbia)

OPEN BINS ARRIVE

(Clue: Netherlands forward)

ONE UNFAMILIARALE

(Clue: Midfielder from Belgium)

JASMINE LEAD

(Clue: Speedy Welsh winger)

ANSWERS THE C-SIDES:

1.Chelsea (65 games); 2. Crystal Palace (31); 3. Coventry City (18); 4. Charlton Athletic (16); 5. Cardiff City (4)

FILL IN THE GAPS: Wan-Bissaka – West Ham United; Henderson – Nottingham Forest; Johnstone – Wolverhampton Wanderers

ORERSC SCRAMBLE: Ashley Young; Nemanja Matic; Robin van Persie; Marouane Fellaini; Daniel James

Rosie

RECOGNISING A LOCAL HERO

Primary school assistant manager Nick Bradshaw recently became the Foundation’s Community Captain as part of a Premier League campaign...

Picture the scene: it’s a quintessentially grey Mancunian day at Claremont Primary School in Moss Side as a group of pupils walk out into the playground to take part in a Foundation-led PE session. As the group huddle around coach Nick to hear what they will be doing, one of them turns and double takes. Could it be?

The lad nudges his mate who also turns, and confirms that his friend’s eyes weren’t deceiving him... the PE session has some very special guests in the form of Amad and Alejandro Garnacho!

The pair of Reds have taken the trip across town to present Nick Bradshaw, a Foundation staff member of 18 years, with the Premier League Community Captain award, which forms part of the league’s ‘More Than A Game’ campaign, acknowledging individuals who have had a significant impact in their communities.

Nick is particularly deserving of the award having led 1,600 sessions with over 4,700 hours of delivery; a stat which Foundation staff believe is unsurpassed by any coach in the community programmes of Premier League clubs.

With that in mind, it’s a good thing that two big names are there to present Nick with his award, and after Amad and Alejandro enthusiastically throw themselves into a game of handball with the excited pupils, they present Nick with his armband.

“I’m very happy to have presented this award today,” says Amad. “Nick has done an amazing job and it’s really important that young kids have people like him to look up to.

I loved meeting the kids, too. They were a lot of fun and very competitive!”

Although not as naturally at home in the limelight as the special guests, Nick is humbled to have his longstanding service acknowledged in

this way. “Having all this attention on me isn’t something I usually enjoy, but it really means a lot to me to have received this award,” he tells us.

“I’m a local lad and a lifelong United fan, so the work we do in the local community is really important to me. And when you see the reaction of the kids’ faces as the players arrived today, it’s a reminder of why we do it.

“It’s been amazing to have the two of them here today, creating lifelong memories for the kids – most importantly – but also to receive my award from them is something I won’t forget.”

The new Community Captain joins his Claremont Primary pupils as his Foundation service is honoured

Special guests Amad and Alejandro prepare to present Nick with his award (left) before joining him and his pupils for a playground pic

KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE

Foundation volunteer to read out self-written poem at today’s Munich memorial service at Old Trafford…

Some of you readers might not know that the Foundation was originally formed in 2007 as a legacy to the trailblazing spirit and youthful exuberance of the Busby Babes. Just as Sir Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy gave youngsters including Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor a platform, similarly, the Foundation has provided opportunities for the young people of Manchester and beyond –supporting them to follow their dreams in life, whatever path that may take.

The anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster is, therefore, something the Foundation endeavours to educate its participants about. Today, supporters attending the pre-match memorial service below the Munich clock will listen to Irene –a Foundation volunteer from Middleton – who has written the poem Keeping The Flame Alive, highlighting how, through the Foundation, the legacy of both Munich, and Busby and Murphy’s philosophy, lives on.

Last month, Irene visited the club’s museum where she learned more about the personal stories of the players who tragically lost their lives and spoke to us afterwards to tell us how much this has inspired her.

“Learning about how the team was so young and so successful, and that many of them were from Manchester like me, was really inspiring,” Irene said. “What happened was an awful tragedy, but I think it’s amazing to learn that in spite of that terrible day, the club always stuck by young people and gave them a chance.

“The Foundation do that too, and I have benefited from that. I feel like that is what I am representing and that is what I have written about; I am really honoured to be reading my poem today.”

For the third year in a row, the Foundation will also be taking a group of young people

from their community football project, Street Reds, to Munich. The trip will see them attend the emotional service at Manchesterplatz, before enjoying a cultural experience in the city of Munich where they will visit Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena home, and take part in sessions with local youth organisations. The bond forged between our two cities following the tragedy of 1958 remains as strong as ever.

Above: Irene receives a talk about the Munich Air Disaster and the players who lost their lives during a tour of the club museum ahead of today’s memorial service, where the Foundation volunteer will be reading her poem by the Munich clock

Instagram: @manchesterunitedfoundation

facebook.com/ manchesterunitedfoundation

Twitter/X: @MU_foundation

TikTok: @manutdfoundation

YouTube.com /manutdfoundation

WHAT IS STYLE?

STATS AT THE BACK STADIUM STREAKS

Last weekend’s victory at Fulham made it eight consecutive league wins at Craven Cottage – our joint-longest sequence of top-flight triumphs away to a single opponent since the Second World War…

Our long winning league run at The Hawthorns would end in remarkable circumstances – a 5-5 draw in 2013 for what was Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1,500th and final game in charge of the Reds.

Our last trip to The Valley – in August 2006 – saw Ronaldo and co run out 3-0 victors

Along with Craven Cottage, this is the only ongoing entry on the list, although we might need to be patient before we get a chance to prolong this particular run –we haven’t played at The Valley since 2006.

The Valley is also the only repeat entry on this list, as a result of our five straight wins there just after the war. Our previous result there in 1939? A 1-7 defeat!

8 WINS IN A ROW: CRAVEN COTTAGE v Fulham (2010 to present)

8 : THE HAWTHORNS v West Bromwich Albion (1984-2011)

6 : JJB STADIUM/DW STADIUM v Wigan Athletic (2006-11)

6 : THE VALLEY v Charlton Athletic (2002 to present)

6 : VILLA PARK v Aston Villa (2003-07)

6 : WHITE HART LANE v Tottenham Hotspur (2001-07)

5 : BASEBALL GROUND v Derby County (1948-52)

5 : CARROW ROAD v Norwich City (1991-95)

5 : DEEPDALE

v Preston North End (1948-55)

5 : HIGHFIELD ROAD v Coventry City (1993-97)

5 : THE VALLEY v Charlton Athletic (1946-51)

5 : TURF MOOR v Burnley (2017-21)

A March 1949 Division One meeting with Charlton resulted in a 3-2 win for Matt Busby’s Reds, the third of five successive away triumphs against the Addicks

Sir Alex returns the applause as he brings the curtain down on his magnificent managerial reign away to the Baggies

Also available at all Old Trafford kiosks and Megastore

THE PREMIER LEAGUE

We preview the other games in the top-flight calendar, with today also seeing a pair of fixtures in the capital...

As a new month begins, matchweek 24 began with a dozen teams in action yesterday, starting with Nottingham Forest v Brighton, followed by Bournemouth v Liverpool, Everton v Leicester, Ipswich v Southampton, Newcastle v Fulham and Wolves v Aston Villa. Away from Old Trafford today, Brentford host Tottenham at 2pm – can Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs (left) pick up a vital victory, having won just one of their past 11? It’s all eyes on the Emirates at 4.30pm, where Arsenal will be out to maintain their title hopes as Manchester City visit London N5. Moving on to Monday, and it’s Chelsea v West Ham at 8pm. Both teams have been struggling for wins since the turn of the year, and for new Irons boss Graham Potter (left) it’s a return to his former club. After tomorrow, there’s a nine-day gap in action as attention turns to the FA Cup, before the final Merseyside derby at Goodison between Everton and Liverpool on 12 February, after it was postponed in December.

2024/25 PREMIER LEAGUE F IXTURES

UNITED CAREER STATISTICS*

Lisandro Martinez bagged his second goal of the season – and second of January! – with his winning strike at Fulham last Sunday. Prior to last month, the Argentinian defender had scored only once for the Reds, away at Arsenal in 2022/23.

Bruno Fernandes had scored in three of our last five matches ahead of Thursday night’s game against FCSB in Romania, and he’s had a hand in 10 goals across his last 15 Premier League appearances for United – scoring five goals and providing five assists. Magnifico

1

ERIKSEN 44(18) 2 4(2) 0 4(2) 3 12(5) 200 64(27) 7

Jonny EVANS 141(19) 4 11(5) 0 20(3) 2 27(8) 2 3(3) 0 202(38) 8

Bruno FERNANDES 178(3)5918(3) 9 9(4) 4 46(4)16 10 252(14)88

Alejandro GARNACHO 47(32)138(3) 2 7(3) 4 9(10) 3 0(1) 1 71(49)23

Daniel GORE 0(1) 000 0(1) 00000 0(2) 0

Tom HEATON 000020 0(1) 000 2(1) 0

Rasmus HOJLUND 38(10)125(1) 1 1(3) 0 9(4) 10 00 53(18)23

Victor LINDELOF

Hojlund is two games shy of reaching 50 Premier League appearances for the Reds, while Harry Maguire was three games away from reaching 200 starts for United in all competitions ahead of our midweek trip to Bucharest.

MANCHESTER UNITED EDITORIAL TEAM

Rasmus

2024/25 FIXTURES

Visit ManUtd.com/fixtures for all the latest fixture information

CS Sat 10Manchester City (N) 3pm 1-1 ↓

PL Fri 16Fulham (H) 8pm1-073,2974-2-3-1Onana

PL Sat 24Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 12.30pm 1-2

PL Sun 1Liverpool (H) 4pm 0-3

PL Sat 14Southampton (A) 12.30pm3-031,1444-2-3-1Onana

LC Tues 17Barnsley (H) (R3) 8pm 7-0

PL Sat 21Crystal Palace (A) 5.30pm0-025,1724-2-3-1Onana

UEL Wed 25Twente (H) 8pm 1-1 73,0694-2-3-1Onana

PL Sun 29Tottenham Hotspur (H) 4.30pm 0-3 73,587 4-2-3-1Onana

UEL Thu 3Porto (A) 8pm 3-3 49,2114-2-3-1Onana

Thu 12Viktoria Plzen (A) 5.45pm 2-1 11,3203-4-2-1Onana

LC Thu 19Tottenham Hotspur (A) (QF) 8pm3-457,4093-4-3

PL Sun 22Bournemouth (H) 2pm 0-3 73,7203-4-2-1Onana

PL Thu 26 Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 5.30pm 0-2 31,4073-4-2-1Onana

PL Sun 5Liverpool (A) 4.30pm 2-2 60,2753-4-2-1Onana

FA Sun 12Arsenal (A) (R3) 3pm 1-1 ↑ 60,1093-4-2-1Bayindir

Thu 16Southampton (H) 8pm 3-1 73,7223-4-2-1Onana

Sun 19Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 2pm 1-3 73,7583-4-2-1Onana

UEL Thu 23Rangers (H) 8pm 2-1 x 73,2883-4-2-1Bayindir

Sun 26Fulham (A) 7pm1-027,2883-4-2-1Onana

UEL Thu 30FCSB (A) 8pm † FEBRUARY

PL Sun 2Crystal Palace (H) 2pm

FA Fri 7Leicester City (H) (R4) 8pm

UEL Thu 13 Play-offs, 1st leg

PL Sun 16Tottenham Hotspur (A) 4.30pm

UEL Thu 20 Play-offs, 2nd leg

PL Sat 22Everton (A) 12.30pm

PL Wed 26 Ipswich Town (H) 7.30pm

FA 28-3 Mar Fifth round

UEL Thu 6 Round of 16, 1st leg

PL Sun 9Arsenal (H) 4.30pm

UEL Thu 13 Round of 16, 2nd leg

PL Sun 16Leicester City (A) 7pm

FA 28-31 Quarter-finals

APRIL

PL Tue 1Nottingham Forest (A) 7.45pm

PL Sat 5Manchester City (H) 3pm

UEL Thu 10 Quarter-finals, 1st leg

PL Sat 12Newcastle United (A) 3pm

UEL Thu 17 Quarter-finals, 2nd leg

PL Sat 19 Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) 3pm

PL Sat 26Bournemouth (A) 3pm

FA 26/27 Semi-finals

MAY

UEL Thu 1 Semi-finals, 1st leg

PL Sat 3Brentford (A) 3pm

UEL Thu 8 Semi-finals, 2nd leg

PL Sat 10West Ham United (H) 3pm

FA Sat 17 Final (N)

PL Sun 18Chelsea (A) 3pm

UEL Wed 2 1 Final (N)

PL Sun 25 Aston Villa (H) 4pm

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

Manchester United and Greater Manchester Police have very detailed emergency procedures and contingency plans in place to deal with any emergency scenario which might arise at the stadium. Part of these procedures can involve evacuation plans should such an eventuality be required. We strongly advise that should any unforeseen emergency incident develop then please remain in your position and listen carefully to any public address announcements or directions from the attendant stewards. Loudspeakers are located in the stands, concourse areas, hospitality areas, toilets and outside the stadium. Depending on the nature of the incident, whole stands, part stands or even the entire stadium may be evacuated. There is also an option to evacuate spectators on to the pitch. Our public address system operates on a stadium zone-by-zone basis. It may be that certain zones are affected by an incident but not others. In such an event our main attention will be focused on the zone concerned. If you hear an announcement in an area other than your own, you should ignore it and respond only to messages directed towards your section or by stewards. All spectators are asked to respond calmly and as quickly as possible to emergency directions.

MATCHDAY TEXT SERVICE

Help tackle discriminatory or offensive behaviour inside Old Trafford by texting HELP to 84222* followed by the STAND, ROW and SEAT of the offender and then the nature of the problem. Allow us to do the rest. *Texts are charged at the standard network rate.

A-Z quiz

23

We’re on letter ‘S’ for today’s alphabetical posers, and we’re keeping it simple with 10 questions on former players whose surname begins with that letter. Super stuff!

How many competitive goals did goalkeeper Alex Stepney score during his Reds career: none, two or four?

3.

True or false: Peter Schmeichel’s Reds debut came in the old First Division.

How many years were there between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first and last competitive United games?

Who was the previous player to have no.9 as their United squad number before Louis Saha took that shirt upon signing in January 2004?

In 1968, Carlo Sartori became the first non-British or Irish player to make a senior appearance for United, but was he from Italy or Portugal? 2. 1. 4. 5. 10. 8. 9. 7. 6.

Which midfielder did Teddy Sheringham replace when coming on as sub in the 1999 Champions League final?

Against which team did Paul Scholes score his final goal before his first United retirement: Fulham or West Ham?

Which club did forward Alan Smith after leaving the Reds in 2007?

Blomqvist; 6. Internazionale; 7. Andy Cole; 8. Newcastle; 9. Fulham; 10. 12.

5.

What shirt number did Chris Smalling wear for the entirety for his Old Trafford career: six, 12 or 22?

Answers

1. Two; 2. Italy; 3. True; 4. 11;

Jesper

From which Italian club did Mikael Silvestre move to M16?

MANCHESTER UNITED

24/25 HOME JERSEY

Altay BAYINDIR

Victor LINDELOF

Noussair Mazraoui

Matthijs de Ligt

Harry MAGUIRE

Lisandro MARTINEZ

Mason MOUNT

Bruno FERNANDES

Rasmus HOJLUND

Marcus RASHFORD

Joshua Zirkzee

Tyrell MALACIA

Christian ERIKSEN

Leny Yoro

Alejandro GARNACHO CASEMIRO

Diogo DALOT

Tom HEATON

Luke SHAW

Andre ONANA

Manuel Ugarte

Jonny EVANS

Kobbie MAINOO

Harry Amass

Toby Collyer

jack fletcher

Godwill Kukonki

SEASON 2024/25

DEAN Henderson

Joel Ward

Tyrick Mitchell

Rob Holding

Maxence Lacroix

Marc Guehi

Ismaila Sarr

Jefferson Lerma

Eddie Nketiah Eberechi Eze

Matheus Franca

Daniel Munoz

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Jeffrey Schlupp

Nathaniel Clyne

Daichi Kamada

Will Hughes

Adam Wharton

Romain Esse

Malcolm Ebiowei

Chris Richards

Cheick Doucoure

Matt Turner

Remi Matthews

Chadi Riad

Kaden Rodney

Franco Umeh-Chibueze

Luke Plange

Justin Devenny

Caleb Kporha

Zach Marsh

MATCH OFFICIALS