1953–54 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United

1953–54 season
Chairman	Harold Hardman
Manager	Matt Busby
First Division	4th
FA Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Tommy Taylor (22) All: Tommy Taylor (23)
Highest home attendance	49,853 vs Blackpool (21 November 1953)
Lowest home attendance	18,161 vs Middlesbrough (9 September 1953)
Average home league attendance	33,590
Home colours Away colours
← 1952–53 1954–55 →

The 1953–54 season was Manchester United's 52nd season in the Football League, and their ninth consecutive season in the top division of English football.^[1]

United finished the season in fourth place, recovering well after an eight-match winless start. Top scorer for the season was Tommy Taylor, who in his first full season at the club scored 22 goals in the league and a further goal in the FA Cup. 20-year-old striker Dennis Viollet established himself in the first team this season and scored 12 goals, and 17-year-old Duncan Edwards gradually displaced the veteran Henry Cockburn at left-half.

First Division

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
19 August 1953	Chelsea	H	1 – 1	Pearson	28,936
22 August 1953	Liverpool	A	4 – 4	Byrne, Lewis, Rowley, Taylor	48,422
26 August 1953	West Bromwich Albion	H	1 – 3	Taylor	31,806
29 August 1953	Newcastle United	H	1 – 1	Chilton	27,837
2 September 1953	West Bromwich Albion	A	0 – 2		28,892
5 September 1953	Manchester City	A	0 – 2		53,097
9 September 1953	Middlesbrough	H	2 – 2	Rowley (2)	18,161
12 September 1953	Bolton Wanderers	A	0 – 0		43,544
16 September 1953	Middlesbrough	A	4 – 1	Taylor (2), Byrne, Rowley	23,607
19 September 1953	Preston North End	H	1 – 0	Byrne	41,171
26 September 1953	Tottenham Hotspur	A	1 – 1	Rowley	52,837
3 October 1953	Burnley	H	1 – 2	Pearson	37,696
10 October 1953	Sunderland	H	1 – 0	Rowley	34,617
17 October 1953	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1 – 3	Taylor	40,084
24 October 1953	Aston Villa	H	1 – 0	Berry	30,266
31 October 1953	Huddersfield Town	A	0 – 0		34,175
7 November 1953	Arsenal	H	2 – 2	Blanchflower, Rowley	28,141
14 November 1953	Cardiff City	A	6 – 1	Viollet (2), Berry, Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor	26,844
21 November 1953	Blackpool	H	4 – 1	Taylor (3), Viollet	49,853
28 November 1953	Portsmouth	A	1 – 1	Taylor	29,233
5 December 1953	Sheffield United	H	2 – 2	Blanchflower (2)	31,693
12 December 1953	Chelsea	A	1 – 3	Berry	37,153
19 December 1953	Liverpool	H	5 – 1	Blanchflower (2), Taylor (2), Viollet	26,074
25 December 1953	Sheffield Wednesday	H	5 – 2	Taylor (3), Blanchflower, Viollet	27,123
26 December 1953	Sheffield Wednesday	A	1 – 0	Viollet	44,196
2 January 1954	Newcastle United	A	2 – 1	Blanchflower, Foulkes	55,780
16 January 1954	Manchester City	H	1 – 1	Berry	46,379
23 January 1954	Bolton Wanderers	H	1 – 5	Taylor	46,663
6 February 1954	Preston North End	A	3 – 1	Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor	30,064
13 February 1954	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2 – 0	Rowley, Taylor	35,485
20 February 1954	Burnley	A	0 – 2		29,576
27 February 1954	Sunderland	A	2 – 0	Taylor, Blanchflower	58,440
6 March 1954	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	1 – 0	Berry	38,939
13 March 1954	Aston Villa	A	2 – 2	Taylor (2)	26,023
20 March 1954	Huddersfield Town	H	3 – 1	Blanchflower, Rowley, Viollet	40,181
27 March 1954	Arsenal	A	1 – 3	Taylor	42,753
3 April 1954	Cardiff City	H	2 – 3	Rowley, Viollet	22,832
10 April 1954	Blackpool	A	0 – 2		25,996
16 April 1954	Charlton Athletic	H	2 – 0	Aston, Viollet	31,876
17 April 1954	Portsmouth	H	2 – 0	Blanchflower, Viollet	29,663
19 April 1954	Charlton Athletic	A	0 – 1		19,111
24 April 1954	Sheffield United	A	3 – 1	Aston, Blanchflower, Viollet	29,189

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAvg	Pts
3	Huddersfield Town	42	20	11	11	78	61	1.279	51
4	Manchester United	42	18	12	12	73	58	1.259	48
5	Bolton Wanderers	42	18	12	12	75	60	1.250	48

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GAvg = Goal average; Pts = Points

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
19 January 1954	Round 3	Burnley	A	3 – 5	Blanchflower, Taylor, Viollet	54,000

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Jack Crompton	15	0	0	0	15	0
GK	Ray Wood	27	0	1	0	28	0
FB	John Aston, Sr.	12	2	0	0	12	2
FB	Roger Byrne	41	3	1	0	41	3
FB	Bill Foulkes	32	1	1	0	33	1
FB	Tommy McNulty	4	0	0	0	4	0
FB	Billy Redman	1	0	0	0	1	0
HB	Jackie Blanchflower	27	13	1	1	28	14
HB	Allenby Chilton	42	1	1	0	43	1
HB	Henry Cockburn	18	0	0	0	18	0
HB	Duncan Edwards	24	0	1	0	25	0
HB	Don Gibson	7	0	0	0	7	0
HB	Jeff Whitefoot	38	0	1	0	39	0
FW	Johnny Berry	37	5	1	0	38	5
FW	Eddie Lewis	6	1	0	0	6	1
FW	Noel McFarlane	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	David Pegg	9	0	0	0	9	0
FW	Stan Pearson	11	2	0	0	11	2
FW	Harry McShane	9	0	0	0	9	0
FW	Jack Rowley	36	12	1	0	37	12
FW	Tommy Taylor	35	22	1	1	36	23
FW	Dennis Viollet	29	11	1	1	30	12
FW	Colin Webster	1	0	0	0	1	0

References

1. "Manchester United Season 1953/54". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.