History of Manchester United F.C. (1969–1986)
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Following an eighth-place finish in the 1969–70 season and a poor start to the 1970–71 season, Wilf McGuinness was sacked as manager of Manchester United in December 1970 after just 18 months in charge. Matt Busby returned to the manager's position on a temporary basis, and McGuinness returned to his position as reserve team coach. In June 1971, having failed in attempts to lure
Jock Stein John "Jock" Stein (5 October 1922 – 10 September 1985) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967. Stein also guided Celtic to nine successive Scottish ...
and also
Don Revie Donald George Revie OBE (10 July 1927 – 26 May 1989) was an England international footballer and manager, best known for his successful spell with Leeds United from 1961 until 1974, which immediately preceded his appointment as England manage ...
to Old Trafford, the United board appointed
Frank O'Farrell Francis O'Farrell (9 October 1927 – 6 March 2022) was an Irish football player and manager. He played as a wing half for Cork United, West Ham United and Preston North End. He made over 300 appearances in the Football League before joining ...
as manager. O'Farrell's reign started well, with United re-emerging as title contenders in the first half of the 1971-72 season, but slumped in the second half of the season to finish eighth. O'Farrell was sacked in December 1972, following a 5-0 defeat at
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and with United in danger of relegation from the First Division for the first time since the 1930s. Docherty saved Manchester United from relegation that season, only to see them relegated in 1974. United's first team squad was being radically overhauled during the first two years of Docherty's reign. Denis Law had been given a free transfer in the summer of 1973 and
Bobby Charlton Sir Robert Charlton (born 11 October 1937) is an English former footballer who played either as a midfielder or a forward. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World ...
had retired, with
George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest p ...
repeatedly going AWOL and making his final appearance for the club halfway through the relegation season. Younger players including Stuart Pearson, Steve Coppell,
Lou Macari Luigi Macari (born 7 June 1949) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He began his playing career at Celtic where he was one of the Quality Street Gang, the outstanding reserve team that emerged in the late 1960s that also included Ken ...
and captain
Martin Buchan Martin McLean Buchan (born 6 March 1949) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Born in Aberdeen, he played for Aberdeen, Manchester United and Oldham Athletic. He also played in 34 international matches for Sc ...
were establishing themselves as key players in a revamped squad. The team won promotion at the first attempt, as Second Division champions, and reached the FA Cup final in
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...
, but were defeated by
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, and also finished an impressive third in the league. They reached the final again in
1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...
, beating
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
2–1. Docherty was dismissed shortly afterwards, following the revelation of his affair with the club physiotherapist's wife.Barnes et al. (2001), p. 19
Dave Sexton David James Sexton (6 April 1930 – 25 November 2012) was an English football manager and player. He was notable for managing Chelsea to their first ever major European trophy. Playing career Son of former professional boxer Archie Sex ...
, first approached to take over at Old Trafford back in 1971 following the departure of Wilf McGuinness, accepted the offer to replace Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977. Despite expensive major signings, including
Joe Jordan Joseph Jordan (born 15 December 1951) is a Scottish football player, coach and manager. He is currently a first-team coach at AFC Bournemouth. A former striker, he played for Leeds United, Manchester United, and Milan, among others at club ...
,
Gordon McQueen Gordon McQueen (born 26 June 1952) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United. McQueen also represented Scotland. Playing career Club McQueen was a goalkeeper as a ...
,
Gary Bailey Gary Richard Bailey (born 9 August 1958) is a former footballer who made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Manchester United. Born in Ipswich, Suffolk, he grew up in South Africa, but went on to be cappe ...
and
Ray Wilkins Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...
, the team failed to add any silverware in Sexton's four seasons as manager. They came close twice, losing to Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup final, and finishing runners-up to
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
in the league a year later. In the autumn of 1980, Sexton signed United's first million-pound player -
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
striker
Garry Birtles Garry Birtles (born 27 July 1956) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League between the 1970s and 1990s. He is best known for his time at Nottingham Forest, during which he won the 1979 and 19 ...
- but the new signing proved to be a major disappointment and was unable to reignite United's season 1980-81 season, which ended with an eighth-place finish despite the final seven league games all being victories. Sexton was dismissed in May 1981, leaving the United board to search for its fifth new manager in just over a decade.Barnes et al. (2001), p. 20 He was replaced by Ron Atkinson, who quickly began rebuilding the squad, including paying a British record transfer fee of £1.5million to sign midfielder
Bryan Robson Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957) is an English football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club captain before moving to Manchester United in ...
from
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
. Robson would soon be named captain of the United first team and would go on to help the club win a string of trophies under Atkinson and his eventual successor Alex Ferguson. Under Atkinson, Manchester United never finished outside the top four in the five full seasons he took charge, also winning the FA Cup twice, first beating Brighton in 1983 following a replay, and then winning the 1985 final against Everton, in which young forward
Norman Whiteside Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker. Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
scored the only goal of the game. In the autumn of 1985, Atkinson finally appeared to be on the brink of bringing the league title back to Old Trafford after an absence of nearly 20 years, as United won their opening 10 league games and were unbeaten from their first 15, but their form declined during the second half of the season and they finished fourth. That summer, the club's top scorer
Mark Hughes Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the manager of Bradford City. During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, an ...
was sold to
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. The following November, with the club in the bottom four of the First Division, Atkinson was dismissed.Barnes et al. (2001), pp. 20–21


Post-Busby years

Wilf McGuinness, the reserve team coach, was promoted to take Matt Busby's place as manager. He had been associated with the club since joining them as a player in the mid 1950s but he quickly faltered in the footsteps of the great man, and was not helped by Busby's presence in the background. United were an ageing side in need of refreshment, a circumstance McGuinness was unfortunate to come across. The club coped well enough in his first season in charge, managing an improved finish of 8th place compared to 11th place in Busby's final season. However, the cracks showed the following season, as the team floundered near the bottom of the table, and a League Cup elimination at the hands of Aston Villa, who at the time were mid-table in the Third Division, led to McGuinness being demoted back to his old reserve team position, and he left the club altogether shortly afterwards. Busby returned to the manager's seat on a temporary basis and pulled the team well clear of relegation, eventually matching the previous year's 8th-place finish.
Frank O'Farrell Francis O'Farrell (9 October 1927 – 6 March 2022) was an Irish football player and manager. He played as a wing half for Cork United, West Ham United and Preston North End. He made over 300 appearances in the Football League before joining ...
of
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
became the club's new manager in the 1971 close season, after unsuccessful approaches for
Jock Stein John "Jock" Stein (5 October 1922 – 10 September 1985) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967. Stein also guided Celtic to nine successive Scottish ...
of Celtic,
Don Revie Donald George Revie OBE (10 July 1927 – 26 May 1989) was an England international footballer and manager, best known for his successful spell with Leeds United from 1961 until 1974, which immediately preceded his appointment as England manage ...
of
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
and Dave Sexton of
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. Despite starting the 1971–72 season well and raising hope that O'Farrell would be a good successor to Busby, a run of seven defeats from 1 January meant they were to finish in eighth place for the third successive year – a dismal showing for a club who had appeared capable of winning the title for at least the first half of the season. However, the season did see the signing of 22-year-old
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
defender
Martin Buchan Martin McLean Buchan (born 6 March 1949) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Born in Aberdeen, he played for Aberdeen, Manchester United and Oldham Athletic. He also played in 34 international matches for Sc ...
, who would play a key role in later successes for United. At this time,
George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest p ...
was becoming a problem, continually flouting the rules and getting into various disciplinary troubles. At the end of the 1971–72 season, one day short of his 26th birthday, he announced his retirement, only to turn back on his decision and announce his intention to play again within days. While Best's erratic behaviour didn't help, United continued to struggle, opening the 1972–73 season with a disastrous nine matches without a win. Following a 4–1 defeat to
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
on 28 October 1972, chairman
Louis Edwards Louis Charles Edwards (15 June 1914 – 25 February 1980) was an English businessman from Salford, Lancashire, who was most notable for being chairman of Manchester United from June 1965 until his death in February 1980. Early life and busin ...
planned to sack O'Farrell and made an audacious move for former Manchester City manager
Joe Mercer Joseph Mercer, OBE (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English football player and manager. Mercer, who played as a defender for Everton and Arsenal in his footballing career, also went on to manage Aston Villa, Manchester City and Engl ...
, but O'Farrell was away on a scouting mission on the day Edwards intended to sack him, and the 58-year-old Mercer (who was to retire from football within two years) turned the offer down anyway. United's form briefly improved after this, allowing O'Farrell a stay of execution, but a 5–0 thumping by relegation rivals
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just before Christmas proved too much, and led to the manager's dismissal on 19 December. In a way it was the end of an era, with
Bill Foulkes William Anthony Foulkes ( or ; 5 January 1932 – 25 November 2013) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre-half. For Manchester ...
having retired, Bobby Charlton's testimonial having been held the previous day and George Best once again announcing his retirement on the same day. Charlton, now 35, would play his last match for the club at the end of that season.


Tommy Docherty

Three days later,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
manager
Tommy Docherty Thomas Henderson Docherty (24 April 1928 – 31 December 2020), commonly known as The Doc, was a Scottish football player and manager. Docherty played for several clubs, most notably Preston North End, and represented Scotland 25 times betw ...
was announced as United's new boss, and immediately began to rebuild the side with a series of signings, most notably
Lou Macari Luigi Macari (born 7 June 1949) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He began his playing career at Celtic where he was one of the Quality Street Gang, the outstanding reserve team that emerged in the late 1960s that also included Ken ...
. United recovered and finished that season in 18th place. However, there were concerns about just how long the squad, made up of the few remaining members of the Busby team and seasoned older players signed by O'Farrell and Docherty, could stay afloat in the first division. The emergence of Macari and new captain
Martin Buchan Martin McLean Buchan (born 6 March 1949) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Born in Aberdeen, he played for Aberdeen, Manchester United and Oldham Athletic. He also played in 34 international matches for Sc ...
(widely regarded as the one decent signing O'Farrell had managed while in charge of the club) gave some cause for optimism, but the following season would prove to be a major struggle. Denis Law left on a free transfer during the close season to sign for Manchester City, which sparked some protests among fans. Best came out of retirement once more to sign with the team for the 1973–74 season. United were again caught in a relegation battle and entered the penultimate match of the season needing to win two match and for
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Sin ...
to lose in order to stay in the First Division. Birmingham won their match and Denis Law, playing for City against United, sealed United's fate with the only goal of the match, although Birmingham's victory meant United would have been relegated regardless of their own result. Manchester United were relegated to the Second Division after 36 years away. By the time the season was over, George Best had finally walked out of United for good, playing his last match on New Year's Day 1974, although he did not actually leave the club until the following season when he was given a free transfer and signed for
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
. After the relegation, Docherty culled most of what remained of Busby's squad, with goalkeeper Alex Stepney being the only member of the European Cup-winning team to remain in the first team for the start of the following season. The new-look Manchester United squad was built around youthful players such as Sammy McIlroy, who had come to impress during the final months of the ill-fated 1973–74 campaign. Also in the squad were new signings like centre-half
Jim Holton James Allan Holton (11 April 1951 – 4 October 1993) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-back. Holton played for Shrewsbury Town, Manchester United, Miami Toros, Sunderland, Coventry City and Detroit Express. He played in 15 in ...
, winger Gordon Hill and forward Stuart Pearson. Despite the relegation, attendances at Old Trafford swelled during the 1974–75 season and United responded well, winning the Second Division and returning to the top flight, where they topped the standings in the early stages of the 1975–76 season and there were high hopes that United could become only the third club to be champions of the top flight one season after being promoted. However, form slipped mid-season, however, and finished third. A good
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
run also ended in disappointment at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
with a 1–0 defeat by
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
in the final. United performed erratically in the league in 1976–77, struggling for consistency with some injury problems to key players, and finishing the season in sixth place, but United reached the FA Cup final again, this time beating Liverpool 2–1 in the final. This result ended Liverpool's chances of completing the treble, something United themselves would achieve 22 years later. The new-look Manchester United side contained impressive young players like Steve Coppell, Sammy McIlroy,
Brian Greenhoff Brian Greenhoff (28 April 1953 – 22 May 2013) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester United, Leeds United and Rochdale. He was capped 18 times for England. Career Manchester United Greenhoff was born in ...
,
Jimmy Greenhoff James Greenhoff (born 19 June 1946) is an English former footballer. He was a skilful forward and although capped five times at under-23 level, once as an over-age player, he never played for the full side, and is labelled as the finest Englis ...
,
Arthur Albiston Arthur Richard Albiston (born 14 July 1957) is a Scottish former football player. Albiston played for Manchester United for most of his career, making almost 500 appearances for the club. He also made 14 international appearances for Scotland an ...
and Stuart Pearson. Although goalkeeper Alex Stepney was still with United, Busby's final signing and United's former captain
Willie Morgan William Morgan (born 2 October 1944) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer. Club career A winger, Morgan started his career with Burnley F.C., Burnley, making his first-team debut against Sheffield Wednesday F.C., She ...
had left in the summer of 1975 after a dispute with manager Tommy Docherty. United were now being captained by Martin Buchan. But just over a month later, news broke of Tommy Docherty's love affair with Mary Brown, the wife of the team's
physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...
Laurie Brown, when he announced he was leaving his wife to marry her. When Docherty refused to resign, the board dismissed him. While Docherty's affair had been disruptive to the club, it was not a legally valid reason to dismiss someone, and so the board stated that he had been dismissed for abusing his position in order to obtain tickets for the two cup finals, and selling them for a profit. Despite this, it was well known why Docherty had been sacked, and there were suggestions he would sue the club for
wrongful dismissal In law, wrongful dismissal, also called wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, is a situation in which an employee's contract of employment has been terminated by the employer, where the termination breaches one or more terms of the contra ...
. However, Docherty never did so.


Dave Sexton

Docherty had been popular with the fans, and the new manager, Dave Sexton, needed success to dispel the unfavorable comparisons. Sexton's track record was impressive – he had won the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
and
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourn ...
with Chelsea and taken unfancied
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
to the brink of the league title. He had rejected United's first approach for him to become manager in 1971, and had been linked with the job as long ago as 1969 when Busby's retirement was first announced. With the FA Cup win, United qualified for the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourn ...
, but were nearly expelled because of crowd trouble in Saint-Étienne. Once more United made it to the FA Cup final in 1979, but narrowly lost to Arsenal in what was known as the " five-minute final" for the flurry of goals in the last minutes. One of Sexton's most famous movements in the transfer market was the double signing of
Joe Jordan Joseph Jordan (born 15 December 1951) is a Scottish football player, coach and manager. He is currently a first-team coach at AFC Bournemouth. A former striker, he played for Leeds United, Manchester United, and Milan, among others at club ...
and
Gordon McQueen Gordon McQueen (born 26 June 1952) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United. McQueen also represented Scotland. Playing career Club McQueen was a goalkeeper as a ...
, who were both brought in from United's fierce rivals Leeds United, who had lost touch with the leading lights of the English game since
Don Revie Donald George Revie OBE (10 July 1927 – 26 May 1989) was an England international footballer and manager, best known for his successful spell with Leeds United from 1961 until 1974, which immediately preceded his appointment as England manage ...
had left for the England manager's job in 1974. But, along with a Liverpool side going from strength to strength, United were now faced with a surprising new competitor for honours and the signature of star players in the shape of
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
, managed by
Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Engl ...
. The East Midlands club had returned to the First Division in 1977 and went on to win a league title, two European Cups and two League Cups over the next three seasons. The 1979–80 season, before which United had paid a club record £750,000 to sign midfielder Ray Wilkins from Chelsea, saw ''the Reds'' narrowly miss out on league glory, finishing second to Liverpool. During that season, United fans were blamed for a collapse at Ayresome Park causing the death of two
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
supporters. Controversy also erupted over allegations that United had been making illegal payments to young players, an allegation which was made shortly before the sudden death of chairman
Louis Edwards Louis Charles Edwards (15 June 1914 – 25 February 1980) was an English businessman from Salford, Lancashire, who was most notable for being chairman of Manchester United from June 1965 until his death in February 1980. Early life and busin ...
. An injury crisis at the start of 1980–81 caused the team to slump to mid-table and suffer an early exit from the FA Cup, although at least Sexton managed to keep United clear of the threat of relegation. Desperate to stop the rot, Sexton brought in striker
Garry Birtles Garry Birtles (born 27 July 1956) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League between the 1970s and 1990s. He is best known for his time at Nottingham Forest, during which he won the 1979 and 19 ...
for a club record £1.25 million, yet he was to prove an expensive failure who took 30 games to score his first goal. United won their final seven games of the season but still finished just eighth in the league. Despite achieving runners-up spot in the league and reaching an FA Cup final during his time at the club, Sexton knew that "nearly" just wasn't good enough for United fans, and he was sacked at the end of the 1980–81 season.


Ron Atkinson

United chairman Martin Edwards searched for a new manager in hope of finding someone who could bring the league title to United. The most likely candidate for the job was
Lawrie McMenemy Lawrence McMenemy MBE (born 26 July 1936) is an English retired football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton. He is rated in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' as one of the twenty most successful managers in post-war Englis ...
, whose Southampton had shocked United in the FA Cup final five years earlier and were now competing in the upper reaches of the First Division. Brian Clough, who had taken Nottingham Forest to promotion to the league title to two European Cup triumphs in four successive seasons, was also rumoured to be linked with the vacancy, but chairman Martin Edwards insisted that United would not be making an approach for Clough.
Bobby Robson Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
, whose
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
side had just won the UEFA Cup), was also named as a possible candidate, as was
Ron Saunders Ronald Saunders (6 November 1932 – 7 December 2019) was an English football player and manager. He played for Everton, Tonbridge Angels, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Watford and Charlton Athletic during a 16-year playing career, before moving in ...
, who had just guided Aston Villa to their first league title in 71 years. But in the end, it was
Ron Atkinson Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939), commonly known as "Big Ron" or "Mr. Bojangles", is an English former football player and manager. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he was regarded as one of Britain's best-known football pundits. Nic ...
who got the job. He broke the British transfer record in October 1981 to sign England midfielder
Bryan Robson Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957) is an English football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club captain before moving to Manchester United in ...
from
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
for £1.5 million, and signed Robson's teammate
Remi Moses Remi Mark Moses (born 14 November 1960) is an English former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He broke into the first team at West Bromwich Albion under the management of Ron Atkinson in the late 1970s, when Albion were enjoying ...
for £500,000 at the same time.
Norman Whiteside Norman Whiteside (born 7 May 1965) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and striker. Whiteside began his career at Manchester United, signing professional forms in 1982 at the age of 17 and quickly be ...
soon broke through the youth ranks and was a key first team player at age 17, while striker
Frank Stapleton Francis Anthony Stapleton (born 10 July 1956) is an Irish former professional football player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at Arsenal, Manchester United and as a pivotal player for the Republic of Ireland national team. H ...
managed a steady supply of goals after his acquisition from Arsenal. Atkinson also retained a number of players from the Sexton era, namely midfielder Ray Wilkins. Long-serving players Martin Buchan and Lou Macari, who had been with United under Docherty and in the case of Buchan under O'Farrell, were still with the club when Atkinson arrived, although both had left by 1984. Atkinson's side produced an attractive form of football, losing only eight games and finishing 3rd in his first season. The title race, which had featured a few predictable contestants including Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur as well as a few surprise contenders like Southampton and even Swansea City, went to a Liverpool side who were England's top footballing side of the time. Success followed as United won the 1983 FA Cup final 4–0 after a replay against
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
. United also managed another third-place finish in the league, where Liverpool were champions again, and runners-up spot went to a
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
side who made the headlines with some impressive performances in their first season in the top flight. United also reached the cup final of the League Cup for the first time, but lost 2–1 to Liverpool. Norman Whiteside scored for United in both cup finals that season – the first player in English football to do so. Although United beat Liverpool in the 1983 FA Charity Shield at the start of the following season, they crashed out of the FA Cup in a humbling defeat at the hands of Third Division AFC Bournemouth. They rallied however to defeat
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
in the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourn ...
and made it to the semi-finals before losing to Juventus. United fought a fierce title challenge with the likes of Liverpool, Southampton and Nottingham Forest before a late slump consigned them to fourth place. The summer of 1984 saw the sale of popular midfielder Ray Wilkins to
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
after five years at Old Trafford, but Atkinson used the outlay from the sale to bolster his midfield with the acquisition of
Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. He has since managed Co ...
from Aberdeen and
Jesper Olsen Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a left winger. He is best remembered for representing Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. He was a regular player for the Danish na ...
from
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
. Welsh striker
Mark Hughes Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the manager of Bradford City. During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, an ...
made his debut for United in October 1983 and became a regular player the following season, where he scored 24 goals and was chosen as the Young Footballer of the Year for 1984–85. His form was such that, despite only being 21, he helped restrict the first team chances of £500,000 signing
Alan Brazil Alan Bernard Brazil (born 15 June 1959) is a Scottish broadcaster and former football player, most notably for Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and internationally for Scotland. He played as a forward before being forced to r ...
and even managed to force Norman Whiteside out of a regular place for a short time, although Whiteside was then switched to central midfield after an injury to Remi Moses. In 1985, Manchester United beat that season's league champions Everton to win another FA Cup, despite having been beaten 5-0 by Everton earlier that season, but not without some drama as Kevin Moran became the first player, albeit controversially, to ever be sent off in an FA Cup final. Down to ten men, Norman Whiteside scored the only goal of the match in extra time to win the cup. The victory would have given United entry to the
1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Dynamo Kyiv in the final against Atlético Madrid. It was their second title in the competition, and first since 1975. Reigning champions Everton, who initially qualified for the European Cup i ...
, but Liverpool's involvement in the
Heysel Stadium disaster The Heysel Stadium disaster ( it, Strage dell'Heysel ; german: link=no, Katastrophe von Heysel ; french: Drame du Heysel ; nl, Heizeldrama ) was a crowd disaster that occurred on 29 May 1985 when mostly Juventus fans escaping from a breach by L ...
resulted in a five-year ban from European football for English clubs. United finished fourth in the league that season. The 1985–86 season started spectacularly for United, who won all of their first ten league matches (a club record start to a season) and were ten points clear at the top of the table as early as October. They were unbeaten from their first 15 matches and it seemed that nothing would stop United from winning their first league title since 1967. However, their form slumped dramatically in the new year, with an injury to Bryan Robson meaning he missed much of the season, and they could only finish in fourth place. The club had decided to sell Mark Hughes against his wishes, and he developed a drinking problem which seriously affected his form before signing for Barcelona in the close season for around £2 million. The mid-season arrival of new strikers Terry Gibson and
Peter Davenport Peter Davenport (born 24 March 1961) is an English former professional footballer and manager who has managed teams in both the Welsh and English leagues. He has also managed classes as a substitute teacher. Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, he won ...
did little to halt United's decline. They had finished 12 points behind champions Liverpool and were also ten points adrift of runners-up Everton, whose top scorer
Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker (; born 30 November 1960) is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest English strikers. His media career began with the BBC, where he has ...
linked up with Hughes at Barcelona that summer, and eighth points behind a
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
side who had emerged as surprise title contenders thanks largely to 26 goals that season from Scottish striker
Frank McAvennie Francis McAvennie (born 22 November 1959) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as a striker for St Mirren, West Ham United and Celtic, having had two spells with each of these clubs. With Celtic he won the Scottish Premier Division in ...
. Over the 1986 close season, rumours began to circulate that Ron Atkinson would be sacked as Manchester United manager. There was talk that Alex Ferguson, manager of Scottish side Aberdeen, would replace Atkinson. Another name to be linked with the job was
Terry Venables Terence Frederick Venables (born 6 January 1943), often referred to as El Tel, is an English former football player and manager, and an author. During the 1960s and '70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queen ...
, the Barcelona manager who had rejected an offer to manage Arsenal that spring, but the 1986–87 season began with Atkinson still manager. The following season began poorly with three successive defeats, including a 1–0 home defeat by newly promoted
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
, who had last played top division football in the 1950s. Their first win came at the fifth attempt when they beat Southampton 5–1 at home, but the next few weeks saw them lose to Everton and more worryingly drop points against the likes of Watford and
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
, as well as missing two penalties at home to Chelsea which enabled the West Londoners to grab all three points. The final straw came on 4 November 1986, when United lost 4–1 at Southampton in a League Cup third round replay. On the morning of 6 November 1986, the club's board announced that Atkinson had been sacked as manager, and later that day, Alex Ferguson was named as his successor. Ferguson had won a host of trophies north of the border to help break up the
Old Firm The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply em ...
dominance of Rangers and Celtic, who had dominated the Scottish game almost interrupted for some 90 years. But the task facing him at Old Trafford was enormous – he was inheriting a demoralised team fourth from bottom in the First Division, and had to build a side capable of winning trophies and most importantly the league title, for which the wait was now approaching its 20th year. He did indeed have some very talented players at his disposal, particularly captain Bryan Robson, attacking midfielder Norman Whiteside (with two FA Cup medals and close to 200 first team appearances to his name at age 21) and defender Paul McGrath, but new signings were clearly needed.


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * *


External links


History by Decade – 1960–1969
at ManUtd.com
History by Decade – 1970–1979
at ManUtd.com
History by Decade – 1980–1989
at ManUtd.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Manchester United History 1969-1986 History of association football clubs in England Manchester United