1908/09 – Manchester United | Manchester United News
1908/09 – Manchester United

Man Utd 1908/09 squad picture

Manchester United squad picture 1908/09 

After winning the league title Manchester United set off on a brief European tour. The beat teams in Czechoslovakia and Austria before thrashing the Hungarian side, Ferecvaros, 7-0. The home fans took the defeat badly and attacked the United players as they left the pitch. Police on horseback had to draw their swords in order to rescue the players. United went through a disappointing defence of their Championship but had some consolation in the form of their first ever FA Cup win.

United slipped to a disappointing 13th place finish in 1908–09. Meredith was suspended for the month of January in punishment for kicking a Brighton & Hove Albion player in an FA Cup match. The club reached the 1909 FA Cup Final, knocking out Brighton, Everton, Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, and Newcastle United. Their cup final opponents at Crystal Palace were Bristol City, captained at centre-half by Billy Wedlock – England captain and staunch opponent of the Players’ Union.As both clubs usually wore red, Bristol played in blue whereas Manchester United played in white shirts with a deep red “V”. The shirts became famous in reproductions over the years and Nike were rumoured to be reproducing the shirt 100 years later – these pictures show a design was allegedly made, though never released.

Man Utd 1909 shirt

Man Utd 2009 rumoured 1909 shirt

Manchester United 1909 Cigarette card

Bristol City v Man Utd teams 1909

A Sandy Turnbull goal settled the tie, which was described as quite a boring game; Meredith himself dismissed reports of the match, stating “it was a good game for dashing, keen, thrilling football, great goalkeeping and narrow escapes at either end”. Meredith and his teammates celebrated the victory with music hall stars such as George Robey.

 

First Division

 

Date Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
5 September 1908 Preston North End A 3 – 0 J. Turnbull (2),Halse 18,000
7 September 1908 Bury H 2 – 1 J. Turnbull (2) 16,000
12 September 1908 Middlesbrough H 6 – 3 J. Turnbull (4),Halse, Wall 25,000
19 September 1908 Manchester City A 2 – 1 Halse, J. Turnbull 40,000
26 September 1908 Liverpool H 3 – 2 Halse (2), J. Turnbull 25,000
3 October 1908 Bury A 2 – 2 Halse, Wall 25,000
10 October 1908 Sheffield United H 2 – 1 Bell (2) 14,000
17 October 1908 Aston Villa A 1 – 3 Halse 40,000
24 October 1908 Nottingham Forest H 2 – 2 S. Turnbull (2) 20,000
31 October 1908 Sunderland A 1 – 6 S. Turnbull 30,000
7 November 1908 Chelsea H 0 – 1 15,000
14 November 1908 Blackburn Rovers A 3 – 1 Halse, J. Turnbull,Wall 25,000
21 November 1908 Bradford City H 2 – 0 Picken, Wall 15,000
28 November 1908 Sheffield Wednesday H 3 – 1 Halse, J. Turnbull,Wall 20,000
5 December 1908 Everton A 2 – 3 Bannister, Halse 35,000
12 December 1908 Leicester Fosse H 4 – 2 Wall (3), Picken 10,000
19 December 1908 Woolwich Arsenal A 1 – 0 Halse 10,000
25 December 1908 Newcastle United A 1 – 2 Wall 35,000
26 December 1908 Newcastle United H 1 – 0 Halse 40,000
1 January 1909 Notts County H 4 – 3 Halse (2), Roberts,S. Turnbull 15,000
2 January 1909 Preston North End H 0 – 2 18,000
9 January 1909 Middlesbrough A 0 – 5 15,000
23 January 1909 Manchester City H 3 – 1 Livingstone (2),Wall 40,000
30 January 1909 Liverpool A 1 – 3 S. Turnbull 30,000
13 February 1909 Sheffield United A 0 – 0 12,000
27 February 1909 Nottingham Forest A 0 – 2 7,000
13 March 1909 Chelsea A 1 – 1 Wall 30,000
15 March 1909 Sunderland H 2 – 2 Payne, J. Turnbull 10,000
20 March 1909 Blackburn Rovers H 0 – 3 11,000
31 March 1909 Aston Villa H 0 – 2 10,000
3 April 1909 Sheffield Wednesday A 0 – 2 15,000
9 April 1909 Bristol City H 0 – 1 18,000
10 April 1909 Everton H 2 – 2 J. Turnbull (2) 8,000
12 April 1909 Bristol City A 0 – 0 18,000
13 April 1909 Notts County A 1 – 0 Livingstone 7,000
17 April 1909 Leicester Fosse A 2 – 3 J. Turnbull, Wall 8,000
27 April 1909 Woolwich Arsenal H 1 – 4 J. Turnbull 10,000
29 April 1909 Bradford City A 0 – 1 30,000
Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA Pts
12 Sheffield United 38 14 9 15 51 59 37
13 Manchester United 38 15 7 16 58 68 37
14 Nottingham Forest 38 14 8 16 66 57 36

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

FA Cup[edit]

Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
16 January 1909 First Round Brighton & Hove Albion H 1 – 0 Halse 8,300
6 February 1909 Second Round Everton H 1 – 0 Halse 35,217
20 February 1909 Third Round Blackburn Rovers H 6 – 1 S. Turnbull (3), J. Turnbull (3) 38,500
5 March 1909 Fourth Round Burnley A A – A Match abandoned at 0–1
10 March 1909 Fourth Round Burnley A 3 – 2 J. Turnbull (2), Halse 16,850
27 March 1909 Semi-Final Newcastle United N 1 – 0 Halse 40,118
24 April 1909 Final Bristol City N 1 – 0 S. Turnbull 71,401

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Harry Moger 36 0 6 0 42 0
GK Tom Wilcox 2 0 0 0 2 0
FB Herbert Burgess 4 0 0 0 4 0
FB Tony Donnelly 1 0 0 0 1 0
FB Vince Hayes 22 0 6 0 28 0
FB Dick Holden 2 0 0 0 2 0
FB Aaron Hulme 3 0 0 0 3 0
FB Oscar Linkson 10 0 0 0 10 0
FB George Stacey 32 0 6 0 38 0
HB Alex Bell 20 2 6 0 26 2
HB Joe Curry 8 0 0 0 8 0
HB Alex Downie 23 0 0 0 23 0
HB Dick Duckworth 33 0 6 0 39 0
HB Harold Hardman 4 0 0 0 4 0
HB John McGillivray 2 0 0 0 2 0
HB Charlie Roberts 27 1 6 0 33 1
HB Ernest Thomson 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Jimmy Bannister 16 1 0 0 16 1
FW Bill Berry 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW David Christie 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW Joe Ford 4 0 0 0 4 0
FW Harold Halse 29 14 6 4 35 18
FW George Livingstone 11 3 2 0 13 3
FW Billy Meredith 34 0 4 0 38 0
FW Ernest Payne 2 1 0 0 2 1
FW Jack Picken 13 3 0 0 13 3
FW Jack Quinn 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW Jimmy Turnbull 22 17 6 5 28 22
FW Sandy Turnbull 19 5 6 4 25 9
FW George Wall 34 11 6 0 40 11