Manchester United squad picture
The 1922–23 season was Manchester United’s 27th season in the Football League. Having been relegated from the First Division the previous season, they finished the season fourth in the Second Division, just missing out on promotion from the division in which they had not played for nearly 20 years.
United signed Frank Barson, Aston Villa’s star centre half who was also the most controversial player of his generation, new club record fee of £5,500 on August 25th 1922.
The club courted more controversy in December when Neil McBain claimed in a press interview that he had been ostracised by the other members of the first team. He was sold to Everton in January 1923 for £4,200.
United had a new home kit for the 1922/23 season, which was based on the colours worn by Chapman’s previous club – a white shirt with red ‘V’, identical to the 1909 FA Cup Final shirt. The away kit was the red home shirt from the older seasons.
Second Division
| Date | Opponents | H / A | ResultF – A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 August 1922 | Crystal Palace | H | 2 – 1 | Spence, Wood | 30,000 |
| 28 August 1922 | The Wednesday | A | 0 – 1 | 12,500 | |
| 2 September 1922 | Crystal Palace | A | 3 – 2 | Spence (2), Williams | 8,500 |
| 4 September 1922 | The Wednesday | H | 1 – 0 | Spence | 22,000 |
| 9 September 1922 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1 – 0 | Williams | 18,000 |
| 16 September 1922 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1 – 0 | Spence | 28,000 |
| 23 September 1922 | Coventry City | A | 0 – 2 | 19,000 | |
| 30 September 1922 | Coventry City | H | 2 – 1 | Henderson, Spence | 25,000 |
| 7 October 1922 | Port Vale | H | 1 – 2 | Spence | 25,000 |
| 14 October 1922 | Port Vale | A | 0 – 1 | 16,000 | |
| 21 October 1922 | Fulham | H | 1 – 1 | Myerscough | 18,000 |
| 28 October 1922 | Fulham | A | 0 – 0 | 20,000 | |
| 4 November 1922 | Clapton Orient | H | 0 – 0 | 16,500 | |
| 11 November 1922 | Clapton Orient | A | 1 – 1 | Goldthorpe | 11,000 |
| 18 November 1922 | Bury | A | 2 – 2 | Goldthorpe (2) | 21,000 |
| 25 November 1922 | Bury | H | 0 – 1 | 28,000 | |
| 2 December 1922 | Rotherham County | H | 3 – 0 | Lochhead, McBain,Spence | 13,500 |
| 9 December 1922 | Rotherham County | A | 1 – 1 | Goldthorpe | 7,500 |
| 16 December 1922 | Stockport County | H | 1 – 0 | McBain | 24,000 |
| 23 December 1922 | Stockport County | A | 0 – 1 | 15,500 | |
| 25 December 1922 | West Ham United | H | 1 – 2 | Lochhead | 17,500 |
| 26 December 1922 | West Ham United | A | 2 – 0 | Lochhead (2) | 25,000 |
| 30 December 1922 | Hull City | A | 1 – 2 | Lochhead | 6,750 |
| 1 January 1923 | Barnsley | H | 1 – 0 | Lochhead | 29,000 |
| 6 January 1923 | Hull City | H | 3 – 2 | Goldthorpe, Lochhead,own goal | 15,000 |
| 20 January 1923 | Leeds United | H | 0 – 0 | 25,000 | |
| 27 January 1923 | Leeds United | A | 1 – 0 | Lochhead | 24,500 |
| 10 February 1923 | Notts County | A | 6 – 1 | Goldthorpe (4),Myerscough (2) | 10,000 |
| 17 February 1923 | Derby County | H | 0 – 0 | 27,500 | |
| 21 February 1923 | Notts County | H | 1 – 1 | Lochhead | 12,100 |
| 3 March 1923 | Southampton | H | 1 – 2 | Lochhead | 30,000 |
| 14 March 1923 | Derby County | A | 1 – 1 | MacDonald | 12,000 |
| 17 March 1923 | Bradford City | A | 1 – 1 | Goldthorpe | 10,000 |
| 21 March 1923 | Bradford City | H | 1 – 1 | Spence | 15,000 |
| 30 March 1923 | South Shields | H | 3 – 0 | Goldthorpe (2), Lochhead | 26,000 |
| 31 March 1923 | Blackpool | A | 0 – 1 | 21,000 | |
| 2 April 1923 | South Shields | A | 3 – 0 | Goldthorpe, Hilditch,Spence | 6,500 |
| 7 April 1923 | Blackpool | H | 2 – 1 | Lochhead, Radford | 20,000 |
| 11 April 1923 | Southampton | A | 0 – 0 | 5,500 | |
| 14 April 1923 | Leicester City | A | 1 – 0 | Bain | 25,000 |
| 21 April 1923 | Leicester City | H | 0 – 2 | 30,000 | |
| 28 April 1923 | Barnsley | A | 2 – 2 | Lochhead, Spence | 8,000 |
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Leicester City | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 65 | 44 | +21 | 51 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 48 |
| 5 | Blackpool | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 60 | 43 | +17 | 47 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
FA Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | ResultF – A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 January 1923 | First Round | Bradford City | A | 1 – 1 | Partridge | 27,000 |
| 17 January 1923 | First RoundReplay | Bradford City | H | 2 – 0 | Barber, Goldthorpe | 27,791 |
| 3 February 1923 | Second Round | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0 – 4 | 38,333 |