1931/32 – Manchester United | Manchester United News
1931/32 – Manchester United

Screen Shot 2014-09-22 at 21.19.09The 1931–32 season was Manchester United’s 36th season in the Football League.

The season saw Herbert Bamlett sacked as manager on 9 November 1931 after a dismal run of form in the league, and Walter Crickmer recruited as his successor on the same day. The following month, the club were on the brink of bankruptcy. Enter James Gibson.

A Salfordian by birth, Gibson was living in Old Trafford in 1911 and was aware of his ‘local’ football team, who had just moved into their new stadium in the district, although whether he was an active supporter at this time is not known. Unlike the wealthy Gibson, Manchester United F.C. was being affected greatly by the Great Depression around the start of the 1930s. They were developing a reputation as a “yo yo” club who regularly moved between the First and Second Divisions and their future was under threat by large debts.

By December 1931 United were on the brink of bankruptcy, with the banks refusing to give any further credit to the club. On 19 December Gibson met with Club secretary Walter Crickmer to discuss helping the club. Gibson gave a gift there and then of £2,000. That money was enough to pay the backlog of players’ wages, buy each member of staff a turkey for Christmas and keep the club afloat into the New Year.

United recovered well in the league after his appointment and finished 12th, banishing fears of a second successive relegation which would have pushed them into the Third Division North for the first time. At the end of the season Scott Duncan replaced Walter Crickmer as the full-time manager.

It was the start of this season which saw the introduction of what became known as the traditional United colours. Though they appeared to be more or less now set on a red shirt, a white collar was added and the socks were now black with red and white trim.

Second Division

Date Opponents H / A Result

F – A

Scorers Attendance
29 August 1931 Bradford Park Avenue A 1 – 3 Reid 16,239
2 September 1931 Southampton H 2 – 3 Ferguson, Johnston 3,507
5 September 1931 Swansea Town H 2 – 1 Hopkinson, Reid 6,763
7 September 1931 Stoke City A 0 – 3 10,518
12 September 1931 Tottenham Hotspur H 1 – 1 Johnston 9,557
16 September 1931 Stoke City H 1 – 1 Spence 5,025
19 September 1931 Nottingham Forest A 1 – 2 Gallimore 10,166
26 September 1931 Chesterfield H 3 – 1 Warburton (2),Johnston 10,834
3 October 1931 Burnley A 0 – 2 9,719
10 October 1931 Preston North End H 3 – 2 Gallimore, Johnston,Spence 8,496
17 October 1931 Barnsley A 0 – 0 4,052
24 October 1931 Notts County H 3 – 3 Gallimore, Mann,Spence 6,694
31 October 1931 Plymouth Argyle A 1 – 3 Johnston 22,555
7 November 1931 Leeds United H 2 – 5 Spence (2) 9,512
14 November 1931 Oldham Athletic A 5 – 1 Johnston (2), Spence(2), Mann 10,922
21 November 1931 Bury H 1 – 2 Spence 11,745
28 November 1931 Port Vale A 2 – 1 Spence (2) 6,955
5 December 1931 Millwall H 2 – 0 Gallimore, Spence 6,396
12 December 1931 Bradford City A 3 – 4 Spence (2), Johnston 13,215
19 December 1931 Bristol City H 0 – 1 4,697
25 December 1931 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 3 – 2 Hopkinson, Reid,Spence 33,123
26 December 1931 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0 – 7 37,207
2 January 1932 Bradford Park Avenue H 0 – 2 6,056
16 January 1932 Swansea Town A 1 – 3 Warburton 5,888
23 January 1932 Tottenham Hotspur A 1 – 4 Reid 19,139
30 January 1932 Nottingham Forest H 3 – 2 Reid (3) 11,152
6 February 1932 Chesterfield A 3 – 1 Reid (2), Spence 9,457
17 February 1932 Burnley H 5 – 1 Johnston (2), Ridding(2), Gallimore 11,036
20 February 1932 Preston North End A 0 – 0 13,353
27 February 1932 Barnsley H 3 – 0 Hopkinson (2),Gallimore 18,223
5 March 1932 Notts County A 2 – 1 Hopkinson, Reid 10,817
12 March 1932 Plymouth Argyle H 2 – 1 Spence (2) 24,827
19 March 1932 Leeds United A 4 – 1 Reid (2), Johnston,Ridding 13,644
25 March 1932 Charlton Athletic H 0 – 2 37,012
26 March 1932 Oldham Athletic H 5 – 1 Reid (3), Fitton,Spence 17,886
28 March 1932 Charlton Athletic A 0 – 1 16,256
2 April 1932 Bury A 0 – 0 12,592
9 April 1932 Port Vale H 2 – 0 Reid, Spence 10,916
16 April 1932 Millwall A 1 – 1 Reid 9,087
23 April 1932 Bradford City H 1 – 0 Fitton 17,765
30 April 1932 Bristol City A 1 – 2 Black 5,874
7 May 1932 Southampton A 1 – 1 Black 6,128
Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
11 Nottingham Forest 42 16 10 16 77 72 +5 42
12 Manchester United 42 17 8 17 85 86 –1 42
13 Preston North End 42 16 10 16 75 77 –2 42

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 Result

F – A

Scorers Attendance
9 January 1932 Round 3 Plymouth Argyle A 1 – 4 Reid 28,000