1967/68 – Manchester United | Manchester United News
1967/68 – Manchester United

Man Utd squad picture 1967/68
Manchester United 1967 squad picture

The 1967–68 season was one of the most successful seasons in Manchester United’s history, as the team beat Benfica 4–1 in the final of the 1967–68 European Cup to become the first English team to win the competition. The team was led by manager Matt Busby. Despite the European Cup success, United finished second in the First Division, two points behind local rival Manchester City after losing the last game of the season against Sunderland.

The 1967–68 season was a breakout year for midfielder George Best, who led the team with 28 goals in the First Division and 32 goals overall en route to winning the European Footballer of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards. Four other players scored double-digit goals during the campaign: Bobby Charlton (20), Brian Kidd (17), Denis Law (11), and John Aston, Jr. (10).

FA Charity Shield

On 12 August 1967, United and Tottenham Hotspur kicked off the season, playing for the 1967 FA Charity Shield at Old Trafford. Bobby Charlton scored two goals for United, while Denis Law scored their third. The match finished at 3–3, which meant that the two clubs shared the Shield, each holding it for six months.

Date Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
12 August 1967 Tottenham Hotspur H 3 – 3 Charlton (2), Law 54,106

Football League First Division

Date Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
19 August 1967 Everton A 1 – 3 Charlton 61,452
23 August 1967 Leeds United H 1 – 0 Charlton 53,016
26 August 1967 Leicester City H 1 – 1 Foulkes 51,256
2 September 1967 West Ham United A 3 – 1 Kidd, Ryan, Charlton 36,562
6 September 1967 Sunderland A 1 – 1 Kidd 51,527
9 September 1967 Burnley H 2 – 2 Burns, Crerand 55,809
16 September 1967 Sheffield Wednesday A 1 – 1 Best 47,274
23 September 1967 Tottenham Hotspur H 3 – 1 Best (2), Law 58,779
30 September 1967 Manchester City A 2 – 1 Charlton (2) 62,942
7 October 1967 Arsenal H 1 – 0 Aston 60,197
14 October 1967 Sheffield United A 3 – 0 Aston, Kidd, Law 29,170
25 October 1967 Coventry City H 4 – 0 Aston (2), Best, Charlton 54,253
28 October 1967 Nottingham Forest A 1 – 3 Best 49,946
4 November 1967 Stoke City H 1 – 0 Charlton 51,041
8 November 1967 Leeds United A 0 – 1 43,999
11 November 1967 Liverpool A 2 – 0 Best (2) 54,515
18 November 1967 Southampton H 3 – 2 Aston, Charlton, Kidd 48,732
25 November 1967 Chelsea A 1 – 1 Kidd 54,712
2 December 1967 West Bromwich Albion H 2 – 1 Best (2) 52,568
9 December 1967 Newcastle United A 2 – 2 Dunne, Kidd 48,639
16 December 1967 Everton H 3 – 1 Aston, Law, Sadler 60,736
23 December 1967 Leicester City A 2 – 2 Charlton, Law 40,104
26 December 1967 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 4 – 0 Best (2), Charlton, Kidd 63,450
30 December 1967 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 3 – 2 Aston, Charlton, Kidd 53,940
6 January 1968 West Ham United H 3 – 1 Aston, Best, Charlton 54,468
20 January 1968 Sheffield Wednesday H 4 – 2 Best (2), Charlton, Kidd 55,254
3 February 1968 Tottenham Hotspur A 2 – 1 Best, Charlton 57,790
17 February 1968 Burnley A 1 – 2 Best 31,965
24 February 1968 Arsenal H 2 – 0 Best (2), 46,417
2 March 1968 Chelsea H 1 – 3 Kidd 62,978
16 March 1968 Coventry City A 0 – 2 47,110
23 March 1968 Nottingham Forest H 3 – 0 Brennan, Burns, Herd 61,978
27 March 1968 Manchester City H 1 – 3 Best 63,004
30 March 1968 Stoke City A 4 – 2 Aston, Best, Gowling, Ryan 30,141
6 April 1968 Liverpool H 1 – 2 Best 63,059
12 April 1968 Fulham A 4 – 0 Best (2), Kidd, Law 40,152
13 April 1968 Southampton A 2 – 2 Best, Charlton 30,079
15 April 1968 Fulham H 3 – 0 Aston, Best, Charlton 60,465
20 April 1968 Sheffield United H 1 – 0 Law 55,033
27 April 1968 West Bromwich Albion A 3 – 6 Law (2), Kidd 43,412
4 May 1968 Newcastle United H 6 – 0 Best (3), Kidd (2), Sadler 59,976
11 May 1968 Sunderland H 1 – 2 Best 62,963
Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Manchester City 42 26 6 10 86 43 58
2 Manchester United 42 24 8 10 89 55 56
3 Liverpool 42 22 11 9 71 40 55

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
27 January 1968 Third Round Tottenham Hotspur H 2 – 2 Best, Charlton 63,500
31 January 1968 Third RoundReplay Tottenham Hotspur A 0 – 1 57,200

European Cup

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Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF – A Scorers Attendance
20 September 1967 First RoundFirst leg Hibernians H 4 – 0 Law (2), Sadler (2) 43,912
27 September 1967 First RoundSecond leg Hibernians A 0 – 0 25,000
15 November 1967 Second RoundFirst leg FK Sarajevo A 0 – 0 45,000
29 November 1967 Second RoundSecond leg FK Sarajevo H 2 – 1 Aston, Best 62,801
27 February 1968 Quarter-finalFirst leg Górnik Zabrze H 2 – 0 Kidd 63,456
13 March 1968 Quarter-finalSecond leg Górnik Zabrze A 0 – 1 105,000
24 April 1968 Semi-finalFirst leg Real Madrid H 1 – 0 Best 63,500
15 May 1968 Semi-finalSecond leg Real Madrid A 3 – 3 Foulkes, Sadler, Zoco (o.g.) 125,000
29 May 1968 Final Benfica N 4 – 1(a.e.t.) Charlton (2), Best, Kidd 100,000

European Cup Final 1968 Highlights

Squad statistics

Pos. Name First Division FA Cup European Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Jimmy Rimmer 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
GK Alex Stepney 41 0 2 0 9 0 1 0 53 0
FB Shay Brennan 13 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 17 1
FB Francis Burns 36 2 2 0 7 0 0 0 49 2
FB Tony Dunne 37 1 2 0 9 0 1 0 49 1
FB Frank Kopel 1(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1(1) 0
HB Pat Crerand 41 1 2 0 9 0 1 0 53 1
HB John Fitzpatrick 14(3) 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 18(3) 0
HB Bill Foulkes 24 1 0 0 6 1 1 0 31 2
HB David Sadler 40(1) 3 2 0 9 3 0 0 51(1) 6
HB Nobby Stiles 20 0 0 0 7 0 1 0 28 0
FW John Aston, Jr. 34(3) 11 2 0 6 1 1 0 43(3) 11
FW George Best 41 28 2 1 9 3 1 0 53 32
FW Bobby Charlton 41 15 2 1 9 2 1 2 53 20
FW Alan Gowling 4(1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4(1) 1
FW David Herd 6 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 8 1
FW Brian Kidd 38 15 2 0 9 2 1 0 50 17
FW Denis Law 23 7 1 0 3 2 1 1 28 10
FW Jimmy Ryan 7(1) 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 8(1) 2
Own goals 1 0 2 0 3