The 1975–76 season was Manchester United‘s 73rd season in the Football League.
They finished the season third in the First Division (their highest placing since 1968 to qualify for the 1976–77 UEFA Cup, and also reached theFA Cup Final where they lost 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley.
In the space of little over a year, Tommy Docherty had transformed a club that was on its knees into one that arrived back in Division One on the crest of a wave, having breezed to the Second Division title the previous season. Ultimately it was United’s inexperience at the top level that would leave them just short of major honours. Nevertheless, they earned a reputation as ‘crowd pleasers’, with no less an authority than Bill Shankly describing them as “wonderful refreshing little boys…Tommy Docherty’s sitting on a fortune.”
United made the perfect start to the new season with two goals by Lou Macari giving them victory at Wolves. Three days later at Birmingham, with the score goalless, they lost keeper Alex Stepney to a freak injury – a dislocated jaw sustained while shouting orders at his defence. Brian Greenhoff took his place in goal, but United overcame the hurdle to secure a second successive 2-0 away win thanks to a Sammy McIlroy brace. United were rampant and a 5-1 win over Sheffield United in their opening home match left them sitting top of the League with a 100% record from three matches.
It was seven matches before United suffered their first defeat, an early David Webb goal giving QPR the points at Loftus Road, but this match was the precursor to a run of only one win in five, with away results becoming somewhat indifferent as United’s defensive shortcomings became increasingly apparent. By late November they had lost five times on their travels, but home form remained strong and their youthful exuberance continued to win them admirers wherever they went.
Before Christmas, extrovert winger Gordon Hill signed from Millwall for £70,000, and his arrival provided a shot in the arm as United embarked on a run of 24 matches in League and Cup with only one defeat. They ended the year in second place, level on points with leaders Liverpool, and had returned to the top of the table by the end of January, remaining title contenders until the final few matches. A 3-0 defeat at Ipswich at the start of April proved costly, and United’s challenge ended 11 days later when a goal by Stoke’s Alan Bloor inflicted their one and only home defeat of the season.
Further disappointment was to follow. Having reached the FA Cup final for the first time since 1963, United were overwhelming favourites to take the trophy against Second Division Southampton, but they surprisingly lost courtesy of an 83rd minute goal by Bobby Stokes.
First Division
Date | Opponents | H / A | ResultF–A | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 August 1975 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–0 | Macari (2) | 32,348 |
19 August 1975 | Birmingham City | A | 2–0 | McIlroy (2) | 33,177 |
23 August 1975 | Sheffield United | H | 5–1 | Pearson (2), Badger (o.g.), Daly, McIlroy | 55,948 |
27 August 1975 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | Pearson | 52,169 |
30 August 1975 | Stoke City | A | 1–0 | Dodd (o.g.) | 33,092 |
6 September 1975 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3–2 | Pratt (o.g.), Daly (2; 1 pen.) | 51,641 |
13 September 1975 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 29,237 | |
20 September 1975 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–0 | Houston | 50,513 |
24 September 1975 | Derby County | A | 1–2 | Daly | 33,187 |
27 September 1975 | Manchester City | A | 2–2 | McCreery, Macari | 46,931 |
4 October 1975 | Leicester City | H | 0–0 | 47,878 | |
11 October 1975 | Leeds United | A | 2–1 | McIlroy (2) | 40,264 |
18 October 1975 | Arsenal | H | 3–1 | Coppell (2), Pearson | 53,885 |
25 October 1975 | West Ham United | A | 1–2 | Macari | 38,601 |
1 November 1975 | Norwich City | H | 1–0 | Pearson | 50,587 |
8 November 1975 | Liverpool | A | 1–3 | Coppell | 49,137 |
15 November 1975 | Aston Villa | H | 2–0 | Coppell, McIlroy | 51,682 |
22 November 1975 | Arsenal | A | 1–3 | Pearson | 40,102 |
29 November 1975 | Newcastle United | H | 1–0 | Daly | 52,624 |
6 December 1975 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–0 | 32,454 | |
13 December 1975 | Sheffield United | A | 4–1 | Pearson (2), Hill, Macari | 31,741 |
20 December 1975 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | Hill | 44,269 |
23 December 1975 | Everton | A | 1–1 | Macari | 41,732 |
27 December 1975 | Burnley | H | 2–1 | McIlroy, Macari | 59,726 |
10 January 1976 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–1 | Hill, McIlroy | 58,312 |
17 January 1976 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–1 | Hill | 49,189 |
31 January 1976 | Birmingham City | H | 3–1 | Forsyth, Macari, McIlroy | 50,726 |
7 February 1976 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | Macari | 33,922 |
18 February 1976 | Liverpool | H | 0–0 | 59,709 | |
21 February 1976 | Aston Villa | A | 1–2 | Macari | 50,094 |
25 February 1976 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | Pearson | 59,632 |
28 February 1976 | West Ham United | H | 4–0 | Forsyth, Macari, McCreery, Pearson | 57,220 |
13 March 1976 | Leeds United | H | 3–2 | Houston, Pearson, Daly | 59,429 |
17 March 1976 | Norwich City | A | 1–1 | Hill | 27,782 |
20 March 1976 | Newcastle United | A | 4–3 | Pearson (2), Bird (o.g.), Howard (o.g.) | 41,427 |
27 March 1976 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–0 | Daly (pen.), McCreery, Hill | 58,527 |
10 April 1976 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–3 | 34,889 | |
17 April 1976 | Everton | H | 2–1 | Kenyon (o.g.), McCreery | 61,879 |
19 April 1976 | Burnley | A | 1–0 | Macari | 27,418 |
21 April 1976 | Stoke City | H | 0–1 | 53,879 | |
24 April 1976 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | Coyne | 31,053 |
4 May 1976 | Manchester City | H | 2–0 | Hill, McIlroy | 59,517 |
Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAvg | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 67 | 33 | 2.030 | 59 |
3 | Manchester United | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 42 | 1.619 | 56 |
4 | Derby County | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 75 | 58 | 1.293 | 53 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GAvg = Goal average; Pts = Points
FA Cup
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | ResultF–A | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 January 1976 | Round 3 | Oxford United | H | 2–1 | Daly (2; 2 pen.) | 41,082 |
24 January 1976 | Round 4 | Peterborough United | H | 3–1 | Forsyth, McIlroy, Hill | 56,352 |
14 February 1976 | Round 5 | Leicester City | A | 2–1 | Macari, Daly | 34,000 |
6 March 1976 | Round 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | Daly | 59,433 |
9 March 1976 | Round 6Replay | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 3–2 (aet) | Pearson, Greenhoff, McIlroy | 44,373 |
3 April 1976 | Semi-Final | Derby County | N | 2–0 | Hill (2) | 55,000 |
1 May 1976 | Final | Southampton | N | 0–1 | 100,000 |
League Cup
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | ResultF–A | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 September 1975 | Round 2 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | Macari, McIlroy | 25,286 |
22 September 1975 | Round 3 | Aston Villa | A | 2–1 | Macari, Coppell | 41,447 |
12 November 1975 | Round 4 | Manchester City | A | 0–4 | 50,182 |