1995/96 – Manchester United | Manchester United News
1995/96 – Manchester United

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The 1995–96 season was Manchester United‘s fourth season in the Premier League, and their 21st consecutive season in the top division of English football.

United finished the season by becoming the first English team to win the Double (league title and FA Cup) twice. Their triumph was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Alex Ferguson had sold experienced players Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis before the start of the season, and not made any major signings. Instead, he had drafted in young players like Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil.

Eric Cantona returned from a nine-month suspension at the beginning of October, and finished the season as the club’s top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions, the last one being the winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup Final. He also picked up a Premier League winner’s medal and the FWA Player of the Year award. The title had been sealed on the final day of the season with a 3–0 win at Bryan Robson‘s Middlesbrough.

Veteran defenders Steve Bruce and Paul Parker moved on at the end of the season, as did goalkeeper Tony Coton, who had only joined the club in January and never played a first team game. As the season drew to a close, speculation mounted that United would sign a world-class striker – possibly Alan Shearer – to partner Eric Cantona in the bid to bring the European Cup to Old Trafford.

The season also produced one of the most infamous moments in football shirt history, when United changed their kits at half-time during their away defeat to Southampton, with Alex Ferguson stating that it was because he felt the kit left players unable to spot each other on the pitch, as well as the fact that United had not won a single of their five games played wearing the kit.

Match worn shirts

9596erichome9596greymatchwornmanutd9596grey9596home

Pre-season and friendlies

Date Opponents H / A ResultF–A Scorers Attendance
31 July 1995 Selangor A 4–1 Bruce, Butt, Pallister, Sharpe 50,000
2 August 1995 Selangor A 2–0 Bruce, Scholes 20,000
7 August 1995 Birmingham City A 0–1 13,330
9 August 1995 Bradford City A 1–0 Keane 13,457
11 August 1995 Shelbourne A 2–2 Butt, Beckham 12,500
13 August 1995 East Fife A 4–0 Beckham (2), McClair, Sharpe 5,385
15 August 1995 Oldham Athletic A 2–0 Sharpe, Jobson (o.g.) 8,766
5 December 1995 International Select N 1–2 Scholes 22,000
12 December 1995 Celtic A 1–3 Scholes 37,306

FA Premier League

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Date Opponents H / A ResultF–A Scorers Attendance Leagueposition
19 August 1995 Aston Villa A 1–3 Beckham 84′ 34,655 19th
23 August 1995 West Ham United H 2–1 Scholes 50′, Keane 68′ 31,966 5th
26 August 1995 Wimbledon H 3–1 Keane (2) 28′, 80′, Cole 60′ 32,226 4th
28 August 1995 Blackburn Rovers A 2–1 Sharpe 46′, Beckham 67′ 29,843 2nd
9 September 1995 Everton A 3–2 Sharpe (2) 3′, 49′, Giggs 74′ 39,496 2nd
16 September 1995 Bolton Wanderers H 3–0 Scholes (2) 18′, 86′, Giggs 34′ 32,812 1st
23 September 1995 Sheffield Wednesday A 0–0 34,101 3rd
1 October 1995 Liverpool H 2–2 Butt 2′, Cantona 71′ (pen.) 34,934 3rd
14 October 1995 Manchester City H 1–0 Scholes 5′ 35,707 2nd
21 October 1995 Chelsea A 4–1 Scholes (2) 4′, 10′, Giggs 78′, McClair 85′ 31,019 2nd
28 October 1995 Middlesbrough H 2–0 Pallister 44′, Cole 88′ 36,580 2nd
4 November 1995 Arsenal A 0–1 38,317 2nd
18 November 1995 Southampton H 4–1 Giggs (2) 1′, 4′, Scholes 9′, Cole 69′ 39,301 2nd
22 November 1995 Coventry City A 4–0 Irwin 28′, McClair (2) 48′, 76′, Beckham 58′ 23,400 2nd
27 November 1995 Nottingham Forest A 1–1 Cantona 67′ (pen.) 29,263 2nd
2 December 1995 Chelsea H 1–1 Beckham 61′ 42,019 2nd
9 December 1995 Sheffield Wednesday H 2–2 Cantona (2) 18′, 84′ 41,849 2nd
17 December 1995 Liverpool A 0–2 40,546 2nd
24 December 1995 Leeds United A 1–3 Cole 30′ 39,801 2nd
27 December 1995 Newcastle United H 2–0 Cole 6′, Keane 53′ 42,024 2nd
30 December 1995 Queens Park Rangers H 2–1 Cole 45′, Giggs 52′ 41,890 2nd
1 January 1996 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–4 Cole 36′ 32,852 2nd
13 January 1996 Aston Villa H 0–0 42,667 3rd
22 January 1996 West Ham United A 1–0 Cantona 9′ 24,197 2nd
3 February 1996 Wimbledon A 4–2 Cole 41′, Perry 45′ (o.g.), Cantona (2) 71′, 81′ (pen.) 25,380 2nd
10 February 1996 Blackburn Rovers H 1–0 Sharpe 15′ 42,681 2nd
21 February 1996 Everton H 2–0 Keane 30′, Giggs 82′ 42,459 2nd
25 February 1996 Bolton Wanderers A 6–0 Beckham 5′, Bruce 15′, Cole 70′, Scholes (2) 76′, 79′, Butt 90′ 21,381 2nd
4 March 1996 Newcastle United A 1–0 Cantona 52′ 36,584 2nd
16 March 1996 Queens Park Rangers A 1–1 Cantona 90′ 18,817 2nd
20 March 1996 Arsenal H 1–0 Cantona 65′ 50,028 1st
24 March 1996 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–0 Cantona 51′ 50,157 1st
6 April 1996 Manchester City A 3–2 Cantona 7′ (pen.), Cole 42′, Giggs 78′ 29,668 1st
8 April 1996 Coventry City H 1–0 Cantona 47′ 50,332 1st
13 April 1996 Southampton A 1–3 Giggs 89′ 15,262 1st
17 April 1996 Leeds United H 1–0 Keane 72′ 48,382 1st
28 April 1996 Nottingham Forest H 5–0 Scholes 42′, Beckham (2) 45′, 55′, Giggs 70′, Cantona 90′ 53,926 1st
5 May 1996 Middlesbrough A 3–0 May 14′, Cole 54′, Giggs 81′ 29,921 1st
Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Manchester United 38 25 7 6 73 35 +38 82
2 Newcastle United 38 24 6 8 66 37 +29 78
3 Liverpool 38 20 11 7 70 34 +36 71

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

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF–A Scorers Attendance
6 January 1996 Round 3 Sunderland H 2–2 Butt 13′, Cantona 80′ 41,563
16 January 1996 Round 3Replay Sunderland A 2–1 Scholes 70′, Cole 90′ 21,378
27 January 1996 Round 4 Reading A 3–0 Giggs 37′, Parker 57′, Cantona 90′ 14,780
18 February 1996 Round 5 Manchester City H 2–1 Cantona 39′ (pen.), Sharpe 78′ 42,692
11 March 1996 Round 6 Southampton H 2–0 Cantona 49′, Sharpe 90′ 45,446
31 March 1996 Semi-final Chelsea N 2–1 Cole 55′, Beckham 59′ 38,421
11 May 1996 Final Liverpool N 1–0 Cantona 86′ 79,007

League Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF–A Scorers Attendance
20 September 1995 Round 2First leg York City H 0–3 29,049
3 October 1995 Round 2Second leg York City A 3–1 Scholes (2) 7′, 80′, Cooke 14′ 9,386

UEFA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A ResultF–A Scorers Attendance
12 September 1995 Round 2First leg Rotor Volgograd A 0–0 33,000
26 September 1995 Round 2Second leg Rotor Volgograd H 2–2 Scholes 60′, Schmeichel 89′ 29,724

Squad statistics

Manchester United 1995/96 squad team picture

No. Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK Peter Schmeichel 36 0 6 0 1 0 2 1 45 1
2 DF Paul Parker 5(1) 0 1(1) 1 1 0 0(1) 0 7(3) 1
3 DF Denis Irwin 31 1 6 0 1 0 1 0 39 1
4 DF Steve Bruce (c) 30 1 5 0 1(1) 0 2 0 38(1) 1
5 MF Lee Sharpe 21(10) 4 4(2) 2 2 0 2 0 36 6
6 DF Gary Pallister 21 1 3 0 2 0 2 0 28 1
7 FW Eric Cantona 30 14 7 5 1 0 0 0 38 19
9 MF Brian McClair 12(10) 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 13(10) 3
11 MF Ryan Giggs 30(3) 11 7 1 2 0 2 0 41(3) 12
12 DF David May 11(5) 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 13(5) 1
13 GK Tony Coton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 FW Graeme Tomlinson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 MF Roy Keane 29 6 7 0 0(1) 0 2 0 38(1) 6
17 FW Andy Cole 32(2) 11 7 2 1 0 1 0 42(2) 13
18 MF Simon Davies 1(5) 0 0 0 1 0 0(1) 0 2(6) 0
19 MF Nicky Butt 31(1) 2 7 1 0 0 2 0 40(1) 3
20 DF Gary Neville 30(1) 0 5(1) 0 1 0 1 0 37(2) 0
21 DF Pat McGibbon 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
22 MF Paul Scholes 16(10) 10 0(2) 1 1 2 1(1) 1 18(13) 14
23 DF Phil Neville 21(3) 0 6(1) 0 1(1) 0 1 0 29(5) 0
24 MF David Beckham 26(7) 7 3 1 2 0 2 0 33(7) 8
25 GK Kevin Pilkington 2(1) 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 4(1) 0
26 DF Chris Casper 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 MF Terry Cooke 1(3) 0 0 0 1(1) 1 0(1) 0 2(5) 1
29 MF Ben Thornley 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0
30 DF John O’Kane 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1(1) 0
31 DF William Prunier 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0