1970–71 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1970–71 season was Manchester United's 69th season in the Football League, and their 26th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] In a pre-season competition United participated in the Watney Cup, which was contested by the teams that had scored the most goals in each of the four divisions of the Football League the previous season who had not been promoted or admitted to one of the European competitions.[2]

Manchester United
1970–71 season
ChairmanLouis Edwards
ManagerWilf McGuinness
(until 29 December 1970)
Sir Matt Busby
(from 29 December 1970)
First Division8th
FA CupThird Round
League CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
George Best (18)

All:
George Best (21)
Highest home attendance59,523 vs Leeds United (15 August 1970)
Lowest home attendance32,068 vs Portsmouth (7 October 1970)
Average home league attendance45,028

On 29 December 1970, United manager Wilf McGuinness who struggled in his new post was replaced with Matt Busby who returned as United manager until the end of the season, guiding the club to an eighth-place finish in the league. Following speculation that the Celtic manager Jock Stein would take over during the close season of 1971, Leicester City manager Frank O'Farrell was given the United job.[3]

United's best chance of success came in the League Cup, but they were beaten by Third Division side Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

Watney Cup

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Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
1 August 1970 Round 1 Reading A 3–2 Charlton (2), P. Edwards 18,348
5 August 1970 Semi-final Hull City A 1–1 (a.e.t., 4–3 p.) Law 34,007
8 August 1970 Final Derby County A 1–4 Best 32,049

First Division

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Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
15 August 1970 Leeds United H 0–1 59,523
19 August 1970 Chelsea H 0–0 51,079
22 August 1970 Arsenal A 0–4 54,137
25 August 1970 Burnley A 2–0 Law (2) 29,442
29 August 1970 West Ham United H 1–1 Fitzpatrick 50,959
2 September 1970 Everton H 2–0 Best, Charlton 51,220
5 September 1970 Liverpool A 1–1 Kidd 52,542
12 September 1970 Coventry City H 2–0 Best, Charlton 48,912
19 September 1970 Ipswich Town A 0–4 27,776
26 September 1970 Blackpool H 1–1 Best 46,647
3 October 1970 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 2–3 Gowling, Kidd 38,629
10 October 1970 Crystal Palace H 0–1 42,969
17 October 1970 Leeds United A 2–2 Charlton, Fitzpatrick 50,169
24 October 1970 West Bromwich Albion H 2–1 Kidd, Law 43,278
31 October 1970 Newcastle United A 0–1 45,195
7 November 1970 Stoke City H 2–2 Law, Sadler 47,553
14 November 1970 Nottingham Forest A 2–1 Gowling, Sartori 36,384
21 November 1970 Southampton A 0–1 30,202
28 November 1970 Huddersfield Town H 1–1 Best 45,306
5 December 1970 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–2 Best, Law 55,693
12 December 1970 Manchester City H 1–4 Kidd 52,686
19 December 1970 Arsenal H 1–3 Sartori 33,182
26 December 1970 Derby County A 4–4 Law (2), Best, Kidd 34,068
9 January 1971 Chelsea A 2–1 Gowling, Morgan 53,482
16 January 1971 Burnley H 1–1 Aston 40,135
30 January 1971 Huddersfield Town A 2–1 Aston, Law 41,464
6 February 1971 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–1 Best, Morgan 48,965
20 February 1971 Southampton H 5–1 Gowling (4), Morgan 36,060
23 February 1971 Everton A 0–1 52,544
27 February 1971 Newcastle United H 1–0 Kidd 41,902
6 March 1971 West Bromwich Albion A 3–4 Aston, Best, Kidd 41,112
13 March 1971 Nottingham Forest H 2–0 Best, Law 40,473
20 March 1971 Stoke City A 2–1 Best (2) 40,005
3 April 1971 West Ham United A 1–2 Best 38,507
10 April 1971 Derby County H 1–2 Law 45,691
12 April 1971 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 Gowling 41,766
13 April 1971 Coventry City A 1–2 Best 33,849
17 April 1971 Crystal Palace A 5–3 Law (3), Best (2) 39,146
19 April 1971 Liverpool H 0–2 44,004
24 April 1971 Ipswich Town H 3–2 Charlton, Best, Kidd 33,566
1 May 1971 Blackpool A 1–1 Law 29,857
5 May 1971 Manchester City A 4–3 Best (2), Charlton, Law 43,626

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
6 Chelsea 42 18 15 9 52 42 1.238 51 Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[a]
7 Southampton 42 17 12 13 56 44 1.273 46 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
8 Manchester United 42 16 11 15 65 66 0.985 43 Qualification for the Watney Cup[b]
9 Derby County 42 16 10 16 56 54 1.037 42
10 Coventry City 42 16 10 16 37 38 0.974 42
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ^ Chelsea qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1970-71 European Cup Winners' Cup winners.
  2. ^ Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion qualified for the Watney Cup as the two teams with the most goals that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.

FA Cup

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Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
2 January 1971 Round 3 Middlesbrough H 0–0 47,924
5 January 1971 Round 3
Replay
Middlesbrough A 1–2 Best 41,000

League Cup

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Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
9 September 1970 Round 2 Aldershot A 3–1 Best, Kidd, Law 18,509
7 October 1970 Round 3 Portsmouth H 1–0 Charlton 32,068
28 October 1970 Round 4 Chelsea H 2–1 Charlton, Best 47,565
18 November 1970 Round 5 Crystal Palace H 4–2 Fitzpatrick, Kidd (2), Charlton 48,961
16 December 1970 Semi-final
First leg
Aston Villa H 1–1 Kidd 48,889
23 December 1970 Semi-final
Second leg
Aston Villa A 1–2 Kidd 63,000

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Jimmy Rimmer 20 0 2 0 6 0 28 0
GK   Alex Stepney 22 0 0 0 0 0 22 0
DF   Francis Burns 16(4) 0 0 0 1(1) 0 17(5) 0
DF   Ian Donald 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
DF   Tony Dunne 35 0 2 0 5 0 42 0
DF   Paul Edwards 29(1) 0 1 0 2 0 32(1) 0
DF   Steve James 13 0 0 0 3(1) 0 16(1) 0
DF   Tommy O'Neil 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF   David Sadler 32 1 2 0 5 0 39 1
DF   Ian Ure 13 0 1 0 3 0 17 0
DF   Willie Watson 8 0 0 0 2 0 10 0
DF   Tony Young 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0
MF   John Aston, Jr. 19(1) 3 0 0 3(1) 0 22(2) 3
MF   George Best 40 18 2 1 6 2 48 21
MF   Bobby Charlton 42 5 2 0 6 3 50 8
MF   Paddy Crerand 24 0 2 0 1 0 27 0
MF   John Fitzpatrick 35 2 2 0 6 1 43 3
MF   Willie Morgan 25 3 2 0 2 0 29 3
MF   Carlo Sartori 2(5) 2 0 0 1 0 3(5) 2
MF   Nobby Stiles 17 0 0 0 2 0 19 0
FW   Alan Gowling 17(3) 8 0(1) 0 1 0 18(4) 8
FW   Brian Kidd 24(1) 8 2 0 6 5 32(1) 13
FW   Denis Law 28 15 2 0 4 1 34 16
Own goals 0 0 0 0

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Manchester United Season 1970/71". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. ^ "United in the Watney Cup". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Managers – Frank O'Farrell". AboutManUtd.com. About ManUtd. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.