Management And Manchester United

Here is another amazing fact for you all. In the 115 year history of Manchester United Football Club, there has only been 17 managers in charge of the first team. In a world, where aclub is becoming increasingly likely of going through 17 managers in 17 years, that is somewhat amazing! The roll of honour is as follows:

 

Name	Period
A. H. Albut	1892-1900
James West	1900-1903
J. Ernest Mangnall	1903-1912
John Bentley	1912-1914
Jack Robson	1914-1922
John Chapman	1921-1927
Lal Hilditch	1926-1927
Herbert Bamlett	1927-1931
Walter Crickmer	1931-1932 & 1937-1945
Scott Duncan	1932-1937
Sir Matt Busby	1945-1969 & 1970-1971
Wilf McGuinness	1969-1970
Frank O’Farrell	1971-1972
Tommy Docherty	1972-1977
Dave Sexton	1977-1981
Ron Atkinson	1981-1986
Sir Alex Ferguson	1986—

As you can see, Alex Ferguson is fast approaching the benchmark that Sir Matt Busby has set. Busby was in charge for 26 years, with a break of a year and made the club what it is, but Ferguson is taking it to the next level. In 2012, if he is still in charge, he will become the longest reigning manager in the history of the club.

 

 

Alex Ferguson, Matt Busby, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt BusbyRelated Posts:
Manchester United Legends : Sir Bobby Charlton
Rolling Back the Years

Manchester United Legends : Sir Matt Busby

Sir Matt Busby, a name renowned in United folklore, is the man credited with making the name Manchester United world famous. It is on his legendary foundations that Sir Alex Ferguson was able to build the fantastic footballing outfit of the present and if were not for Busby, things would have been a whole lot different right now.

His playing career started at United’s bitter rivals Manchester City from 1929 to 1936 and for Liverpool from 1936 to 1939. His playing career was cut short by the outbreak of war, in which he served in the Army Physical Training Corps. In 1945 at the young age of 36, he was offered a job on the coaching staff at Anfield. Luckily he turned it down and accepted the post as manager of Manchester United. It was a daunting task as the club were in disarray. Old Trafford had been heavily damaged in the blitz of World War 2 and the team was poor, 14th in Division One and had achieved little success in the previous 15 years.

Busby set about changing that. The Scotsman believed in attacking free-flowing football, he wanted his teams to not only be successful but to excite the crowd as well. This approach would form the basis of United’s playing style through to the present day. The team played at Maine Road for his first 3 years as Old Trafford had been bombed out in the war. While the stadium was being rebuilt so was the team for in 1947 a large youth policy was organised and the scouting system was expanded and reorganised. By skilful planning and wise buying Busby created a team that made it to the 1948 FA Cup Final and defeated Blackpool 4-2.

Following the 1952 season’s success Busby felt his team had lost its edge, the fire and flair had gone. To remedy this he made a drastic and famous decision by replacing most of his first team players with bright exciting young players: the legendary Busby Babes were born. Unfortunately, the dreaded disaster struck soon and after returning home from a European game against Red Star Belgrade in 1958 the team plane crashed on a Munich airfield killing many of the aircraft’s passengers, including eight of the players and severely injuring Busby. The team that were champions of England for the past two season had been almost entirely wiped out.

Busby, although, recovered from his injuries and set about creating the third great and greatest of all sides. The one that would do what his babes never did. Again his youth policy was established and United uncovered the talents of Stiles, Brennan, Kidd and the genial George Best. Together with Munich survivor Bobby Charlton, signings Crerand and Denis Law, United were soon back at the top winning the FA Cup in 1963 and two League titles in 1965 and 67. Playing as the babes before, with style, genius, flair and attacking brilliance, the 60s United of Charlton, Best and Law captured a whole new legion of fans and the imagination of football fans the world over.

The 1967 win gave Busby probably one last crack at his “holy grail” and on May 29th 1968, the greatest of his three United sides won the European Cup defeating Benfica 4-1. The entire nation was behind United on that night, people wanted them to win it for those lost in Munich. This was Busby’s greatest achievement, the first English side to win the trophy, so exorcising the ghosts of Munich, now Manchester United had become a national institution.

Busby was knighted in 1968 and having achieved his goal, retired from Manchester United as manager in 1969. Sir Matt was always going to be a hard act to follow. His immediate successors were always in his shadow and simply could not live up to the high standards he set. On the 20th January 1994 Busby died aged 85, but he lived long enough to see the red empire he created in safe hands. He had taken great pleasure in presiding over Ferguson’s revival in which United played with the style and flair he had loved in his own teams. United were the best in the land once again and 5 years later, on his birthday in 1999 they would better his achievement of 1968 and win the Treble of European Cup, FA Cup and Premier League title!

Manchester United, Sir Matt BusbyRelated Posts:
The Darkest Day In Football
Manchester United Legends : Duncan Edwards
Manchester United Desktop Wallpaper
Manchester United Legends : Bill Foulkes
Management And Manchester United
Manchester United Legends : Sir Bobby Charlton