Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby,
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
,
KCSGThe Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church...
(26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994) was a
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football player and manager, most noted for managing
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season. He is the longest serving manager in the history of Manchester United, ahead of
Sir Alex FergusonSir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE, popularly known as Sir Alex or Fergie is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986.Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren, before a highly successful...
, although the latter has overseen more matches as manager.
Before going into management, Busby was a player for two of Manchester United's greatest rivals,
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
and
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
. During his time at City, Busby played in three FA Cup Finals, winning one of them. After his playing career was interrupted by the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Busby was offered the job of assistant coach at Liverpool, but they were unwilling to give him the control over the team that he wanted and he took the vacant manager's job at Manchester United instead.
Early life
Born to Alexander and Nellie Busby in a two-roomed pitman's cottage in the mining village of Orbiston,
BellshillBellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, two miles north of Motherwell. Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area. The town has a population of 30,000 ....
,
North LanarkshireNorth Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the north east of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, Busby was raised a practising Roman Catholic of
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
n ancestry. When he was born, Busby's mother was told by the doctor "A footballer has come into this house today". Busby's father – a miner – was killed by a German sniper during the
First World WarWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
at the Battle of the Somme, while three of his uncles were killed in France with the
Cameron HighlandersThe Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
.
Busby would often accompany his father down into the coal pits, but his true aspiration was to become a professional footballer. His mother might have quashed those dreams when she applied to emigrate with Matt to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but he was granted a reprieve by the nine-month processing time. In the meantime, Busby got a full-time job as a collier and played football part-time for Stirlingshire side Denny Hibs. He had only played a few matches for Denny Hibs, but it was not long before he was signed up by a
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
side that was a couple of games away from regaining promotion to the
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
.
Club career
Aged 17, Busby signed for
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
on a one-year contract worth £5 per week on 11 February 1928, with the provision for him to leave at the end of the deal if he still wished to emigrate to the United States with his mother. He decided to stay and made his debut for City on 2 November 1929, more than 18 months after first signing for the Blues, when he played at
inside leftIn football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
in a 3–1 win at home to
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Football Club , also known as The Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who will play in the Football League Championship for the 2009–10 season, following relegation from the Premier League. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August...
in the
First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
. He made 11 more appearances for City that season, all at
inside forwardIn football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
, scoring five goals in the process.
During the
1930–31 seasonThe 1930-31 season was the 56th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:...
, City manager
Peter HodgePeter Hodge was a Scottish football manager.He had two spells in charge of Leicester City from 1919 to 1926 and again from 1932 to 1934. He is one of a long line of Scots to manage to club.-References:...
decided that Busby's talents could be better exploited from the half-back line, with Busby playing the right-half role. In his new position, Busby built up a reputation as an intelligent player and a finer passer of the ball. In 1930, Manchester United made an enquiry about signing Busby from their cross-town rivals, but they were unable to afford the £150 fee that City demanded. By the 1931–32 season, Busby was firmly established in the first team, missing just one match that season. Indeed, Busby and
Jackie BrayJohn Bray and was an English football player who played in the left half position. He won 6 caps for England between 1934 and 1937.-Playing career:...
became such fixtures at wing-half that club captain
Jimmy McMullanJimmy McMullan was a Scottish football player and manager. McMullan won 16 Scotland caps as a player at half-back and was part of the famous "Wembley Wizards" side of 1928....
had to move to forward to keep his place in the team. In the 1930s Manchester City performed strongly in the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
. They reached the semi-finals in 1932, and the final in
1933The 1933 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Manchester City at Wembley. Everton won 3–0, with goals from Jimmy Stein, Dixie Dean and James Dunn....
before finally winning the tournament in 1934. However, from the second half of the 1934–35 season, Busby's number 4 jersey was worn by Jack Percival with increasing regularity, and Busby was sold to
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
for
£The pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
8,000 on 12 March 1936, having made more than 200 appearances for Manchester City.
He made his debut for the Reds just two days later, on 14 March, away to
Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
; the match ended in a 1-0 Liverpool defeat. Busby opened his goalscoring account a month later – his 47th minute strike helped his team to a 2–2 draw with
Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.The club was established in 1875, becoming a founding member of The Football League in 1888. It is one of only three clubs to have been both a founder member of the Football League...
at
Ewood ParkEwood Park is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Road in the summer of 1890. The stadium opened in 1882...
. Busby soon made the number 4 shirt his own, ousting
Ted SavageRobert Edward "Ted" Savage was an English footballer who played at wing-half for Liverpool.-Life and playing career:Born in Louth, Lincolnshire, England, Savage played for Stewton F.C...
in the process. He rarely missed a game over the following three seasons. This consistency earned Busby the Liverpool captaincy and he led the club with great distinction. Along with Jimmy McDougall and
Tom BradshawTom Bradshaw was a Scottish international footballer of the 1920s and 1930s who played for Liverpool.-Life and playing career:...
, Busby made up what is considered by many to be the best half-back line Liverpool had ever had.
Bob PaisleyRobert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back who became best known for being the most successful manager in English football history whilst managing his only team Liverpool Football Club in the 1970s and 1980s...
joined Liverpool from Bishop Auckland in 1939, and it was Busby who took him under his wing and showed him the ropes at
AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England. Built in 1884, the stadium has been home to Liverpool F.C. since they were formed in 1892 as a result of the original tenants Everton F.C...
. This led to a lifelong friendship between two of the most successful managers in English football history. The
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
arrived soon after, and with it came an end to Busby's playing days. Like many of the Liverpool playing staff, he signed on for national service in the King's Liverpool Regiment.
Busby carried on playing football during the war, making three appearances for
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
. He also turned out for
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Football Club , also known as The Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who will play in the Football League Championship for the 2009–10 season, following relegation from the Premier League. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August...
,
ReadingReading Football Club is an association football club, based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire, who play in the The Championship. Formed in 1871 the club is one of the oldest teams in England, but did not join the Football League until 1920, and never played in the top tier of English...
,
BrentfordBrentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and
HibernianHibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their rivals Hearts, who Hibernian play in the Edinburgh derby...
.
International career
Busby only made one "official" international appearance for
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
; he played in a 3-2
British Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the...
defeat to
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales, the governing body for football in Wales and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team has not qualified for a major international...
at
Ninian ParkNinian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship. Cardiff City now play at the Cardiff City Stadium.-History:...
,
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
, on 4 October 1933. He also made seven appearances for Scotland against
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
during the Second World War, winning just one of them, but these are considered unofficial.
Arrival at Manchester United
During the Second World War, Busby served as a football coach in the Army Physical Training Corps, and the experience resulted in Liverpool offering him the job of assistant to their then-manager
George KayGeorge Kay was an English football player and manager of Luton Town, Southampton and Liverpool.The highlight of his playing career was when he captained West Ham United in the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years and...
. However, the experience also forged Busby's opinions about how football should be played and governed, and when it became clear that they differed from those of the Liverpool board, their chairman
Billy McConnell-Arrival in the UK:In 2004 Billy was invited to come to the UK by Yamaha to ride in British Superstock Cup. That was on the back of a 3rd place finish in the Australian Superstock Championship despite missing the last 3 rounds....
allowed Busby to pursue alternate employment.
After Manchester United had tried to sign Busby from Manchester City in 1930, he became good friends with United's fixer,
Louis RoccaLouis Rocca was an Italian-born Englishman who played a pivotal role in the development of Manchester United Football Club...
; their relationship was helped in part by the fact that both were members of the Manchester Catholic Sportsman's Club. United were in desperate need of a manager to take over from club secretary
Walter CrickmerWalter Crickmer was an English football club secretary and manager.He became Manchester United club secretary in 1926. He twice assumed managerial responsibility: from 1 April 1931 to 1 June 1932, and then again from 1 August 1944 to 1 February 1945.Together with club owner James W...
after the war and a board meeting was called in December 1944 so as to ascertain who that new manager might be. Knowing that Liverpool had already offered Busby a job, Rocca convinced the United board to "leave it to [him]" and immediately wrote a letter to Busby, addressed to his army regiment. The letter was vague, referring only to "a job", just in case it fell into the wrong hands, namely the Liverpool officials.
In February 1945, still in uniform, Busby turned up at Cornbrook Cold Storage, one of the United chairman
James W. GibsonJames William Gibson was a British businessman who was the owner of the English football club Manchester United from 1931 until his death in 1951.-Early life:...
's businesses at Trafford Park to discuss the contents of Rocca's letter with the chairman. Busby requested that he be directly involved in training, pick the team on matchdays and even choose the players to be bought and sold without interference from the club directors, who, he believed, did not know the game as well as he did. Such a level of control over the team was unprecedented in the English game, but the United chairman was in no position to argue. Busby was originally offered a three-year contract, but managed to secure himself a five-year deal after explaining that it would take at least that long for his revolution to have a tangible effect.
The contract was signed that day – 19 February 1945 – but it was not until 1 October that Busby officially took over the reins at Manchester United. In the interim, he returned to the Army Physical Training Corps, whose football team he took to
BariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy, in the spring of 1945. There, he took in a training session for a football team made up of
non-commissioned officerNon-commissioned officer , abbreviated to NCO or Non-com , is a term in many armed forces indicating leadership ranks less senior than commissioned officers...
s led by
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club , also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA, are an English professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands...
's former half-back Jimmy Murphy. Impressed by the Welshman's oratory skills, Busby engaged him in conversation and offered him the job of assistant manager at Manchester United, which Murphy accepted there and then.
The two men immediately put their mark on the side, leading them to the runners-up spot in the league, behind Busby's former employers Liverpool, by the end of the 1946-47 season. Manchester United were runners-up in the league in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951, and won the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
in 1948, before winning the league championship in 1952. By this stage, the side, captained by
Johnny CareyJohn Joseph "Johnny" Carey , also known as Jackie Carey, was an Irish footballer and manager. As a player Carey spent most of his career at Manchester United, where he was team captain from 1946 until he retired as a player in 1953...
, was beginning to show its age, and a new set of players had to be found. Busby, who had achieved a great deal of success in spite of his lack of previous managerial experience, was expected to spend large sums of money on high profile players. Instead, he gradually replaced the older players with players as young as 16 and 17. These included right-back
Bill FoulkesWilliam Anthony Foulkes was an English football player who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
, centre-halves
Mark JonesMark Jones may refer to:* Mark Jones * Mark Jones * Mark Jones , full back who played for Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Birmingham City and Hereford United...
and
Jackie BlanchflowerJohn "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
, wingers
Albert ScanlonAlbert Joseph Scanlon was an English football player. Scanlon came through the Manchester United youth system, making his debut for the club in 1954. Scanlon would help the club to two league titles...
and
David PeggDavid Pegg was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958...
and forward
Liam WhelanWilliam Augustine Whelan , also known as Billy Whelan or Liam Whelan, was an Irish footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who were killed in the Munich air disaster...
. Among them was
Duncan EdwardsDuncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team...
, judged by many to be England's finest player of his era, and capped by
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
at 18 – setting a record for the youngest-ever full international that remained unbroken for more than 40 years.
The Busby Babes and the Munich tragedy
During this period, the team picked up the affectionate nickname the
Busby BabesThe Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
, due to the youthfulness of many of the players he fielded. They won the league in both 1956 and 1957, and were runners-up to
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of Football League in 1888...
in the
1957 FA Cup FinalThe 1957 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 4 May 1957 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Aston Villa and Manchester United. Villa won 2-1, with both of their goals scored by Peter McParland...
. The young side was so successful that centre-forward
Tommy TaylorThomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
and goalkeeper
Harry GreggHarry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
were United's only major signings over a spell of four years.
Busby and his team began the
1957-58 seasonThe 1957-58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South...
full of ambition for an assault on the
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
title,
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
and
European CupThe European Champion Clubs' Cup, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League...
. On the way home from a European Cup tie against
Red Star BelgradeFudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is sometimes known worldwide by translations of its Serbian name. Red Star Belgrade are the only Serbian club to have become European and World Champions having won the 1991 European Cup and 1991 Intercontinental Cup...
on 6 February 1958, their plane
crashed on the runwayThe Munich air disaster took place on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby...
at Munich Airport. Seven players and three club officials were among the 23 people who were killed at the scene; Duncan Edwards died from his injuries two weeks later, while two other players were injured to such an extent that they never played football again. Busby suffered multiple injuries and twice received the
Last RitesLast Rites can refer to* Anointing of the Sick Note: The term "Last Rites" is not another sacrament in itself. It is not equivalent to the more commonly administered sacrament of "Anointing of the Sick", since the term "Last Rites" includes two other distinct sacraments: Penance and...
, but he recovered from his injuries and left hospital after two months. In the meantime, the team was managed by Jimmy Murphy, who had been taking charge of the
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international men's football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales, the governing body for football in Wales and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team has not qualified for a major international...
team at the time of the crash, and so was not present. Busby was present at a new-look United side's
FA Cup finalThe 1958 FA Cup Final was contested on 3 May 1958 by Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of almost 100,000. The referee was J. Sherlock. Bolton won 2–0, with a double by Nat Lofthouse, who scored the goals in the 3rd and 55th minutes...
defeat against
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....
at Wembley three months later, and resumed full managerial duties for the
following seasonThe 1958-59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...
.
Busby had been appointed as Scotland's temporary manager and took charge of the team for two games later that year against Wales and Northern Ireland, giving
Denis LawDenis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
his first cap.
The post-Munich side
After the crash, Busby built a new side around Munich survivors including
Harry GreggHarry Gregg, MBE is a Northern Irish former football player and manager.Harry started his career with Windsor Park Swifts, the reserve team of Linfield, before signing for his local club Coleraine. At the age of 18 he earned a move across the Irish Sea to Doncaster Rovers, before transferring to...
,
Bobby CharltonSir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and
Bill FoulkesWilliam Anthony Foulkes was an English football player who played for Manchester United in the Busby Babes teams of the 1950s, and also in the 1960s. His favoured position was centre back. For Manchester United, he played 679 games, third to Ryan Giggs and Sir Bobby Charlton, he also made 3...
. He also brought in players from other clubs - these included
David HerdDavid George Herd , is a Scottish former football player, the son of former Manchester City player Alec Herd and the nephew of Scottish international Sandy Herd...
,
Albert QuixallAlbert Quixall , was an English football player who played as an inside-forward.Quixall started his career with Sheffield Wednesday, signing as an amateur in 1948 and turning professional in 1950...
and
Denis LawDenis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
. By 1964, Busby had discovered an exciting young talent in the shape of
Northern IrishNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
forward
George BestGeorge Best was a Northern Irish professional football player, best known for his years with Manchester United. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
, rated by many as the finest footballer of the decade.
In 1963, Busby had successfully rebuilt United as he guided them to a 3-1 victory over
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , are an English professional football club based at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester. They play in the Football League Championship, having been promoted as champions from Football League One in the 2008–09 season.The club were founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse,...
in the
FA Cup finalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just The Cup Final is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the second best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the best attended...
. They were league champions in 1965 and again in 1967, with only a defeat on the final day of the
1967-68 seasonThe 1967-68 season the 88th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along with Sheffield...
stopping them from recording a rare championship hat-trick.
European glory and retirement
The biggest success of his career came on 29 May 1968 when the team won the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
. He retired as manager a year later but remained at the club as a director, handing over managerial duties to trainer and former player
Wilf McGuinnessWilfred "Wilf" McGuinness was an English football player and manager, who played twice for England. He is best known for taking over from Matt Busby as manager of Manchester United...
. When McGuinness was sacked in December 1970, Busby briefly returned to his managerial duties, but there was never any question of him returning as manager on a permanent basis. He carried on as a club director for 11 more years, before being made president in 1982.
Busby was awarded the
CBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1958 and was
knightA knight was a "gentleman soldier" or member of the warrior class of the Middle Ages in Europe. In other Indo-European languages, cognates of cavalier or rider are more prevalent suggesting a connection to the knight's mode of transport...
ed following the European Cup victory in 1968, before being made a Knight Commander of St Gregory by the Pope in 1972.
Later years and death
His testimonial was held at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in August 1991, in which a Manchester United side featuring a new generation of star players including
Mark HughesLeslie Mark Hughes , nicknamed Sparky, is a former Welsh international football player and currently manager of Manchester City...
and
Steve BruceStephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs...
took on a
Republic of Ireland XIThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in Association Football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Croke Park in Dublin....
. The result was a 1-1 draw.
Busby was mentioned, along with B.B. King and
Doris DayDoris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff , known by her stage name Doris Day, is an American singer and actress.With the versatility to sing, dance, and play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of America's biggest box-office stars. Day has 39 movies to her credit, even though she retired from films in...
, in the Beatles song,
Dig It, on the album
Let It Be, released in 1970.
He died of cancer, aged 84, in January 1994. He was buried in
Southern Cemetery, ManchesterSouthern Cemetery, Manchester is a large municipal cemetery in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Greater Manchester, England, three miles south of Manchester city centre: it was opened in 1879...
, alongside his wife Jean who had died in December 1988, at the age of 80. He is buried in grave space "Roman Catholic, Section G, Grave 997".
In 1999 in securing an incredible treble (Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup), Manchester United won the European cup on what would have been Sir Matt's 90th birthday. Then, in 2008, Manchester United won the Champions League again, 50 years after the Munich tragedy that almost killed Busby, and 40 years since his own triumph in Europe in 1968 where Busby's United defeated Benfica. The day after the 100th anniversary of Busby's birth, Manchester United played
BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
in the
2009 Champions League finalThe 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
but fell to the Spanish side 2-0. Busby was made an inaugural inductee of the
English Football Hall of FameThe English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Preston, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the top English footballing talents, and non-English players and managers who have become significant figures in the English leagues...
in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game.
Playing career
| Club |
Season |
League |
Cup |
Charity Shield |
Total |
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
|
1928–29 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1929–30 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:* After this season South Shields moved to Gateshead and became Gateshead F.C.-Third Division South:...
|
11 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
5 |
| 1930–31 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:Nelson lost their bid for re-election, and were replaced by Aldershot, who were placed in the Third Division South.-Third Division South:...
|
20 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
0 |
| 1931–32 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
41 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
46 |
1 |
| 1932–33 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
39 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
46 |
2 |
| 1933–34 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
39 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
47 |
4 |
| 1934–35 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
35 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
37 |
1 |
| 1935–36 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
19 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
1 |
| Total |
| 204 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 229 | 14 |
|---|
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
|
1935–36 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
11 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
| 1936–37 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
29 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
1 |
| 1937–38 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
33 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
36 |
0 |
| 1938–39 -First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
|
42 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
45 |
1 |
| Total |
| 115 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 3 |
|---|
| Career total |
| 319 | 14 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 351 | 17 |
|---|
Managerial career
| Team |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record |
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
|
ENG |
February 1945 |
June 1969 |
1120 |
565 |
263 |
292 |
2286 |
1536 |
50.45 |
Great BritainNo United Kingdom national football team currently exists as there are separate teams representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in football...
|
GBR |
July 1948 |
August 1948 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
11 |
50.00 |
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
|
SCO |
September 1958 |
December 1958 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
12 |
16.67 |
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
|
ENG |
December 1970 |
June 1971 |
21 |
11 |
3 |
7 |
38 |
30 |
52.38 |
| Total |
| 1151 | 579 | 268 | 304 | 2340 | 1589 | |
|---|
Manchester United
- First Division
The First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
(5): 1951–52-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points...
, 1955–56-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points-References:...
, 1956–57-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division North:-Third Division South:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points-References:...
, 1964–65-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division:-Fourth Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points-References:...
, 1966–67-First Division:-Second Division:-Third Division:-Fourth Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points-References:...
- FA Charity Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup, though this tradition was only established twenty years into the fixture's existence...
(5): 1952The 1952 FA Charity Shield was the 30th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match held between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1951–52 Football League, and Newcastle United, who had won the...
, 1956The 1956 FA Charity Shield was the 34th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match held between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1955–56 Football League, and Manchester City, who had won the...
, 1957The 1957 FA Charity Shield was the 35th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match held between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1956–57 Football League, and Aston Villa, who had won the...
, 1965The 1965 FA Charity Shield was the 43rd FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 14 August 1965 at Old Trafford, Manchester and contested by Manchester United, who had won the...
, 1967The 1967 FA Charity Shield was the 45th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match held between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1966–67 Football League, and Tottenham Hotspur, who had won...
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
(2): 1947–48The 1948 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and Blackpool at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. United, who hadn't appeared in an FA Cup Final for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley and one apiece from Stan Pearson and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell and Stan...
, 1962–63The 1963 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1962–63 FA Cup, the 82nd season of England's premier club football competition. The match was played at Wembley, London, on 25 May 1963 and contested by Manchester United and Leicester City. United won 3–1, with a goal from Denis Law and two from...
- European Cup
The UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
(1): 1967–68The 1968 European Cup Final was the 13th European Cup Final and the culmination of the 1967–68 European Cup, a club football tournament for the champions of European leagues. The match was held at Wembley Stadium, London, on 29 May 1968, between Manchester United of England and Benfica of Portugal...
External links