THE MATT BUSBY YEARS.
After the war ended, a man named Matt Busby, formally a player of Manchester City Liverpool joined the club in 1945 on a five year contract as manager. 25 years later he would still be managing the club successfully. Busby immediately made his mark on the club, Changes were made with an almost instant impact and results for the club. Matt teamed up with a wartime pal called Jimmy Murphy and together they made the club one of the best in football. The clubs aim was to start at the lower honors and work on that which they almost did in the first season after the war only to come second to Liverpool, this was the clubs highest placing in 36 years. Busby and the clubs first trophy came the following season by winning the 1948 FA Cup Final. With a new lease of life, the fans returned and the club dragged itself from debt. With a few more years of grooming the young players he had recruited, now known as the legendary ‘Babes’, it was in 1955/56 and 1956/57 that United lifted the Championship Trophy.
After what turned out to be the last game on English soil for the Busby Babes against Arsenal at Highbury, Man U set off to Europe to play against Red Star Belgrade, and winning. But on the way home after refueling in Munich, the celebrations were cut short, On 6 February 1958 the plane crashed killing a total of 22 people, some of which were Man U players – these were, Byrne, Colman, Jones, Pegg, Taylor, Geoff Bent and Liam Whelan, Duncan Edwards sadly died in hospital 15 days later. After which the whole English game went into mourning. As Busby suffered also in the crash with his injuries and fought back, so did the team, they reached the 1958 FA Cup final only to lose to Bolton Wanderers. They were runners up in the 1958/59 League Championship. After being robbed of so many great players in the disaster, Busby set about at the start of the 60’s to rebuild another team to take on the world. After a shaky start the team ended up being FA Cup winners in 1962/63. 62/63 was the season George Best was signed. Following season finished second in the title. 1964/65 Man U won the League Championship and reached the semi-finals of the European Fairs Cup and the FA Cup. 1966/67 Manchester United were crowned League Champions and the European Cup was theirs. The following season saw no trophies and at the end of a great achievement Sir Matt Busby retired in 1969.
