1956–57 season | |||
Chairman | Harold Hardman | ||
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Manager | Matt Busby | ||
First Division | 1st | ||
FA Cup | Runners-up | ||
Charity Shield | Winners | ||
European Cup | Semi-finals | ||
Top goalscorer |
League: Billy Whelan (26) All: Tommy Taylor (34) |
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Highest home attendance | 75,598 vs Borussia Dortmund (17 October 1956) | ||
Lowest home attendance | 20,357 vs West Bromwich Albion (29 April 1957) | ||
Average home league attendance | 48,679 | ||
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The 1956–57 season was Manchester United's 55th season in the Football League, and their 12th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
United retained their league title this season, which was also notable for being the breakthrough season of forward Bobby Charlton, who made his debut on 6 October 1956 in the league match against Charlton Athletic a few days before his 19th birthday and scored twice, making 17 appearances and scoring 12 goals that season and collecting a league title medal, his appearances mostly coming at the expense of Dennis Viollet. As Old Trafford didn't have floodlights installed at the time, United's first three European home games were played at Maine Road instead.United reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, where they were beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid. They also reached the FA Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in a game where they were handicapped by an injury to goalkeeper Ray Wood, meaning Jackie Blanchflower had to stand in for him in goal.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points