The 1981–82 season was Manchester United's 80th season in the Football League, and their 7th consecutive season in the top division of English football.
United had finished eighth in the league the previous season, with manager Dave Sexton being sacked after his four-year spell in charge had failed to deliver a major trophy. His successor was West Bromwich Albion manager Ron Atkinson. One of Atkinson's first moves as manager was to bolster the club's attack with the £950,000 signing of Frank Stapleton from Arsenal, while the previous season's top scorer Joe Jordan was sold to AC Milan. Atkinson retained the services of Garry Birtles, who had been a disappointment in his first season with United, scoring just once in his first 28 games. Birtles had a more successful second season at Old Trafford, finding the net 11 times.
In early October, he brought midfielder Bryan Robson to Old Trafford from his former club West Bromwich Albion for a British record fee of £1.5million. He also signed fellow Albion midfielder Remi Moses for £500,000. Long-serving Northern Ireland international, Sammy McIlroy, left the club after 13 years when he signed for Stoke City in February.
After constantly leading the league during the first half of the season, United finished the season third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup, while the league title went to Liverpool (who surged in the second half of the season after being mid table at Christmas) and Ipswich Town finished second. Late in the season came the debut of teenage forward Norman Whiteside, who at the age of 17 was selected for the Northern Ireland squad at the FIFA World Cup. He also scored for United on the last day of the league season in only his second senior appearance for the club.
First Division DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance29 August 1981Coventry CityA1–2Macari19,32931 August 1981Nottingham ForestH0–051,4965 September 1981Ipswich TownH1–2Stapleton45,55512 September 1981Aston VillaA1–1Stapleton37,66119 September 1981Swansea CityH1–0Birtles47,30922 September 1981MiddlesbroughA2–0Stapleton, Birtles19,89526 September 1981ArsenalA0–039,79530 September 1981Leeds UnitedH1–0Stapleton47,0193 October 1981Wolverhampton WanderersH5–0Stapleton, McIlroy (3), Birtles46,83710 October 1981Manchester CityA0–052,03717 October 1981Birmingham CityH1–1Coppell48,80021 October 1981MiddlesbroughH1–0Moses38,34224 October 1981LiverpoolA2–1Moran, Albiston41,43831 October 1981Notts CountyH2–1Birtles, Moses45,9287 November 1981SunderlandA5–1Moran, Robson, Stapleton (2), Birtles27,07021 November 1981Tottenham HotspurA1–3Birtles35,53428 November 1981Brighton & Hove AlbionH2–0Birtles, Stapleton41,9115 December 1981SouthamptonA2–3Stapleton, Robson24,4046 January 1982EvertonH1–1Stapleton40,45123 January 1982Stoke CityA3–0Coppell, Stapleton (pen.), Birtles19,79327 January 1982West Ham UnitedH1–0Macari41,29130 January 1982Swansea CityA0–224,1156 February 1982Aston VillaH4–1Moran (2), Robson, Coppell43,18413 February 1982Wolverhampton WanderersA1–0Birtles22,48120 February 1982ArsenalH0–043,83327 February 1982Manchester CityH1–1Moran57,8306 March 1982Birmingham CityA1–0Birtles19,63717 March 1982Coventry CityH0–134,49920 March 1982Notts CountyA3–1Coppell (2), Stapleton17,04827 March 1982SunderlandH0–040,7763 April 1982Leeds UnitedA0–030,9537 April 1982LiverpoolH0–148,37110 April 1982EvertonA3–3Coppell (2), Grimes29,30612 April 1982West Bromwich AlbionH1–0Moran38,71717 April 1982Tottenham HotspurH2–0Coppell (pen.), McGarvey50,72420 April 1982Ipswich TownA1–2Gidman25,74424 April 1982Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–0Wilkins20,7501 May 1982SouthamptonH1–0McGarvey40,0385 May 1982Nottingham ForestA1–0Stapleton18,4498 May 1982West Ham UnitedA1–1Moran26,33712 May 1982West Bromwich AlbionA3–0Robson, Birtles, Coppell19,70715 May 1982Stoke CityH2–0Robson, Whiteside43,072
FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance2 January 1982Round 3WatfordA0–126,104
League Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance7 October 1981Round 2First legTottenham HotspurA0–139,33328 October 1981Round 2Second legTottenham HotspurH0–155,890
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupMilk CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Gary Bailey3901020420GK Paddy Roche30000030DF Arthur Albiston4211020451DF Martin Buchan2701020300DF Mike Duxbury19(5)0000(1)019(6)0DF John Gidman36(1)1102039(1)1DF Gordon McQueen2100000210DF Kevin Moran3071020337DF Jimmy Nicholl0(1)000000(1)0MF Steve Coppell35(1)9002037(1)9MF Alan Davies10000010MF Ashley Grimes9(1)100009(1)1MF Lou Macari10(1)20(1)00010(2)2MF Sammy McIlroy1231010143MF Remi Moses20(1)2101022(1)2MF Bryan Robson3251020355MF Ray Wilkins4211020451FW Garry Birtles32(1)11102035(1)11FW Scott McGarvey10(6)2000010(6)2FW Frank Stapleton411310204413FW Norman Whiteside1(1)100001(1)1
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