The 1973–74 season was Manchester United's 72nd season in the Football League, and their 29th consecutive season in the top division of English football. It was the first full season in charge for manager Tommy Docherty, who had been appointed the previous December following the dismissal of Frank O'Farrell. Only six seasons after winning the European Cup, United were relegated, meaning that they would be a Second Division club for the first time since 1938.
Having been persuaded to return to the team after walking out during the previous season, the troubled George Best briefly returned to the side, but played his last game for the club on New Year's Day, and his contract was cancelled the following season after more than a decade at Old Trafford.
Docherty took the unusual step of appointing goalkeeper Alex Stepney as the team's penalty taker. After 12 games, Stepney had converted two penalties, which made him the club's joint top scorer, a position he held for ten matches.
United began the season with two victories in their first three games, but then recorded only four wins in twenty League games between September and March. A late-season run of victories raised the prospect of survival, but United stumbled as the season drew to an end. On the last full day of the season, United could survive only by winning their home game against Manchester City and then their rearranged game at Stoke City, provided that points were dropped by other relegation candidates, all of which had only one game remaining. In the event, United lost both games whilst their rivals' results meant that they would have been relegated anyway.
The scorer of what proved to be the winning goal for Manchester City in United's penultimate game was former United player Denis Law, who scored with a back-heel in the 81st minute. He did not celebrate the goal, and was substituted shortly afterwards. The goal triggered a series of pitch invasions by Manchester United fans, perhaps hoping to get the match replayed, that forced the referee to abandon the game in the 85th minute. After a review, the Football League decided that the result should stand.
This was the season in which the Football League increased the number of relegation places from two to three, and it is sometimes incorrectly stated that by scoring that goal Law "relegated" United. In fact, it was Birmingham City's win over Norwich City and West Ham United's point against Liverpool that sealed United's fate, since, with a win still worth only two points, United could not have caught Birmingham and West Ham even if they had won their last two fixtures. However, City's victory and Southampton's win at Everton meant that United finished in 21st place, and would still have been relegated under the old system.
Already relegated, United then lost their last game of the season, against sixth-placed Stoke City.
In spite of the relegation to the Second Division, the club's directors decided not to sack Docherty, placing their confidence in him to restore the club's First Division status at the first attempt.
First Division DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance25 August 1973ArsenalA0–351,50129 August 1973Stoke CityH1–0James43,6141 September 1973Queens Park RangersH2–1Holton, McIlroy44,1565 September 1973Leicester CityA0–129,1528 September 1973Ipswich TownA1–2Anderson22,02312 September 1973Leicester CityH1–2Stepney (pen.)40,79315 September 1973West Ham UnitedH3–1Kidd (2), Storey-Moore44,75722 September 1973Leeds UnitedA0–047,05829 September 1973LiverpoolH0–053,8826 October 1973Wolverhampton WanderersA1–2McIlroy32,96213 October 1973Derby CountyH0–143,72420 October 1973Birmingham CityH1–0Stepney (pen.)48,93727 October 1973BurnleyA0–031,9763 November 1973ChelseaH2–2Greenhoff, Young48,03610 November 1973Tottenham HotspurA1–2Best42,75617 November 1973Newcastle UnitedA2–3Graham, Macari41,76824 November 1973Norwich CityH0–036,3388 December 1973SouthamptonH0–031,64815 December 1973Coventry CityH2–3Best, Morgan28,58922 December 1973LiverpoolA0–240,42026 December 1973Sheffield UnitedH1–2Macari38,65329 December 1973Ipswich TownH2–0Macari, McIlroy36,3651 January 1974Queens Park RangersA0–332,33912 January 1974West Ham UnitedA1–2McIlroy34,14719 January 1974ArsenalH1–1James38,5892 February 1974Coventry CityA0–125,3139 February 1974Leeds UnitedH0–260,02516 February 1974Derby CountyA2–2Greenhoff, Houston29,98723 February 1974Wolverhampton WanderersH0–039,2602 March 1974Sheffield UnitedA1–0Macari29,20313 March 1974Manchester CityA0–051,33116 March 1974Birmingham CityA0–137,76823 March 1974Tottenham HotspurH0–136,27830 March 1974ChelseaA3–1Daly, McIlroy, Morgan29,6023 April 1974BurnleyH3–3Forsyth, Holton, McIlroy33,3366 April 1974Norwich CityA2–0Greenhoff, Macari28,22313 April 1974Newcastle UnitedH1–0McCalliog44,75115 April 1974EvertonH3–0McCalliog (2), Houston48,42420 April 1974SouthamptonA1–1McCalliog30,78923 April 1974EvertonA0–146,09327 April 1974Manchester CityH0–156,99629 April 1974Stoke CityA0–127,392
FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance5 January 1974Round 3Plymouth ArgyleH1–0Macari31,81026 January 1974Round 4Ipswich TownH0–1 37,177
League Cup DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance8 October 1973Round 2MiddlesbroughH0–123,906
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Alex Stepney4222010452DF Martin Buchan4202010450DF Alex Forsyth18(1)1200020(1)0DF Brian Greenhoff3632010393DF Clive Griffiths70000070DF Jim Holton3422010372DF Stewart Houston2020000202DF Steve James2121010232DF David Sadler2(1)000002(1)0DF Arnie Sidebottom20000020DF Tony Young2912010321MF George Best1220000122MF Paul Bielby2(2)000002(2)0MF Gerry Daly14(2)1001015(2)1MF George Graham23(1)1101025(1)0MF Mick Martin12(4)0200014(4)0MF Jim McCalliog1140000114MF Sammy McIlroy24(5)61(1)00025(6)6FW Trevor Anderson11(1)1000011(1)1FW George Buchan0(3)0000(1)00(4)0FW Peter Fletcher2(3)000002(3)0FW Brian Kidd2121(1)01023(1)2FW Lou Macari34(1)5211037(1)6FW Willie Morgan4122010442FW Ian Storey-Moore21000021–Own goals–0–0–0–0
References