1947–48 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United

1947–48 season
Chairman	James W. Gibson
Manager	Matt Busby
Stadium	Maine Road
First Division	2nd
FA Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Jack Rowley (23) All: Jack Rowley (28)
Highest home attendance	81,962 vs Arsenal (17 January 1948)
Lowest home attendance	33,312 vs Charlton Athletic (7 February 1948)
Average home league attendance	54,484
Home colours Away colours
← 1946–47 1948–49 →

The 1947–48 season was Manchester United's 46th season in the Football League and third back in the First Division since their promotion from the Second Division in 1938. They finished the season second in the league but most significantly won the FA Cup with a 4-2 win over Blackpool in their first appearance at Wembley Stadium, ending the club's 37-year wait for a major trophy.

Pre-season and friendlies

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
12 May 1948	Bohemians Select XI	A	1 – 2	Mitten 32'	37,500
16 May 1948	Shelbourne Select XI	N	4 – 3	Buckle (2), Anderson, Leuty (o.g.)	25,000
19 May 1948	Linfield	A	3 – 2	Morris, Buckle, Rowley	30,000

First Division

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
23 August 1947	Middlesbrough	A	2 – 2	Rowley (2)	39,554
27 August 1947	Liverpool	H	2 – 0	Morris, Pearson	52,385
30 August 1947	Charlton Athletic	H	6 – 2	Rowley (4), Morris, Pearson	52,659
3 September 1947	Liverpool	A	2 – 2	Mitten, Pearson	48,081
6 September 1947	Arsenal	A	1 – 2	Morris	64,905
8 September 1947	Burnley	A	0 – 0		37,517
13 September 1947	Sheffield United	H	0 – 1		49,808
20 September 1947	Manchester City	A	0 – 0		71,364
27 September 1947	Preston North End	A	1 – 2	Morris	34,372
4 October 1947	Stoke City	H	1 – 1	Hanlon	45,745
11 October 1947	Grimsby Town	H	3 – 4	Mitten, Morris, Rowley	40,035
18 October 1947	Sunderland	A	0 – 1		37,148
25 October 1947	Aston Villa	H	2 – 0	Delaney, Rowley	47,078
1 November 1947	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	6 – 2	Morris (2), Pearson (2), Delaney, Mitten	44,309
8 November 1947	Huddersfield Town	H	4 – 4	Rowley (4)	59,772
15 November 1947	Derby County	A	1 – 1	Carey	32,990
22 November 1947	Everton	H	2 – 2	Cockburn, Morris	35,509
29 November 1947	Chelsea	A	4 – 0	Morris (3), Rowley	43,617
6 December 1947	Blackpool	H	1 – 1	Pearson	63,683
13 December 1947	Blackburn Rovers	A	1 – 1	Morris	22,784
20 December 1947	Middlesbrough	H	2 – 1	Pearson (2)	46,666
25 December 1947	Portsmouth	H	3 – 2	Morris (2), Rowley	42,776
27 December 1947	Portsmouth	A	3 – 1	Morris (2), Delaney	27,674
1 January 1948	Burnley	H	5 – 0	Rowley (3), Mitten (2)	59,838
3 January 1948	Charlton Athletic	A	2 – 1	Morris, Pearson	40,484
17 January 1948	Arsenal	H	1 – 1	Rowley	81,962
31 January 1948	Sheffield United	A	1 – 2	Rowley	45,189
14 February 1948	Preston North End	H	1 – 1	Delaney	61,765
21 February 1948	Stoke City	A	2 – 0	Buckle, Pearson	36,794
6 March 1948	Sunderland	H	3 – 1	Delaney, Mitten, Rowley	55,160
17 March 1948	Grimsby Town	A	1 – 1	Rowley	12,284
20 March 1948	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	3 – 2	Delaney, Mitten, Morris	50,667
22 March 1948	Aston Villa	A	1 – 0	Pearson	52,368
26 March 1948	Bolton Wanderers	H	0 – 2		71,623
27 March 1948	Huddersfield Town	A	2 – 0	Burke, Pearson	38,266
29 March 1948	Bolton Wanderers	A	1 – 0	Anderson	44,225
3 April 1948	Derby County	H	1 – 0	Pearson	49,609
7 April 1948	Manchester City	H	1 – 1	Rowley	71,690
10 April 1948	Everton	A	0 – 2		44,198
17 April 1948	Chelsea	H	5 – 0	Pearson (2), Delaney, Mitten, Rowley	43,225
28 April 1948	Blackpool	A	0 – 1		32,236
1 May 1948	Blackburn Rovers	H	4 – 1	Pearson (3), Delaney	44,439

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Arsenal	42	23	13	6	81	32	59
2	Manchester United	42	19	14	9	81	48	52
3	Burnley	42	20	12	10	56	43	52

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
10 January 1948	Third Round	Aston Villa	A	6 – 4	Morris (2), Pearson (2), Delaney, Rowley	58,683
24 January 1948	Fourth Round	Liverpool	H	3 – 0	Mitten, Morris, Rowley	74,000
7 February 1948	Fifth Round	Charlton Athletic	H	2 – 0	Mitten, Warner	33,312
28 February 1948	Sixth Round	Preston North End	H	4 – 2	Pearson (2), Mitten, Rowley	74,213
13 March 1948	Semi-Final	Derby County	N	3 – 1	Pearson (3)	60,000
24 April 1948	Final	Blackpool	N	4 – 2	Rowley (2), Anderson, Pearson	99,000

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Jack Crompton	37	0	6	0	43	0
GK	Berry Brown	3	0	0	0	3	0
GK	Jimmy Pegg	2	0	0	0	2	0
FB	John Aston, Sr.	42	0	6	0	52	0
FB	John Ball	1	0	0	0	1	0
FB	Johnny Carey	37	1	6	0	43	1
FB	Tommy Lowrie	2	0	0	0	2	0
FB	Sammy Lynn	3	0	0	0	3	0
FB	Joe Walton	6	0	0	0	6	0
FB	Harry Worrall	5	0	0	0	5	0
HB	Allenby Chilton	41	0	6	0	47	0
HB	Henry Cockburn	26	1	6	0	32	1
HB	Billy McGlen	13	0	0	0	13	0
HB	Jack Warner	15	0	1	1	16	1
FW	John Anderson	18	1	5	1	23	2
FW	Ted Buckle	3	1	0	0	3	1
FW	Ronnie Burke	6	1	0	0	6	1
FW	Laurie Cassidy	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Joe Dale	2	0	0	0	2	0
FW	Jimmy Delaney	36	8	6	1	42	9
FW	Jimmy Hanlon	8	1	0	0	8	1
FW	Charlie Mitten	38	8	6	3	44	11
FW	Johnny Morris	38	18	6	3	44	21
FW	Stan Pearson	40	18	6	8	46	26
FW	Jack Rowley	39	23	6	5	28	30
–	Own goals	–	0	–	0	–	0