1958–59 Manchester United F.C. season
# 1958–59 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1958–59 season was Manchester United's 57th season in the Football League, and their 14th consecutive season in the top division of English football. It was the first season of a revamped United side which was being rebuilt following the Munich air disaster in the February of the previous season which had claimed the lives of eight players. The most notable addition to the squad for the new season as forward Albert Quixall, a pre-season signing from Sheffield Wednesday.

The season saw the retirement of centre-half Jackie Blanchflower as a result of the injuries he suffered in the Munich crash.

Munich crash survivor Bobby Charlton was United's top scorer this season with 29 league goals, while fellow survivor Albert Scanlon was also impressive with 16 goals from the left wing.

The new look United side finished second in the league this season.

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance | League position |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 August 1958 | Chelsea | H | 5 – 2 | Charlton (3), Dawson (2) | 52,382 | 5th |
| 27 August 1958 | Nottingham Forest | A | 3 – 0 | Charlton (2), Scanlon | 44,971 | 2nd |
| 30 August 1958 | Blackpool | A | 1 – 2 | Viollet | 26,719 | 6th |
| 3 September 1958 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1 – 1 | Charlton | 51,880 | 7th |
| 6 September 1958 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 6 – 1 | Charlton (2), Viollet (2), Scanlon, Webster | 65,187 | 2nd |
| 8 September 1958 | West Ham United | A | 2 – 3 | McGuinness, Webster | 35,672 | 5th |
| 13 September 1958 | Newcastle United | A | 1 – 1 | Charlton | 60,670 | 7th |
| 17 September 1958 | West Ham United | H | 4 – 1 | Scanlon (3), Webster | 53,276 | 7th |
| 20 September 1958 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2 – 2 | Webster (2) | 62,277 | 4th |
| 27 September 1958 | Manchester City | A | 1 – 1 | Charlton | 62,912 | 6th |
| 4 October 1958 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 – 4 | | 36,840 | 8th |
| 8 October 1958 | Preston North End | H | 0 – 2 | | 46,163 | 8th |
| 11 October 1958 | Arsenal | H | 1 – 1 | Viollet | 56,148 | 7th |
| 18 October 1958 | Everton | A | 2 – 3 | Cope (2) | 64,079 | 10th |
| 25 October 1958 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1 – 2 | Goodwin | 51,721 | 14th |
| 1 November 1958 | Leeds United | A | 2 – 1 | Goodwin, Scanlon | 48,574 | 12th |
| 8 November 1958 | Burnley | H | 1 – 3 | Quixall | 48,509 | 14th |
| 15 November 1958 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 3 – 6 | Dawson (2), Charlton | 33,358 | 15th |
| 22 November 1958 | Luton Town | H | 2 – 1 | Charlton, Viollet | 42,428 | 12th |
| 29 November 1958 | Birmingham City | A | 4 – 0 | Charlton (2), Bradley, Scanlon | 28,658 | 10th |
| 6 December 1958 | Leicester City | H | 4 – 1 | Charlton, Bradley, Scanlon, Viollet | 38,482 | 9th |
| 13 December 1958 | Preston North End | A | 4 – 3 | Charlton, Bradley, Scanlon, Viollet | 26,290 | 8th |
| 20 December 1958 | Chelsea | A | 3 – 2 | Charlton, Goodwin, own goal | 48,550 | 7th |
| 26 December 1958 | Aston Villa | H | 2 – 1 | Quixall, Viollet | 63,098 | 7th |
| 27 December 1958 | Aston Villa | A | 2 – 0 | Pearson, Viollet | 56,450 | 4th |
| 3 January 1959 | Blackpool | H | 3 – 1 | Charlton (2), Viollet | 61,961 | 3rd |
| 31 January 1959 | Newcastle United | H | 4 – 4 | Charlton, Quixall, Scanlon, Viollet | 49,008 | 4th |
| 7 February 1959 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 3 – 1 | Charlton (2), Scanlon | 48,401 | 3rd |
| 16 February 1959 | Manchester City | H | 4 – 1 | Bradley (2), Goodwin, Scanlon | 59,846 | 3rd |
| 21 February 1959 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2 – 1 | Charlton, Viollet | 62,794 | 2nd |
| 28 February 1959 | Arsenal | A | 2 – 3 | Bradley, Viollet | 67,162 | 3rd |
| 2 March 1959 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 3 – 1 | Bradley (2), Scanlon | 40,401 | 3rd |
| 7 March 1959 | Everton | H | 2 – 1 | Goodwin, Scanlon | 51,254 | 2nd |
| 14 March 1959 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 3 – 1 | Bradley, Scanlon, Viollet | 35,463 | 2nd |
| 21 March 1959 | Leeds United | H | 4 – 0 | Viollet (3), Charlton | 45,473 | 2nd |
| 27 March 1959 | Portsmouth | H | 6 – 1 | Charlton (2), Viollet (2), Bradley, own goal | 52,004 | 1st |
| 28 March 1959 | Burnley | A | 2 – 4 | Goodwin, Viollet | 44,577 | 2nd |
| 30 March 1959 | Portsmouth | A | 3 – 1 | Charlton (2), Bradley | 29,359 | 1st |
| 4 April 1959 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3 – 0 | Charlton, Scanlon, Viollet | 61,528 | 2nd |
| 11 April 1959 | Luton Town | A | 0 – 0 | | 27,025 | 2nd |
| 18 April 1959 | Birmingham City | H | 1 – 0 | Quixall | 43,006 | 2nd |
| 25 April 1959 | Leicester City | A | 1 – 2 | Bradley | 38,466 | 2nd |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (C) | 42 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 110 | 49 | 2.245 | 61 | Qualification for the European Cup preliminary round |
| 2 | Manchester United | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 103 | 66 | 1.561 | 55 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 88 | 68 | 1.294 | 50 | |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 79 | 66 | 1.197 | 50 | |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 88 | 68 | 1.294 | 49 | |
| 6 | West Ham United | 42 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 85 | 70 | 1.214 | 48 | |
| 7 | Burnley | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 81 | 70 | 1.157 | 48 | |
| 8 | Blackpool | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 66 | 49 | 1.347 | 47 | |
| 9 | Birmingham City | 42 | 20 | 6 | 16 | 84 | 68 | 1.235 | 46 | |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 76 | 70 | 1.086 | 44 | |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 80 | 80 | 1.000 | 41 | |
| 12 | Preston North End | 42 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 70 | 77 | 0.909 | 41 | |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 71 | 74 | 0.959 | 40 | |
| 14 | Chelsea | 42 | 18 | 4 | 20 | 77 | 98 | 0.786 | 40 | |
| 15 | Leeds United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 57 | 74 | 0.770 | 39 | |
| 16 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 71 | 87 | 0.816 | 38 | |
| 17 | Luton Town | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 68 | 71 | 0.958 | 37 | |
| 18 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 85 | 95 | 0.895 | 36 | |
| 19 | Leicester City | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 67 | 98 | 0.684 | 32 | |
| 20 | Manchester City | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 64 | 95 | 0.674 | 31 | |
| 21 | Aston Villa (R) | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 58 | 87 | 0.667 | 30 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Portsmouth (R) | 42 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 64 | 112 | 0.571 | 21 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 10 January 1959 | Round 3 | Norwich City | A | 0 – 3 | | 38,000 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Harry Gregg | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| GK | Ray Wood | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | Joe Carolan | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| FB | Bill Foulkes | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| FB | Ian Greaves | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| HB | Shay Brennan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| HB | Ronnie Cope | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| HB | Stan Crowther | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | Freddie Goodwin | 42 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 6 |
| HB | Bobby Harrop | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| HB | Wilf McGuinness | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| FW | Warren Bradley | 24 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 12 |
| FW | Bobby Charlton | 38 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 29 |
| FW | Alex Dawson | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| FW | Reg Hunter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Kenny Morgans | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Mark Pearson | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | Albert Quixall | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 4 |
| FW | Albert Scanlon | 42 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 16 |
| FW | Ernie Taylor | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Viollet | 37 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 21 |
| FW | Colin Webster | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
| – | Own goals | – | 2 | – | 0 | – | 2 |
