1969–70 Manchester United F.C. season
# 1969–70 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1969–70 season was Manchester United's 68th season in the Football League, and their 25th consecutive season in the top division of English football. Before the beginning of the season, on 4 June 1969, United manager Matt Busby stepped down as manager after 24 years as manager. McGuinness guided United to an eighth-place finish in his first season as manager, and they reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 August 1969 | Crystal Palace | A | 2 – 2 | Charlton, Morgan | 48,610 |
| 13 August 1969 | Everton | H | 0 – 2 | | 57,752 |
| 16 August 1969 | Southampton | H | 1 – 4 | Morgan | 46,328 |
| 19 August 1969 | Everton | A | 0 – 3 | | 53,185 |
| 23 August 1969 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 – 0 | | 50,783 |
| 27 August 1969 | Newcastle United | H | 0 – 0 | | 52,774 |
| 30 August 1969 | Sunderland | H | 3 – 1 | Best, Givens, Kidd | 50,570 |
| 6 September 1969 | Leeds United | A | 2 – 2 | Best (2) | 44,271 |
| 13 September 1969 | Liverpool | H | 1 – 0 | Morgan | 56,509 |
| 17 September 1969 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3 – 1 | Best (2), Kidd | 39,298 |
| 20 September 1969 | Arsenal | A | 2 – 2 | Best, Sadler | 59,498 |
| 27 September 1969 | West Ham United | H | 5 – 2 | Best (2), Burns, Charlton, Kidd | 58,579 |
| 4 October 1969 | Derby County | A | 0 – 2 | | 40,724 |
| 8 October 1969 | Southampton | A | 3 – 0 | Best, Burns, Kidd | 31,044 |
| 11 October 1969 | Ipswich Town | H | 2 – 1 | Best, Kidd | 52,281 |
| 18 October 1969 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1 – 1 | Best | 53,702 |
| 25 October 1969 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1 – 2 | Kidd | 45,120 |
| 1 November 1969 | Stoke City | H | 1 – 1 | Charlton | 53,406 |
| 8 November 1969 | Coventry City | A | 2 – 1 | Aston, Law | 43,446 |
| 15 November 1969 | Manchester City | A | 0 – 4 | | 63,013 |
| 22 November 1969 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3 – 1 | Charlton (2), Burns | 50,003 |
| 29 November 1969 | Burnley | A | 1 – 1 | Best | 23,770 |
| 6 December 1969 | Chelsea | H | 0 – 2 | | 49,344 |
| 13 December 1969 | Liverpool | A | 4 – 1 | Charlton, Morgan, Ure, own goal | 47,682 |
| 26 December 1969 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0 – 0 | | 50,806 |
| 27 December 1969 | Sunderland | A | 1 – 1 | Kidd | 36,504 |
| 10 January 1970 | Arsenal | H | 2 – 1 | Morgan, Sartori | 41,055 |
| 17 January 1970 | West Ham United | A | 0 – 0 | | 41,643 |
| 26 January 1970 | Leeds United | H | 2 – 2 | Kidd, Sadler | 59,879 |
| 31 January 1970 | Derby County | H | 1 – 0 | Charlton | 59,315 |
| 10 February 1970 | Ipswich Town | A | 1 – 0 | Kidd | 29,755 |
| 14 February 1970 | Crystal Palace | H | 1 – 1 | Kidd | 54,711 |
| 28 February 1970 | Stoke City | A | 2 – 2 | Morgan, Sartori | 38,917 |
| 17 March 1970 | Burnley | H | 3 – 3 | Best, Crerand, Law | 38,377 |
| 21 March 1970 | Chelsea | A | 1 – 2 | Morgan | 61,479 |
| 28 March 1970 | Manchester City | H | 1 – 2 | Kidd | 59,777 |
| 30 March 1970 | Coventry City | H | 1 – 1 | Kidd | 38,647 |
| 31 March 1970 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2 – 1 | Charlton, Gowling | 39,228 |
| 4 April 1970 | Newcastle United | A | 1 – 5 | Charlton | 43,094 |
| 8 April 1970 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 7 – 0 | Charlton (2), Fitzpatrick (2), Gowling (2), Best | 26,582 |
| 13 April 1970 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1 – 2 | Fitzpatrick | 41,808 |
| 15 April 1970 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2 – 2 | Best, Charlton | 36,649 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Everton (C) | 42 | 29 | 8 | 5 | 72 | 34 | 2.118 | 66 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Leeds United | 42 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 84 | 49 | 1.714 | 57 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 3 | Chelsea | 42 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 70 | 50 | 1.400 | 55 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 4 | Derby County | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 64 | 37 | 1.730 | 53 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
| 5 | Liverpool | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 65 | 42 | 1.548 | 51 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 6 | Coventry City | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 58 | 48 | 1.208 | 49 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 57 | 35 | 1.629 | 47 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 8 | Manchester United | 42 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 66 | 61 | 1.082 | 45 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
| 9 | Stoke City | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 56 | 52 | 1.077 | 45 | |
| 10 | Manchester City | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 55 | 48 | 1.146 | 43 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 54 | 55 | 0.982 | 43 | |
| 12 | Arsenal | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 51 | 49 | 1.041 | 42 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 55 | 57 | 0.965 | 40 | |
| 14 | Burnley | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 56 | 61 | 0.918 | 39 | |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 10 | 18 | 14 | 50 | 71 | 0.704 | 38 | |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 58 | 66 | 0.879 | 37 | |
| 17 | West Ham United | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 51 | 60 | 0.850 | 36 | |
| 18 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 40 | 63 | 0.635 | 31 | |
| 19 | Southampton | 42 | 6 | 17 | 19 | 46 | 67 | 0.687 | 29 | |
| 20 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 34 | 68 | 0.500 | 27 | |
| 21 | Sunderland (R) | 42 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 68 | 0.441 | 26 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Sheffield Wednesday (R) | 42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 40 | 71 | 0.563 | 25 | Relegation to the Second Division |

* ↑ Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1969–70 FA Cup winners.
* 1 2 Derby County and Manchester United qualified for the Watney Cup as the two teams with the most goals that hadn't already qualified for a European competition.
* ↑ Manchester City qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup winners.

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Huddersfield Town (C, P) | 42 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 68 | 37 | 1.838 | 60 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Blackpool (P) | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 56 | 45 | 1.244 | 53 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Leicester City | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 64 | 50 | 1.280 | 51 | |
| 4 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 55 | 45 | 1.222 | 50 | |
| 5 | Swindon Town | 42 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 57 | 47 | 1.213 | 50 | |
| 6 | Sheffield United | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 73 | 38 | 1.921 | 49 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
| 7 | Cardiff City | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 61 | 41 | 1.488 | 49 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 54 | 50 | 1.080 | 47 | |
| 9 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 66 | 57 | 1.158 | 45 | |
| 10 | Millwall | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 56 | 56 | 1.000 | 44 | |
| 11 | Norwich City | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 49 | 46 | 1.065 | 43 | |
| 12 | Carlisle United | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 58 | 56 | 1.036 | 41 | |
| 13 | Hull City | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 72 | 70 | 1.029 | 41 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
| 14 | Bristol City | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 54 | 50 | 1.080 | 39 | |
| 15 | Oxford United | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 35 | 42 | 0.833 | 39 | |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 54 | 61 | 0.885 | 36 | |
| 17 | Portsmouth | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 66 | 80 | 0.825 | 35 | |
| 18 | Birmingham City | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 51 | 78 | 0.654 | 33 | |
| 19 | Watford | 42 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 44 | 57 | 0.772 | 31 | |
| 20 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 7 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 76 | 0.461 | 31 | |
| 21 | Aston Villa (R) | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 36 | 62 | 0.581 | 29 | Relegation to the Third Division |
| 22 | Preston North End (R) | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 43 | 63 | 0.683 | 28 | Relegation to the Third Division |

* 1 2 Sheffield United and Hull City qualified for the Watney Cup as the two teams with the most goals that hadn't already qualified for promotion or a European competition.
* ↑ Cardiff City qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1969-70 Welsh Cup winners.

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 January 1970 | Round 3 | Ipswich Town | A | 1 – 0 | own goal | 29,552 |
| 24 January 1970 | Round 4 | Manchester City | H | 3 – 0 | Kidd (2), Morgan | 63,417 |
| 7 February 1970 | Round 5 | Northampton Town | A | 8 – 2 | Best (6), Kidd (2) | 21,771 |
| 21 February 1970 | Round 6 | Middlesbrough | A | 1 – 1 | Sartori | 40,000 |
| 25 February 1970 | Round 6 Replay | Middlesbrough | H | 2 – 1 | Charlton, Morgan | 63,418 |
| 14 March 1970 | Semi-Final | Leeds United | N | 0 – 0 | | 55,000 |
| 23 March 1970 | Semi-Final Replay | Leeds United | N | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) | | 62,500 |
| 26 March 1970 | Semi-Final Second Replay | Leeds United | N | 0 – 1 | | 56,000 |
| 10 April 1970 | Third Place Playoff | Watford | N | 2 – 0 | Kidd (2) | 15,105 |

## League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 September 1969 | Round 2 | Middlesbrough | H | 1 – 0 | Sadler | 38,939 |
| 23 September 1969 | Round 3 | Wrexham | H | 2 – 0 | Kidd, Best | 48,347 |
| 14 October 1969 | Round 4 | Burnley | A | 0 – 0 | | 27,959 |
| 20 October 1969 | Round 4 Replay | Burnley | H | 1 – 0 | Best | 50,275 |
| 12 November 1969 | Round 5 | Derby County | A | 0 – 0 | | 38,895 |
| 19 November 1969 | Round 5 Replay | Derby County | H | 1 – 0 | Kidd | 57,393 |
| 3 December 1969 | Semi Final First Leg | Manchester City | A | 1 – 2 | Charlton | 55,799 |
| 17 December 1969 | Semi Final Second Leg | Manchester City | H | 2 – 2 | Edwards, Law | 63,418 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Jimmy Rimmer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| GK | Alex Stepney | 37 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| DF | Shay Brennan | 8(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10(1) | 0 |
| DF | Francis Burns | 30(2) | 3 | 3(1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39(3) | 3 |
| DF | Tony Dunne | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| DF | Paul Edwards | 18(1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27(1) | 1 |
| DF | Bill Foulkes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Steve James | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | David Sadler | 40 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 3 |
| DF | Ian Ure | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| MF | John Aston, Jr. | 21(1) | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28(2) | 1 |
| MF | George Best | 37 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 53 | 23 |
| MF | Bobby Charlton | 40 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 14 |
| MF | Paddy Crerand | 25 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| MF | John Fitzpatrick | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 3 |
| MF | Willie Morgan | 35 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 49 | 9 |
| MF | Jimmy Ryan | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| MF | Carlo Sartori | 13(4) | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1(2) | 0 | 21(6) | 3 |
| MF | Nobby Stiles | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| FW | Don Givens | 4(4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5(4) | 1 |
| FW | Alan Gowling | 6(1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 6(2) | 3 |
| FW | Brian Kidd | 33(1) | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 48(1) | 20 |
| FW | Denis Law | 10(1) | 2 | 0(2) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13(3) | 3 |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 2 |
