Matt Busby

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Sir Matt Busby
Personal information
Full name Sir Alexander Matthew Busby
Date of birth May 26, 1909
Place of birth    Orbiston (now part of Bellshill), Scotland
Date of death    January 20, 1994 (aged 84)
Nickname Sir Matt
Playing position Inside-Forward, Right-half, Manager
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1929-1936
1936-1940		 Manchester City
Liverpool		 226 (14)
118 (3)   
Teams managed
1945-1969
1970-1971		 Manchester United
Manchester United

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)
Statue of Sir Matt Busby
Statue of Sir Matt Busby

Sir Alexander Matthew Busby, CBE (26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994) was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for his management of Manchester United F.C. during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Serving as manager of the club from 1945-1969 and again for the 1970-1971 season, he is longest serving manager in the history of Manchester United, ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Contents

[edit] Career

Born in a two-roomed pitman’s cottage in the mining village of Orbiston (now part of Bellshill), North Lanarkshire; he was raised a practising Roman Catholic. His family was also of Askenazic Jewish origin. The young Busby was no stranger to loss. His father and all his uncles were killed in World War I.

As a player, Busby began his career at Manchester City where he won an FA Cup Winner's medal in 1934, this following the cup runners-up medal he got the season before. Liverpool manager George Patterson then signed Busby for £8000 in the March of 1936. He made his debut for the Reds on 14 March away to Huddersfield, a game that ended in a 1-0 defeat for Liverpool. He opened his account a month later, his 47th minute strike helped his team to a 2-2 draw with Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Busby soon made the number 4 shirt his own, ousting Robert James Savage in the process. He rarely missed a game over the following three seasons. This consistency earned Busby the Liverpool captaincy and he lead the club with great distinction.

Busby started out as an inside-forward but was switched to the right-half berth early in his career. This turned out to be a wise move as Busby's graceful and stylish play, along with his outstanding passing ability made him a cut above the rest. Busby, along with Jimmy McDougall and Tom Bradshaw made up what is considered by many to be the best half-back line Liverpool had ever had.[citation needed]

Soon after Bob Paisley joined Liverpool from Bishop Auckland and it was Busby who took him under his wing and showed him the ropes at Anfield. This led to a lifelong friendship between two of the most successful managers in English football history.

The Second World War brought an end to Busby's playing days. It is thought that he could have gone on to make over three hundred appearances for the Liverpool. Busby, like many of the playing staff, signed on for national service in the King's Liverpool Regiment.

Busby carried on playing during the World War ll making three war-time appearances for Chelsea. He also turned out for Middlesbrough, Reading, Brentford, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and Hibs.

Busby made his first 'official' international appearance for Scotland on 4th October 1933 at Ninian Park, Cardiff in a 3-2 British Championship defeat to Wales. He also made 7 'unofficial' appearances for the Scotland during the war.

After peace was declared in 1945, the 36 year-old Busby was offered a job on the coaching staff at Anfield, however Busby had already shaken hands on a deal that would make him Manchester United manager, a deal he refused to break. Billy McConnell, the Liverpool Chairman at the time, eventually persuaded the board of directors at Anfield to let Busby leave.

Busby took over the reins at Manchester United at the beginning of October 1946. He immediately put his mark on the side leading them to the runners-up spot in the league, behind his former employers Liverpool, by the end of the 46/47 season. Manchester United were runners-up in the league in 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1951 before finally winning the championship in 1952. This success was all the more surprising considering Busby had had no experience in managing a club beforehand.

During this period, the team picked up the affectionate nickname the Busby Babes, due to the youthfulness of some of the players he signed. Notable members of the team at this time included Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards. They won the league in both 1956 and 1957, and were FA Cup finalists in 1957.

In 1958, tragedy struck the Busby Babes as the Munich air disaster took the lives of eight members of the team. Busby himself was severely injured and was twice read the last rites.

Busby had been appointed as manager of Scotland in January 1958 for the World Cup that summer in Sweden, but Trainer Dawson Walker was forced to take over. Busby did take charge of the team for two games later that year against Wales and Northern Ireland, giving Denis Law his first cap. He resigned in December.

In the 1960s, Busby rebuilt the Manchester United team, with famous players including Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, and George Best. The biggest success of his career came in 1968 when the team won the European Cup. He retired as manager in 1969, returning to manage the team for the 1970-1971 season, replacing Wilf McGuinness, and remained at the club as a director until 1982, when he became president of the club.

Busby was awarded the CBE in 1958 and was knighted following the European Cup victory in 1968. He died in January 1994, at the age of 84, as a result of cancer. Busby was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game.

[edit] Trivia

He is mentioned in the Beatles song "Dig It".

During a census, when asked for his occupation, he replied "footballer". The census-taker, misinterpreting his accent, wrote "fruit boiler."

[edit] Statistics

Club Performance
Club Season League FA Cup --------- --------- Others Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Liverpool FC 1939/40 3 0 0 0 - - - - 0 0 3 0
1938/39 42 1 3 0 - - - - 0 0 45 1
1937/38 33 0 3 0 - - - - 0 0 36 0
1936/37 29 1 1 0 - - - - 0 0 30 1
1935/36 11 1 0 0 - - - - 0 0 11 1
Total 118 3 7 0 - - - - 0 0 125 3

[edit] Managerial stats

Team Nat From To Record
G W L D Win %
Manchester United Flag of England February 1, 1945 June 8, 1969 1138 570 300 268 50.08
Manchester United Flag of England December 28, 1970 June 2, 1971 21 11 7 3 52.38

[edit] Career details

As a Player

  • Manchester City FC (1929 - 1936) - ? appearances, ? goals - F.A Cup winners medal (1934), F.A Cup runners-up medal (1933)
  • Liverpool FC (1936 - 1939) - 125 appearances, 3 goals
  • Scotland (1933) 1 cap

Honours As Manager

Manchester United FC (1946 - 1969,1970 - 1971):

[edit] External links


Preceded by
Jock Stein		 European Cup Winning Coach
1967-68		 Succeeded by
Nereo Rocco
Preceded by
Walter Crickmer		 Manchester United F.C. manager
1945-1969		 Succeeded by
Wilf McGuinness
Preceded by
Dawson Walker		 Scotland national football team manager
1958		 Succeeded by
Andy Beattie
Preceded by
Wilf McGuinness		 Manchester United F.C. manager
1970-1971		 Succeeded by
Frank O'Farrell


Manchester United F.C. - Managers
Albut (1892-1900) | West (1900-03) | Mangnall (1903-12) | Bentley (1912-14) | Robson (1914-22) | Chapman (1921-27) | Hilditch (1926-27) | Bamlett (1927-31) | Crickmer (1931-32) | Duncan (1932-37) | Crickmer (1937-45) | Busby (1945-69) | McGuinness (1969-70) | Busby (1970-71) | O'Farrell (1971-72) | Docherty (1972-77) | Sexton (1977-81) | Atkinson (1981-86) | Ferguson (1986-)
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