# 1916–17 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1916–17 season was Manchester United's second season in the non-competitive War League.
With the ongoing First World War, once again Manchester United played non-competitive war league football. In the principal tournament they contested the Lancashire Section, which was expanded to 16 teams to give a more complete 30-game season. In the subsidiary tournament they contested Group D of the Lancashire Section, with the groups reduced to four teams in size to complement the increased playing season of the Principal Tournament. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League.
On 8 August 1916, while fighting in France during the war, former United player Private Oscar Linkson went missing in the battle to seize Guillemont Station during the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered and he was recorded as missing presumed dead.
On 3 May 1917, Another United former player Sandy Turnbull was killed in France. Turnbull was killed in Arras while serving as a Lance Sergeant in the Eighth Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment of the British Army. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Arras memorial.

## Lancashire Section Principal Tournament

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers |
| 2 September 1916 | Port Vale | H | 2 – 2 | Woodcock (2) |
| 9 September 1916 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2 – 0 | Armstrong, O'Connell |
| 16 September 1916 | Preston North End | H | 2 – 1 | Woodcock (2) |
| 23 September 1916 | Burnley | A | 1 – 7 | Armstrong |
| 30 September 1916 | Blackpool | A | 2 – 2 | Woodcock (2) |
| 7 October 1916 | Liverpool | H | 0 – 0 | |
| 14 October 1916 | Stockport County | A | 0 – 1 | |
| 21 October 1916 | Bury | H | 3 – 1 | Armstrong (2), Own goal |
| 28 October 1916 | Stoke | A | 0 – 3 | |
| 4 November 1916 | Southport Central | H | 1 – 0 | Woodcock |
| 11 November 1916 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 2 – 1 | Anderson, Woodcock |
| 18 November 1916 | Manchester City | H | 2 – 1 | Anderson, Woodcock |
| 25 November 1916 | Everton | A | 2 – 3 | Anderson, Woodcock |
| 2 December 1916 | Rochdale | H | 1 – 1 | Anderson |
| 9 December 1916 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1 – 5 | Anderson |
| 23 December 1916 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3 – 2 | Anderson (2), Ogden |
| 30 December 1916 | Preston North End | A | 2 – 3 | Anderson, Woodcock |
| 6 January 1917 | Burnley | H | 3 – 1 | Anderson (2), Woodcock |
| 13 January 1917 | Blackpool | H | 3 – 2 | Woodcock (2), Crossley |
| 20 January 1917 | Liverpool | A | 3 – 3 | Anderson (3) |
| 27 January 1917 | Stockport County | H | 0 – 1 | |
| 3 February 1917 | Bury | A | 1 – 1 | Woodcock |
| 10 February 1917 | Stoke | H | 4 – 2 | Woodcock (2), Ellis, Robinson |
| 17 February 1917 | Southport Central | A | 1 – 0 | Ellis |
| 24 February 1917 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1 – 0 | Anderson |
| 3 March 1917 | Manchester City | A | 0 – 1 | |
| 10 March 1917 | Everton | H | 0 – 2 | |
| 17 March 1917 | Rochdale | A | 0 – 2 | |
| 24 March 1917 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 6 – 3 | Woodcock (3), Anderson (2), Hilditch |
| 6 April 1917 | Port Vale | A | 0 – 3 | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 6 | Burnley | 30 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 73 | 56 | 1.304 | 34 |
| 7 | Manchester United | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 48 | 54 | 0.889 | 32 |
| 8 | Rochdale | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 47 | 54 | 0.870 | 29 |

## Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament Group D

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers |
| 31 March 1917 | Stoke | A | 1 – 2 | Ellis |
| 7 April 1917 | Manchester City | H | 5 – 1 | Anderson (3), Woodcock (2) |
| 9 April 1917 | Port Vale | H | 5 – 1 | Anderson (3), Travis (2) |
| 14 April 1917 | Stoke | H | 1 – 0 | Woodcock |
| 21 April 1917 | Manchester City | A | 1 – 0 | Anderson |
| 28 April 1917 | Port Vale | A | 2 – 5 | McMenemy, Woodcock |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 1 | Manchester United | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 1.667 | 8 |
| 2 | Stoke | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 1.833 | 6 |
| 3 | Port Vale | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 0.750 | 5 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 0.273 | 5 |