# 1964–65 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1964–65 season was Manchester United's 63rd season in the Football League, and their 20th consecutive season in the top division of English football. They finished the season as league champions for the sixth time in their history, with teenage winger George Best making headlines by establishing himself in the first team and finding the net 10 times in the league and 14 times in all competitions, though Denis Law was once again the club's top goalscorer with 28 goals in the league and 39 in all competitions.

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 22 August 1964 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2 – 2 | Charlton, Law | 52,007 |
| 24 August 1964 | West Ham United | A | 1 – 3 | Law | 37,070 |
| 29 August 1964 | Leicester City | A | 2 – 2 | Law, Sadler | 32,373 |
| 2 September 1964 | West Ham United | H | 3 – 1 | Best, Connelly, Law | 45,123 |
| 5 September 1964 | Fulham | A | 1 – 2 | Connelly | 36,291 |
| 8 September 1964 | Everton | A | 3 – 3 | Connelly, Herd, Law | 63,024 |
| 12 September 1964 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3 – 0 | Herd (2), Connelly | 45,012 |
| 16 September 1964 | Everton | H | 2 – 1 | Best, Law | 49,968 |
| 19 September 1964 | Stoke City | A | 2 – 1 | Connelly, Herd | 40,031 |
| 26 September 1964 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4 – 1 | Crerand (2), Law (2) | 53,058 |
| 30 September 1964 | Chelsea | A | 2 – 0 | Best, Law | 60,769 |
| 3 October 1964 | Burnley | A | 0 – 0 | | 30,761 |
| 10 October 1964 | Sunderland | H | 1 – 0 | Herd | 48,577 |
| 17 October 1964 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 4 – 2 | Law (2), Herd, own goal | 26,763 |
| 24 October 1964 | Aston Villa | H | 7 – 0 | Law (4), Herd (2), Connelly | 35,807 |
| 31 October 1964 | Liverpool | A | 2 – 0 | Crerand, Herd | 52,402 |
| 7 November 1964 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1 – 0 | Herd | 50,178 |
| 14 November 1964 | Blackpool | A | 2 – 1 | Connelly, Herd | 31,129 |
| 21 November 1964 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 3 – 0 | Best, Connelly, Herd | 49,633 |
| 28 November 1964 | Arsenal | A | 3 – 2 | Law (2), Connelly | 59,627 |
| 5 December 1964 | Leeds United | H | 0 – 1 | | 53,374 |
| 12 December 1964 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1 – 1 | Law | 28,126 |
| 16 December 1964 | Birmingham City | H | 1 – 1 | Charlton | 25,721 |
| 26 December 1964 | Sheffield United | A | 1 – 0 | Best | 37,295 |
| 28 December 1964 | Sheffield United | H | 1 – 1 | Herd | 42,219 |
| 16 January 1965 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2 – 2 | Law (2) | 43,009 |
| 23 January 1965 | Stoke City | H | 1 – 1 | Law | 50,392 |
| 6 February 1965 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0 – 1 | | 58,639 |
| 13 February 1965 | Burnley | H | 3 – 2 | Best, Charlton, Herd | 38,865 |
| 24 February 1965 | Sunderland | A | 0 – 1 | | 51,336 |
| 27 February 1965 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 3 – 0 | Charlton (2), Connelly | 37,018 |
| 13 March 1965 | Chelsea | H | 4 – 0 | Herd (2), Best, Law | 56,261 |
| 15 March 1965 | Fulham | H | 4 – 1 | Connelly (2), Herd (2) | 45,402 |
| 20 March 1965 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0 – 1 | | 33,549 |
| 22 March 1965 | Blackpool | H | 2 – 0 | Law (2) | 42,318 |
| 3 April 1965 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 5 – 0 | Charlton (3), Connelly, Herd | 29,363 |
| 12 April 1965 | Leicester City | H | 1 – 0 | Herd | 34,114 |
| 17 April 1965 | Leeds United | A | 1 – 0 | Connelly | 52,368 |
| 19 April 1965 | Birmingham City | A | 4 – 2 | Best (2), Cantwell, Charlton | 28,907 |
| 24 April 1965 | Liverpool | H | 3 – 0 | Law (2), Connelly | 55,772 |
| 26 April 1965 | Arsenal | H | 3 – 1 | Law (2), Best | 51,625 |
| 28 April 1965 | Aston Villa | A | 1 – 2 | Charlton | 36,081 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Manchester United (C) | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 89 | 39 | 2.282 | 61 | Qualification for the European Cup preliminary round |
| 2 | Leeds United | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 83 | 52 | 1.596 | 61 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 3 | Chelsea | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 89 | 54 | 1.648 | 56 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 4 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 69 | 60 | 1.150 | 49 | Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round |
| 5 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 71 | 67 | 1.060 | 47 | |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 January 1965 | Round 3 | Chester City | H | 2 – 1 | Best, Kinsey | 40,000 |
| 30 January 1965 | Round 4 | Stoke City | A | 0 – 0 | | 53,009 |
| 3 February 1965 | Round 4 Replay | Stoke City | H | 1 – 0 | Herd | 50,814 |
| 20 February 1965 | Round 5 | Burnley | H | 2 – 1 | Crerand, Law | 54,000 |
| 10 March 1965 | Round 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 5 – 3 | Law (2), Best, Crerand, Herd | 53,581 |
| 27 March 1965 | Semi-final | Leeds United | N | 0 – 0 | | 65,000 |
| 31 March 1965 | Semi-final Replay | Leeds United | N | 0 – 1 | | 46,300 |

## Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 23 September 1964 | First round First leg | Djurgården | A | 1 – 1 | Herd | 6,537 |
| 27 October 1964 | First round Second leg | Djurgården | H | 6 – 1 | Law (3), Charlton (2), Best | 38,437 |
| 11 November 1964 | Second round First leg | Borussia Dortmund | A | 6 – 1 | Charlton (3), Best, Herd, Law | 25,000 |
| 2 December 1964 | Second round Second leg | Borussia Dortmund | H | 4 – 0 | Charlton (2), Connelly, Law | 31,896 |
| 20 January 1965 | Third round First leg | Everton | H | 1 – 1 | Connelly | 50,000 |
| 9 February 1965 | Third round Second leg | Everton | A | 2 – 1 | Connelly, Herd | 54,397 |
| 12 May 1965 | Quarter-final First leg | Strasbourg | A | 5 – 0 | Law (2), Charlton, Connelly, Herd | 30,000 |
| 19 May 1965 | Quarter-final Second leg | Strasbourg | H | 0 – 0 | | 34,188 |
| 31 May 1965 | Semi-final First leg | Ferencváros | H | 3 – 2 | Herd (2), Law | 39,902 |
| 6 June 1965 | Semi-final Second leg | Ferencváros | A | 0 – 1 | | 50,000 |
| 16 June 1965 | Semi-final Play-off | Ferencváros | A | 1 – 2 | Connelly | 60,000 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Pat Dunne | 37 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
| GK | David Gaskell | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FB | Shay Brennan | 42 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| FB | Noel Cantwell | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FB | Tony Dunne | 42 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| HB | Paddy Crerand | 39 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 57 | 5 |
| HB | John Fitzpatrick | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | Bill Foulkes | 42 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| HB | Maurice Setters | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| HB | Nobby Stiles | 41 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 59 | 0 |
| FW | John Aston, Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | George Best | 41 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 59 | 14 |
| FW | Bobby Charlton | 41 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 59 | 18 |
| FW | John Connelly | 42 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 60 | 20 |
| FW | David Herd | 37 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 55 | 28 |
| FW | Albert Kinsey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Denis Law | 36 | 28 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 52 | 39 |
| FW | Ian Moir | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | David Sadler | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 |