# 1983–84 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1983–84 season was Manchester United's 82nd season in the Football League, and their 9th consecutive season in the top division of English football. As FA Cup holders they suffered a shock exit at the hands of Third Division underdogs Bournemouth in the third round, but did reach the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup and were narrowly defeated by Juventus. They frequently led the league during the season but eventually finish fourth, having been held to a draw in 14 out of 42 games despite losing just eight times. Perhaps the most memorable game of the season was the European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final clash with Barcelona of Spain, a side featuring Diego Maradona. After going 2–0 down in the first leg, United achieved a remarkable 3–0 win in the return leg at Old Trafford.
It was the breakthrough season at the club for young striker Mark Hughes, who scored four times late in the season, and the final season at the club for midfielder Ray Wilkins who exited Old Trafford at the end of the campaign to sign for Milan. Captain Bryan Robson stayed at the club despite an attempt to sign him by Italian side Juventus.
The close season saw the arrival of wingers Gordon Strachan and Jesper Olsen and the departure of Lou Macari to Swindon Town.

## Pre-season

United competed in the 1983 Amsterdam Tournament.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 12 August 1983 | Semi-final | Feyenoord | N | 1–2 | Stapleton 44' | |
| 14 August 1983 | Third-place playoff | Ajax | A | 0–1 | | |

## FA Charity Shield

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 20 August 1983 | Liverpool | N | 2–0 | Robson (2) | 92,000 |

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 27 August 1983 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–1 | Mühren (2), Stapleton | 48,742 |
| 29 August 1983 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–2 | Moran | 43,005 |
| 3 September 1983 | Stoke City | A | 1–0 | Mühren | 23,704 |
| 6 September 1983 | Arsenal | A | 3–2 | Moran, Robson, Stapleton | 42,703 |
| 10 September 1983 | Luton Town | H | 2–0 | Albiston, Mühren | 41,013 |
| 17 September 1983 | Southampton | A | 0–3 | | 20,674 |
| 24 September 1983 | Liverpool | H | 1–0 | Stapleton | 56,121 |
| 1 October 1983 | Norwich City | A | 3–3 | Whiteside (2), Stapleton | 19,290 |
| 15 October 1983 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 3–0 | Albiston, Graham, Whiteside | 42,221 |
| 22 October 1983 | Sunderland | A | 1–0 | Wilkins | 26,826 |
| 29 October 1983 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 3–0 | Stapleton (2), Robson | 41,880 |
| 5 November 1983 | Aston Villa | H | 1–2 | Robson | 45,077 |
| 12 November 1983 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | Robson | 24,409 |
| 19 November 1983 | Watford | H | 4–1 | Stapleton (3), Robson | 43,111 |
| 27 November 1983 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | Wilkins | 23,355 |
| 3 December 1983 | Everton | H | 0–1 | | 43,664 |
| 10 December 1983 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–0 | Crooks, Graham | 19,779 |
| 16 December 1983 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4–2 | Graham (2), Moran (2) | 33,616 |
| 26 December 1983 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | Mühren | 21,553 |
| 27 December 1983 | Notts County | H | 3–3 | Crooks, McQueen, Moran | 41,544 |
| 31 December 1983 | Stoke City | H | 1–0 | Graham | 40,164 |
| 2 January 1984 | Liverpool | A | 1–1 | Whiteside | 44,622 |
| 13 January 1984 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | Robson | 16,308 |
| 21 January 1984 | Southampton | H | 3–2 | Mühren, Robson, Stapleton | 40,371 |
| 4 February 1984 | Norwich City | H | 0–0 | | 36,851 |
| 7 February 1984 | Birmingham City | A | 2–2 | Hogg, Whiteside | 19,957 |
| 12 February 1984 | Luton Town | A | 5–0 | Robson (2), Whiteside (2), Stapleton | 11,265 |
| 18 February 1984 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | Whiteside | 20,676 |
| 25 February 1984 | Sunderland | H | 2–1 | Moran (2) | 40,615 |
| 3 March 1984 | Aston Villa | A | 3–0 | Moses, Robson, Whiteside | 32,874 |
| 10 March 1984 | Leicester City | H | 2–0 | Hughes, Moses | 39,473 |
| 17 March 1984 | Arsenal | H | 4–0 | Mühren (2), Robson, Stapleton | 48,942 |
| 31 March 1984 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–2 | | 28,104 |
| 7 April 1984 | Birmingham City | H | 1–0 | Robson | 39,896 |
| 14 April 1984 | Notts County | A | 0–1 | | 13,911 |
| 17 April 1984 | Watford | A | 0–0 | | 20,764 |
| 21 April 1984 | Coventry City | H | 4–1 | Hughes (2), McGrath, Wilkins | 38,524 |
| 28 April 1984 | West Ham United | H | 0–0 | | 44,124 |
| 5 May 1984 | Everton | A | 1–1 | Stapleton | 28,802 |
| 7 May 1984 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–2 | Hughes | 44,257 |
| 12 May 1984 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–1 | Whiteside | 39,790 |
| 16 May 1984 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | | 23,651 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Southampton | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 66 | 38 | +28 | 77 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 76 | 45 | +31 | 74 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Manchester United | 42 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 71 | 41 | +30 | 74 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 67 | 37 | +30 | 73 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Arsenal | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 74 | 60 | +14 | 63 | |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 7 January 1984 | Round 3 | Bournemouth | A | 0–2 | | 14,782 |

## League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 3 October 1983 | Round 2 First leg | Port Vale | A | 1–0 | Stapleton | 19,885 |
| 26 October 1983 | Round 2 Second leg | Port Vale | H | 2–0 | Whiteside, Wilkins | 23,589 |
| 8 November 1983 | Round 3 | Colchester United | A | 2–0 | McQueen, Moses | 13,031 |
| 30 November 1983 | Round 4 | Oxford United | A | 1–1 | Hughes | 13,739 |
| 7 December 1983 | Round 4 Replay | Oxford United | H | 1–1 | Stapleton | 27,459 |
| 19 December 1983 | Round 4 2nd Replay | Oxford United | A | 1–2 | Graham | 13,912 |

## Cup Winners' Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 14 September 1983 | Round 1 First leg | Dukla Prague | H | 1–1 | Wilkins | 39,745 |
| 27 September 1983 | Round 1 Second leg | Dukla Prague | A | 2–2 | Robson, Stapleton | 28,850 |
| 19 October 1983 | Round 2 First leg | Spartak Varna | A | 2–1 | Graham, Robson | 40,000 |
| 2 November 1983 | Round 2 Second leg | Spartak Varna | H | 2–0 | Stapleton (2) | 39,079 |
| 7 March 1984 | Round 3 First leg | Barcelona | A | 0–2 | | 70,000 |
| 21 March 1984 | Round 3 Second leg | Barcelona | H | 3–0 | Robson (2), Stapleton | 58,547 |
| 11 April 1984 | Semi-final First leg | Juventus | H | 1–1 | Davies | 58,171 |
| 25 April 1984 | Semi-final Second leg | Juventus | A | 1–2 | Whiteside | 64,655 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Gary Bailey | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
| GK | Jeff Wealands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Arthur Albiston | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 2 |
| DF | Clayton Blackmore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Mike Duxbury | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
| DF | John Gidman | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 6(2) | 0 |
| DF | Graeme Hogg | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| DF | Paul McGrath | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| DF | Gordon McQueen | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| DF | Kevin Moran | 38 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 7 |
| MF | Alan Davies | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3(1) | 1 |
| MF | Mark Dempsey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| MF | Arthur Graham | 33(4) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46(5) | 7 |
| MF | Lou Macari | 0(5) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(8) | 0 |
| MF | Remi Moses | 31(4) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5(1) | 1 | 5(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42(6) | 3 |
| MF | Arnold Mühren | 26 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 8 |
| MF | Bryan Robson | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 18 |
| MF | Ray Wilkins | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 5 |
| FW | Garth Crooks | 6(1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(1) | 2 |
| FW | Mark Hughes | 7(4) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 1 | 2(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10(7) | 5 |
| FW | Frank Stapleton | 42 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 19 |
| FW | Norman Whiteside | 30(7) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 43(8) | 12 |