# 1908–09 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1908–09 season was Manchester United's 17th season in the Football League and fourth in the First Division.

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 5 September 1908 | Preston North End | A | 3–0 | J. Turnbull (2), Halse | 18,000 |
| 7 September 1908 | Bury | H | 2–1 | J. Turnbull (2) | 16,000 |
| 12 September 1908 | Middlesbrough | H | 6–3 | J. Turnbull (4), Halse, Wall | 25,000 |
| 19 September 1908 | Manchester City | A | 2–1 | Halse, J. Turnbull | 40,000 |
| 26 September 1908 | Liverpool | H | 3–2 | Halse (2), J. Turnbull | 25,000 |
| 3 October 1908 | Bury | A | 2–2 | Halse, Wall | 25,000 |
| 10 October 1908 | Sheffield United | H | 2–1 | Bell (2) | 14,000 |
| 17 October 1908 | Aston Villa | A | 1–3 | Halse | 40,000 |
| 24 October 1908 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–2 | S. Turnbull (2) | 20,000 |
| 31 October 1908 | Sunderland | A | 1–6 | S. Turnbull | 30,000 |
| 7 November 1908 | Chelsea | H | 0–1 | | 15,000 |
| 14 November 1908 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 3–1 | Halse, J. Turnbull, Wall | 25,000 |
| 21 November 1908 | Bradford City | H | 2–0 | Picken, Wall | 15,000 |
| 28 November 1908 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 3–1 | Halse, J. Turnbull, Wall | 20,000 |
| 5 December 1908 | Everton | A | 2–3 | Bannister, Halse | 35,000 |
| 12 December 1908 | Leicester Fosse | H | 4–2 | Wall (3), Picken | 10,000 |
| 19 December 1908 | Woolwich Arsenal | A | 1–0 | Halse | 10,000 |
| 25 December 1908 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | Wall | 35,000 |
| 26 December 1908 | Newcastle United | H | 1–0 | Halse | 40,000 |
| 1 January 1909 | Notts County | H | 4–3 | Halse (2), Roberts, S. Turnbull | 15,000 |
| 2 January 1909 | Preston North End | H | 0–2 | | 18,000 |
| 9 January 1909 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–5 | | 15,000 |
| 23 January 1909 | Manchester City | H | 3–1 | Livingstone (2), Wall | 40,000 |
| 30 January 1909 | Liverpool | A | 1–3 | S. Turnbull | 30,000 |
| 13 February 1909 | Sheffield United | A | 0–0 | | 12,000 |
| 27 February 1909 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | | 7,000 |
| 13 March 1909 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | Wall | 30,000 |
| 15 March 1909 | Sunderland | H | 2–2 | Payne, J. Turnbull | 10,000 |
| 20 March 1909 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–3 | | 11,000 |
| 31 March 1909 | Aston Villa | H | 0–2 | | 10,000 |
| 3 April 1909 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–2 | | 15,000 |
| 9 April 1909 | Bristol City | H | 0–1 | | 18,000 |
| 10 April 1909 | Everton | H | 2–2 | J. Turnbull (2) | 8,000 |
| 12 April 1909 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | | 18,000 |
| 13 April 1909 | Notts County | A | 1–0 | Livingstone | 7,000 |
| 17 April 1909 | Leicester Fosse | A | 2–3 | J. Turnbull, Wall | 8,000 |
| 27 April 1909 | Woolwich Arsenal | H | 1–4 | J. Turnbull | 10,000 |
| 29 April 1909 | Bradford City | A | 0–1 | | 30,000 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Newcastle United (C) | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 65 | 41 | 1.585 | 53 | |
| 2 | Everton | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 82 | 57 | 1.439 | 46 | |
| 3 | Sunderland | 38 | 21 | 2 | 15 | 78 | 63 | 1.238 | 44 | |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 61 | 50 | 1.220 | 41 | |
| 5 | The Wednesday | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 67 | 61 | 1.098 | 40 | |
| 6 | Woolwich Arsenal | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 52 | 49 | 1.061 | 38 | |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 58 | 56 | 1.036 | 38 | |
| 8 | Bristol City | 38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 45 | 58 | 0.776 | 38 | |
| 9 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 59 | 53 | 1.113 | 37 | |
| 10 | Preston North End | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 48 | 44 | 1.091 | 37 | |
| 11 | Chelsea | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 56 | 61 | 0.918 | 37 | |
| 12 | Sheffield United | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 51 | 59 | 0.864 | 37 | |
| 13 | Manchester United | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 58 | 68 | 0.853 | 37 | |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 66 | 57 | 1.158 | 36 | |
| 15 | Notts County | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 51 | 48 | 1.063 | 36 | |
| 16 | Liverpool | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 57 | 65 | 0.877 | 36 | |
| 17 | Bury | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 63 | 77 | 0.818 | 36 | |
| 18 | Bradford City | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 47 | 47 | 1.000 | 34 | |
| 19 | Manchester City (R) | 38 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 67 | 69 | 0.971 | 34 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 20 | Leicester Fosse (R) | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 54 | 102 | 0.529 | 25 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 16 January 1909 | First Round | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–0 | Halse | 8,300 |
| 6 February 1909 | Second Round | Everton | H | 1–0 | Halse | 35,217 |
| 20 February 1909 | Third Round | Blackburn Rovers | H | 6–1 | S. Turnbull (3), J. Turnbull (3) | 38,500 |
| 5 March 1909 | Fourth Round | Burnley | A | A – A | Match abandoned at 0–1 | |
| 10 March 1909 | Fourth Round | Burnley | A | 3–2 | J. Turnbull (2), Halse | 16,850 |
| 27 March 1909 | Semi-Final | Newcastle United | N | 1–0 | Halse | 40,118 |
| 24 April 1909 | Final | Bristol City | N | 1–0 | S. Turnbull | 71,401 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Harry Moger | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| GK | Tom Wilcox | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FB | Herbert Burgess | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FB | Tony Donnelly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | Vince Hayes | 22 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| FB | Dick Holden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FB | Aaron Hulme | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FB | Oscar Linkson | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| FB | George Stacey | 32 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| HB | Alex Bell | 20 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| HB | Joe Curry | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| HB | Alex Downie | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| HB | Dick Duckworth | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| HB | Harold Hardman | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| HB | John McGillivray | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | Charlie Roberts | 27 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| HB | Ernest Thomson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Jimmy Bannister | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| FW | Bill Berry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | David Christie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Joe Ford | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FW | Harold Halse | 29 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 18 |
| FW | George Livingstone | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 |
| FW | Billy Meredith | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| FW | Ernest Payne | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FW | Jack Picken | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 |
| FW | Jack Quin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Jimmy Turnbull | 22 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 22 |
| FW | Sandy Turnbull | 19 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 9 |
| FW | George Wall | 34 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 11 |