# 1950–51 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1950–51 season was Manchester United's 49th season in the Football League. The club finished runners-up to champions Tottenham Hotspur in the league and were also quarter-finalists in the FA Cup.
A notable debutant for the club this season was 17-year-old Barnsley born centre-half Mark Jones.

## First Division

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 19 August 1950 | Fulham | H | 1 – 0 | Pearson | 44,042 |
| 23 August 1950 | Liverpool | A | 1 – 2 | Rowley | 30,211 |
| 26 August 1950 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0 – 1 | | 40,431 |
| 30 August 1950 | Liverpool | H | 1 – 0 | Downie | 34,835 |
| 2 September 1950 | Blackpool | H | 1 – 0 | Bogan | 53,260 |
| 4 September 1950 | Aston Villa | A | 3 – 1 | Rowley (2), Pearson | 42,724 |
| 9 September 1950 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0 – 1 | | 60,621 |
| 13 September 1950 | Aston Villa | H | 0 – 0 | | 33,021 |
| 16 September 1950 | Charlton Athletic | H | 3 – 0 | Delaney, Pearson, Rowley | 36,619 |
| 23 September 1950 | Middlesbrough | A | 2 – 1 | Pearson (2) | 48,051 |
| 30 September 1950 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 – 0 | | 45,898 |
| 7 October 1950 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 3 – 1 | Downie, McShane, Rowley | 40,651 |
| 14 October 1950 | Arsenal | A | 0 – 3 | | 66,150 |
| 21 October 1950 | Portsmouth | H | 0 – 0 | | 41,842 |
| 28 October 1950 | Everton | A | 4 – 1 | Rowley (2), Aston, Pearson | 51,142 |
| 4 November 1950 | Burnley | H | 1 – 1 | McShane | 39,454 |
| 11 November 1950 | Chelsea | A | 0 – 1 | | 51,882 |
| 18 November 1950 | Stoke City | H | 0 – 0 | | 30,031 |
| 25 November 1950 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1 – 0 | Birch | 28,146 |
| 2 December 1950 | Newcastle United | H | 1 – 2 | Birch | 34,502 |
| 9 December 1950 | Huddersfield Town | A | 3 – 2 | Aston (2), Birkett | 26,713 |
| 16 December 1950 | Fulham | A | 2 – 2 | Pearson (2) | 19,649 |
| 23 December 1950 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2 – 3 | Aston, Pearson | 35,382 |
| 25 December 1950 | Sunderland | A | 1 – 2 | Aston | 41,215 |
| 26 December 1950 | Sunderland | H | 3 – 5 | Bogan (2), Aston | 35,176 |
| 13 January 1951 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2 – 1 | Birch, Rowley | 43,283 |
| 20 January 1951 | Charlton Athletic | A | 2 – 1 | Aston, Birkett | 31,978 |
| 3 February 1951 | Middlesbrough | H | 1 – 0 | Pearson | 44,633 |
| 17 February 1951 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2 – 1 | Birch, Rowley | 42,022 |
| 26 February 1951 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 4 – 0 | McShane, Downie, Pearson, Rowley | 25,693 |
| 3 March 1951 | Arsenal | H | 3 – 1 | Aston (2), Downie | 46,202 |
| 10 March 1951 | Portsmouth | A | 0 – 0 | | 33,148 |
| 17 March 1951 | Everton | H | 3 – 0 | Aston, Downie, Pearson | 29,317 |
| 23 March 1951 | Derby County | H | 2 – 0 | Aston, Downie | 42,009 |
| 24 March 1951 | Burnley | A | 2 – 1 | Aston, McShane | 36,656 |
| 26 March 1951 | Derby County | A | 4 – 2 | Aston, Downie, Pearson, Rowley | 25,860 |
| 31 March 1951 | Chelsea | H | 4 – 1 | Pearson (3), McShane | 25,779 |
| 7 April 1951 | Stoke City | A | 0 – 2 | | 25,690 |
| 14 April 1951 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 3 – 0 | Downie, Pearson, Rowley | 24,764 |
| 21 April 1951 | Newcastle United | A | 2 – 0 | Rowley, Pearson | 45,209 |
| 28 April 1951 | Huddersfield Town | H | 6 – 0 | Aston (2), McShane (2), Downie, Rowley | 25,560 |
| 5 May 1951 | Blackpool | A | 1 – 1 | Downie | 22,864 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur (C) | 42 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 82 | 44 | 1.864 | 60 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 74 | 40 | 1.850 | 56 |
| 3 | Blackpool | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 79 | 53 | 1.491 | 50 |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 53 | 1.170 | 49 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 73 | 56 | 1.304 | 47 |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 6 January 1951 | Round 3 | Oldham Athletic | H | 4 – 1 | Pearson, Aston, Birch, own goal | 37,161 |
| 27 January 1951 | Round 4 | Leeds United | H | 4 – 0 | Pearson (3), Rowley | 55,434 |
| 10 February 1951 | Round 5 | Arsenal | H | 1 – 0 | Pearson | 55,058 |
| 24 February 1951 | Round 6 | Birmingham City | A | 0 – 1 | | 50,000 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Reg Allen | 40 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| GK | Jack Crompton | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FB | Johnny Carey | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| FB | Tommy Lowrie | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | Thomas McNulty | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FB | Billy Redman | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| HB | Allenby Chilton | 38 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| HB | Henry Cockburn | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| HB | Don Gibson | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| HB | Mark Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| HB | Billy McGlen | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| HB | Ed McIlvenny | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | Jeff Whitefoot | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | John Aston, Sr. | 41 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 16 |
| FW | Brian Birch | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 5 |
| FW | Cliff Birkett | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| FW | Tommy Bogan | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| FW | Laurie Cassidy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Frank Clempson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Jimmy Delaney | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| FW | John Downie | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 10 |
| FW | Harry McShane | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 7 |
| FW | Stan Pearson | 39 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 43 | 23 |
| FW | Jack Rowley | 39 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 15 |
| – | Own goals | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 1 |