1955–56 Manchester United F.C. season

The 1955–56 season was Manchester United's 54th season in the Football League, and their 11th consecutive season in the top division of English football.

Manchester United

1955–56 season
Chairman	Harold Hardman
Manager	Matt Busby
First Division	1st
FA Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Tommy Taylor (25) All: Tommy Taylor (25)
Highest home attendance	62,277 vs Blackpool (7 April 1956)
Lowest home attendance	22,192 vs Chelsea (19 November 1955)
Average home league attendance	38,893
Home colours Away colours

A United side consisted mostly of players in their late teens and early twenties finished the season as league champions 11 points ahead of their nearest rivals Blackpool and Wolves.

Right-half Eddie Colman made his debut for United this season, first featuring in the league match against Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park on 12 November 1955 and was soon a regular partner to Duncan Edwards in the United half-back positions. Colman's breakthrough forced Jeff Whitefoot out of the team and contributed to his transfer to Grimsby Town in the summer of 1956, while long-serving goalkeeper Jack Crompton played his final game for United this season.

First Division

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
20 August 1955	Birmingham City	A	2–2	Viollet (2)	37,994
24 August 1955	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2–2	Berry, Webster	25,406
27 August 1955	West Bromwich Albion	H	3–1	Lewis, Scanlon, Viollet	31,996
31 August 1955	Tottenham Hotspur	A	2–1	Edwards (2)	27,453
3 September 1955	Manchester City	A	0–1		59,162
7 September 1955	Everton	H	2–1	Blanchflower, Edwards	27,843
10 September 1955	Sheffield United	A	0–1		28,241
14 September 1955	Everton	A	2–4	Blanchflower, Webster	34,897
17 September 1955	Preston North End	H	3–2	Pegg, Taylor, Viollet	33,078
24 September 1955	Burnley	A	0–0		26,873
1 October 1955	Luton Town	H	3–1	Taylor (2), Colin Webster	34,409
8 October 1955	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	4–3	Taylor (2), Doherty, Pegg	48,638
15 October 1955	Aston Villa	A	4–4	Pegg (2), Blanchflower, Webster	29,478
22 October 1955	Huddersfield Town	H	3–0	Berry, Pegg, Taylor	34,150
29 October 1955	Cardiff City	A	1–0	Taylor	27,795
5 November 1955	Arsenal	H	1–1	Taylor	41,586
12 November 1955	Bolton Wanderers	A	1–3	Taylor	38,109
19 November 1955	Chelsea	H	3–0	Taylor (2), Byrne	22,192
26 November 1955	Blackpool	A	0–0		26,240
3 December 1955	Sunderland	H	2–1	Doherty, Viollet	39,901
10 December 1955	Portsmouth	A	2–3	Pegg, Taylor	24,594
17 December 1955	Birmingham City	H	2–1	Jones, Viollet	27,704
24 December 1955	West Bromwich Albion	A	4–1	Viollet (3), Taylor	25,168
26 December 1955	Charlton Athletic	H	5–1	Viollet (2), Byrne, Doherty, Taylor	44,611
27 December 1955	Charlton Athletic	A	0–3		42,040
31 December 1955	Manchester City	H	2–1	Taylor, Viollet	60,956
14 January 1956	Sheffield United	H	3–1	Berry, Pegg, Taylor	30,162
21 January 1956	Preston North End	A	1–3	Whelan	28,047
4 February 1956	Burnley	H	2–0	Taylor, Viollet	27,342
11 February 1956	Luton Town	A	2–0	Viollet, Whelan	16,354
18 February 1956	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	2–0	Taylor (2)	40,014
25 February 1956	Aston Villa	H	1–0	Whelan	36,277
3 March 1956	Chelsea	A	4–2	Viollet (2), Pegg, Taylor	32,050
10 March 1956	Cardiff City	H	1–1	Byrne	44,693
17 March 1956	Arsenal	A	1–1	Viollet	50,758
24 March 1956	Bolton Wanderers	H	1–0	Taylor	46,114
30 March 1956	Newcastle United	H	5–2	Viollet (2), Doherty, Pegg, Taylor	58,994
31 March 1956	Huddersfield Town	A	2–0	Taylor (2)	37,780
2 April 1956	Newcastle United	A	0–0		37,395
7 April 1956	Blackpool	H	2–1	Berry, Taylor	62,277
14 April 1956	Sunderland	A	2–2	McGuinness, Whelan	19,865
21 April 1956	Portsmouth	H	1–0	Viollet	38,417

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Manchester United (C)	42	25	10	7	83	51	1.627	60	Qualification for the European Cup preliminary round
2	Blackpool	42	20	9	13	86	62	1.387	49
3	Wolverhampton Wanderers	42	20	9	13	89	65	1.369	49
4	Manchester City	42	18	10	14	82	69	1.188	46
5	Arsenal	42	18	10	14	60	61	0.984	46

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F – A	Scorers	Attendance
7 January 1956	Round 3	Bristol Rovers	A	0–4		35,872

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Jack Crompton	1	0	0	0	1	0
GK	Ray Wood	41	0	1	0	42	0
FB	Geoff Bent	4	0	0	0	4	0
FB	Roger Byrne	39	3	1	0	40	3
FB	Bill Foulkes	26	0	1	0	27	0
FB	Ian Greaves	15	0	0	0	15	0
HB	Jackie Blanchflower	18	3	0	0	18	3
HB	Eddie Colman	25	0	1	0	26	0
HB	Duncan Edwards	33	3	0	0	33	3
HB	Freddie Goodwin	8	0	0	0	8	0
HB	Mark Jones	42	1	1	0	43	1
HB	Wilf McGuinness	3	1	0	0	3	1
HB	Jeff Whitefoot	15	0	1	0	16	0
HB	Walter Whitehurst	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Johnny Berry	34	4	1	0	35	4
FW	John Doherty	16	4	1	0	17	4
FW	Eddie Lewis	4	1	0	0	4	1
FW	David Pegg	35	9	1	0	36	9
FW	Albert Scanlon	6	1	0	0	6	1
FW	Jackie Scott	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Tommy Taylor	33	25	1	0	34	25
FW	Dennis Viollet	34	20	1	0	35	20
FW	Colin Webster	15	4	0	0	15	4
FW	Billy Whelan	13	4	0	0	13	4