| Club: | Manchester United |
| Season: | 1953–54 |
| Manager: | Matt Busby |
| Chairman: | Harold Hardman |
| League: | First Division |
| League Result: | 4th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Third Round |
| League Topscorer: | Tommy Taylor (22) |
| Season Topscorer: | Tommy Taylor (23) |
| Highest Attendance: | 49,853 vs Blackpool (21 November 1953) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 18,161 vs Middlesbrough (9 September 1953) |
| Average Attendance: | 33,590 |
| Pattern B1: | _white_collar |
| Pattern So1: | _redtopwhitestripe |
| Leftarm1: | E20E0E |
| Body1: | E20E0E |
| Rightarm1: | E20E0E |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Socks1: | 000000 |
| Pattern B2: | _white_collar |
| Pattern So2: | _bluetop_whitestripe |
| Leftarm2: | 0000C0 |
| Body2: | 0000C0 |
| Rightarm2: | 0000C0 |
| Shorts2: | FFFFFF |
| Socks2: | 000000 |
| Prevseason: | 1952–53 |
| Nextseason: | 1954–55 |
The 1953–54 season was Manchester United's 52nd season in the Football League, and their ninth consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1]
United finished the season in fourth place, recovering well after an eight-match winless start. Top scorer for the season was Tommy Taylor, who in his first full season at the club scored 22 goals in the league and a further goal in the FA Cup. 20-year-old striker Dennis Viollet established himself in the first team this season and scored 12 goals, and 17-year-old Duncan Edwards gradually displaced the veteran Henry Cockburn at left-half.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 August 1953 | Chelsea | H | 1 - 1 | Pearson | 28,936 | |
| 22 August 1953 | Liverpool | A | 4 - 4 | Byrne, Lewis, Rowley, Taylor | 48,422 | |
| 26 August 1953 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1 - 3 | Taylor | 31,806 | |
| 29 August 1953 | Newcastle United | H | 1 - 1 | Chilton | 27,837 | |
| 2 September 1953 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0 - 2 | 28,892 | ||
| 5 September 1953 | Manchester City | A | 0 - 2 | 53,097 | ||
| 9 September 1953 | Middlesbrough | H | 2 - 2 | Rowley (2) | 18,161 | |
| 12 September 1953 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0 - 0 | 43,544 | ||
| 16 September 1953 | Middlesbrough | A | 4 - 1 | Taylor (2), Byrne, Rowley | 23,607 | |
| 19 September 1953 | Preston North End | H | 1 - 0 | Byrne | 41,171 | |
| 26 September 1953 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1 - 1 | Rowley | 52,837 | |
| 3 October 1953 | Burnley | H | 1 - 2 | Pearson | 37,696 | |
| 10 October 1953 | Sunderland | H | 1 - 0 | Rowley | 34,617 | |
| 17 October 1953 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1 - 3 | Taylor | 40,084 | |
| 24 October 1953 | Aston Villa | H | 1 - 0 | Berry | 30,266 | |
| 31 October 1953 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0 - 0 | 34,175 | ||
| 7 November 1953 | Arsenal | H | 2 - 2 | Blanchflower, Rowley | 28,141 | |
| 14 November 1953 | Cardiff City | A | 6 - 1 | Viollet (2), Berry, Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor | 26,844 | |
| 21 November 1953 | Blackpool | H | 4 - 1 | Taylor (3), Viollet | 49,853 | |
| 28 November 1953 | Portsmouth | A | 1 - 1 | Taylor | 29,233 | |
| 5 December 1953 | Sheffield United | H | 2 - 2 | Blanchflower (2) | 31,693 | |
| 12 December 1953 | Chelsea | A | 1 - 3 | Berry | 37,153 | |
| 19 December 1953 | Liverpool | H | 5 - 1 | Blanchflower (2), Taylor (2), Viollet | 26,074 | |
| 25 December 1953 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 5 - 2 | Taylor (3), Blanchflower, Viollet | 27,123 | |
| 26 December 1953 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1 - 0 | Viollet | 44,196 | |
| 2 January 1954 | Newcastle United | A | 2 - 1 | Blanchflower, Foulkes | 55,780 | |
| 16 January 1954 | Manchester City | H | 1 - 1 | Berry | 46,379 | |
| 23 January 1954 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1 - 5 | Taylor | 46,663 | |
| 6 February 1954 | Preston North End | A | 3 - 1 | Blanchflower, Rowley, Taylor | 30,064 | |
| 13 February 1954 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2 - 0 | Rowley, Taylor | 35,485 | |
| 20 February 1954 | Burnley | A | 0 - 2 | 29,576 | ||
| 27 February 1954 | Sunderland | A | 2 - 0 | Taylor, Blanchflower | 58,440 | |
| 6 March 1954 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1 - 0 | Berry | 38,939 | |
| 13 March 1954 | Aston Villa | A | 2 - 2 | Taylor (2) | 26,023 | |
| 20 March 1954 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3 - 1 | Blanchflower, Rowley, Viollet | 40,181 | |
| 27 March 1954 | Arsenal | A | 1 - 3 | Taylor | 42,753 | |
| 3 April 1954 | Cardiff City | H | 2 - 3 | Rowley, Viollet | 22,832 | |
| 10 April 1954 | Blackpool | A | 0 - 2 | 25,996 | ||
| 16 April 1954 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2 - 0 | Aston, Viollet | 31,876 | |
| 17 April 1954 | Portsmouth | H | 2 - 0 | Blanchflower, Viollet | 29,663 | |
| 19 April 1954 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0 - 1 | 19,111 | ||
| 24 April 1954 | Sheffield United | A | 3 - 1 | Aston, Blanchflower, Viollet | 29,189 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK | Jack Crompton | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| GK | Ray Wood | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| FB | John Aston, Sr. | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| FB | Roger Byrne | 41 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| FB | Bill Foulkes | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| FB | Tommy McNulty | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| FB | Billy Redman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| HB | Jackie Blanchflower | 27 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 14 | |
| HB | Allenby Chilton | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| HB | Henry Cockburn | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| HB | Duncan Edwards | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| HB | Don Gibson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| HB | Jeff Whitefoot | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| FW | Johnny Berry | 37 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 5 | |
| FW | Eddie Lewis | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| FW | Noel McFarlane | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FW | David Pegg | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| FW | Stan Pearson | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| FW | Harry McShane | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| FW | Jack Rowley | 36 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 12 | |
| FW | Tommy Taylor | 35 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 23 | |
| FW | Dennis Viollet | 29 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 12 | |
| FW | Colin Webster | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |