| Club: | Manchester United |
| Season: | 1969–70 |
| Manager: | Wilf McGuinness |
| Chairman: | Louis Edwards |
| League: | First Division |
| League Result: | 8th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Third place |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Semi-finals |
| League Topscorer: | George Best (15) |
| Season Topscorer: | George Best (23) |
| Highest Attendance: | 63,418 vs Manchester City (17 December 1969) 63,418 vs Middlesbrough (25 February 1970) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 26,582 vs West Bromwich Albion (8 April 1970) |
| Average Attendance: | 51,152 |
| Pattern La1: | _whiteborder |
| Pattern B1: | _whitecollar |
| Pattern Ra1: | _whiteborder |
| Leftarm1: | E20E0E |
| Body1: | E20E0E |
| Rightarm1: | E20E0E |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Socks1: | E20E0E |
| Leftarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Body2: | FFFFFF |
| Rightarm2: | FFFFFF |
| Shorts2: | FFFFFF |
| Socks2: | FFFFFF |
| Leftarm3: | 0000C0 |
| Body3: | 0000C0 |
| Rightarm3: | 0000C0 |
| Shorts3: | FFFFFF |
| Socks3: | 0000C0 |
| Prevseason: | 1968–69 |
| Nextseason: | 1970–71 |
The 1969–70 season was Manchester United's 68th season in the Football League, and their 25th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] Before the beginning of the season, on 4 June 1969, United manager Matt Busby stepped down as manager after 24 years as manager. McGuinness guided United to an eighth-place finish in his first season as manager, and they reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 1969 | Crystal Palace | A | 2 - 2 | Charlton, Morgan | 48,610 | |
| 13 August 1969 | Everton | H | 0 - 2 | 57,752 | ||
| 16 August 1969 | Southampton | H | 1 - 4 | Morgan | 46,328 | |
| 19 August 1969 | Everton | A | 0 - 3 | 53,185 | ||
| 23 August 1969 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 - 0 | 50,783 | ||
| 27 August 1969 | Newcastle United | H | 0 - 0 | 52,774 | ||
| 30 August 1969 | Sunderland | H | 3 - 1 | Best, Givens, Kidd | 50,570 | |
| 6 September 1969 | Leeds United | A | 2 - 2 | Best (2) | 44,271 | |
| 13 September 1969 | Liverpool | H | 1 - 0 | Morgan | 56,509 | |
| 17 September 1969 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3 - 1 | Best (2), Kidd | 39,298 | |
| 20 September 1969 | Arsenal | A | 2 - 2 | Best, Sadler | 59,498 | |
| 27 September 1969 | West Ham United | H | 5 - 2 | Best (2), Burns, Charlton, Kidd | 58,579 | |
| 4 October 1969 | Derby County | A | 0 - 2 | 40,724 | ||
| 8 October 1969 | Southampton | A | 3 - 0 | Best, Burns, Kidd | 31,044 | |
| 11 October 1969 | Ipswich Town | H | 2 - 1 | Best, Kidd | 52,281 | |
| 18 October 1969 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1 - 1 | Best | 53,702 | |
| 25 October 1969 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1 - 2 | Kidd | 45,120 | |
| 1 November 1969 | Stoke City | H | 1 - 1 | Charlton | 53,406 | |
| 8 November 1969 | Coventry City | A | 2 - 1 | Aston, Law | 43,446 | |
| 15 November 1969 | Manchester City | A | 0 - 4 | 63,013 | ||
| 22 November 1969 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3 - 1 | Charlton (2), Burns | 50,003 | |
| 29 November 1969 | Burnley | A | 1 - 1 | Best | 23,770 | |
| 6 December 1969 | Chelsea | H | 0 - 2 | 49,344 | ||
| 13 December 1969 | Liverpool | A | 4 - 1 | Charlton, Morgan, Ure, own goal | 47,682 | |
| 26 December 1969 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0 - 0 | 50,806 | ||
| 27 December 1969 | Sunderland | A | 1 - 1 | Kidd | 36,504 | |
| 10 January 1970 | Arsenal | H | 2 - 1 | Morgan, Sartori | 41,055 | |
| 17 January 1970 | West Ham United | A | 0 - 0 | 41,643 | ||
| 26 January 1970 | Leeds United | H | 2 - 2 | Kidd, Sadler | 59,879 | |
| 31 January 1970 | Derby County | H | 1 - 0 | Charlton | 59,315 | |
| 10 February 1970 | Ipswich Town | A | 1 - 0 | Kidd | 29,755 | |
| 14 February 1970 | Crystal Palace | H | 1 - 1 | Kidd | 54,711 | |
| 28 February 1970 | Stoke City | A | 2 - 2 | Morgan, Sartori | 38,917 | |
| 17 March 1970 | Burnley | H | 3 - 3 | Best, Crerand, Law | 38,377 | |
| 21 March 1970 | Chelsea | A | 1 - 2 | Morgan | 61,479 | |
| 28 March 1970 | Manchester City | H | 1 - 2 | Kidd | 59,777 | |
| 30 March 1970 | Coventry City | H | 1 - 1 | Kidd | 38,647 | |
| 31 March 1970 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2 - 1 | Charlton, Gowling | 39,228 | |
| 4 April 1970 | Newcastle United | A | 1 - 5 | Charlton | 43,094 | |
| 8 April 1970 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 7 - 0 | Charlton (2), Fitzpatrick (2), Gowling (2), Best | 26,582 | |
| 13 April 1970 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1 - 2 | Fitzpatrick | 41,808 | |
| 15 April 1970 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2 - 2 | Best, Charlton | 36,649 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 January 1970 | Round 3 | Ipswich Town | A | 1 - 0 | own goal | 29,552 | |
| 24 January 1970 | Round 4 | Manchester City | H | 3 - 0 | Kidd (2), Morgan | 63,417 | |
| 7 February 1970 | Round 5 | Northampton Town | A | 8 - 2 | Best (6), Kidd (2) | 21,771 | |
| 21 February 1970 | Round 6 | Middlesbrough | A | 1 - 1 | Sartori | 40,000 | |
| 25 February 1970 | Round 6 Replay | Middlesbrough | H | 2 - 1 | Charlton, Morgan | 63,418 | |
| 14 March 1970 | Semi-Final | Leeds United | N | 0 - 0 | 55,000 | ||
| 23 March 1970 | Semi-Final Replay | Leeds United | N | 0 - 0 (a.e.t.) | 62,500 | ||
| 26 March 1970 | Semi-Final Second Replay | Leeds United | N | 0 - 1 | 56,000 | ||
| 10 April 1970 | Third Place Playoff | Watford | N | 2 - 0 | Kidd (2) | 15,105 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F - A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 1969 | Round 2 | Middlesbrough | H | 1 - 0 | Sadler | 38,939 | |
| 23 September 1969 | Round 3 | Wrexham | H | 2 - 0 | Kidd, Best | 48,347 | |
| 14 October 1969 | Round 4 | Burnley | A | 0 - 0 | 27,959 | ||
| 20 October 1969 | Round 4 Replay | Burnley | H | 1 - 0 | Best | 50,275 | |
| 12 November 1969 | Round 5 | Derby County | A | 0 - 0 | 38,895 | ||
| 19 November 1969 | Round 5 Replay | Derby County | H | 1 - 0 | Kidd | 57,393 | |
| 3 December 1969 | Semi Final First Leg | Manchester City | A | 1 - 2 | Charlton | 55,799 | |
| 17 December 1969 | Semi Final Second Leg | Manchester City | H | 2 - 2 | Edwards, Law | 63,418 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK | Jimmy Rimmer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| GK | Alex Stepney | 37 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 54 | 0 | |
| DF |  Shay Brennan | 8(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10(1) | 0 | |
| DF | Francis Burns | 30(2) | 3 | 3(1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 39(3) | 3 | |
| DF | Tony Dunne | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| DF | Paul Edwards | 18(1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27(1) | 1 | |
| DF | Bill Foulkes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | Steve James | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | David Sadler | 40 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 3 | |
| DF | Ian Ure | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 48 | 1 | |
| MF | John Aston, Jr. | 21(1) | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28(2) | 1 | |
| MF | George Best | 37 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 53 | 23 | |
| MF | Bobby Charlton | 40 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 14 | |
| MF | Paddy Crerand | 25 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| MF | John Fitzpatrick | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
| MF | Willie Morgan | 35 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 49 | 9 | |
| MF | Jimmy Ryan | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | |
| MF |  Carlo Sartori | 13(4) | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1(2) | 0 | 21(6) | 3 | |
| MF | Nobby Stiles | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| FW | Don Givens | 4(4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5(4) | 1 | |
| FW | Alan Gowling | 6(1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 6(2) | 3 | |
| FW | Brian Kidd | 33(1) | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 48(1) | 20 | |
| FW | Denis Law | 10(1) | 2 | 0(2) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13(3) | 3 | |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 2 | |