1967-1968, Manchester United season

1967-1968 will always be remembered as when Matt Busby finally found his holy grail. In the last match of the season, Manchester United beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to win the European Cup.

Manchester United began the season as league champions. That success meant they would once again play in Europe. Busby largely relied on his championship-winning team although, early in the season, he did introduce a young Manchester lad, Brian Kidd. Kidd enjoyed a tremendous first season. He made 50 first-team appearances and scored 17 goals - including one on his nineteenth birthday against Benfica in the European Cup Final. Over the season, the leading scorer for Manchester United was George Best. No one in Division One scored more goals. Best was voted Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and European Footballer of the Year. Bobby Charlton also enjoyed an excellent season, hardly missing a game and scoring many goals. It was more disappointing for Denis Law. A knee injured meant he could only play in just over half the matches. He had to watch the Benfica game from a hospital bed in Manchester, following surgery on his knee.

The league was closely fought. Manchester United led the table by five points at one stage, only to be eventually overhauled by neighbours Manchester City. There was an inconsistency about Manchester United. Within just one week in March, they scored six goals against Newcastle, only then to concede six goals against West Bromwich Albion. Too many games ended in defeat. On the last Saturday of the season, they could still have retained their league title, but they lost at home to Sunderland, while City won away at Newcastle. Manchester United finished in second place. The FA Cup was also a disappointment. Manchester United went out in the third round defeated, after a replay, by Tottenham Hotspur.

It was in Europe that the team excelled. A relatively easy game against Hibernians of Malta was followed by more demanding matches against Sarajevo and Gornik Zabrze. Busby was furious after the away leg in Sarajevo, where Manchester United needed to be resilient against a dirty team. In the semi-finals, Manchester United drew Real Madrid. They won the home leg 1-0. By half-time in Madrid, they were 3-1 down and in danger of failing in Europe again. Busby inspired the team during the interval. In the second half they scored twice, the second coming unusually from centre-half, Bill Foulkes. In the final they met Benfica at Wembley. At the end of normal time it was 1-1, with Benfica missing a great opportunity to win late in the game. During the first period of extra time, Manchester United scored three times. At last the European Cup was won, ten years after Munich. Especially for Munich survivors Busby, Charlton and Foulkes, it was an emotional occasion.

1967-1968 was a triumphant season across the city of Manchester.