A Complete History Of Manchester United - 1970/71 - Wilf's Last Stand
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What was the state of Manchester United at the start of the 1970‑71 season under Wilf McGuinness?
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Welcome back to A Complete History of Manchester United. I'm your host, Wayne Barton, author and producer of several Manchester United books and films, joined by the legendary football writer Paddy Barclay, author of this The Definitive Biography of Sir Mark
Busby. At this point, I should raise a copy of your latest book. Well, actually, soon to be overtaken, True Genius, the super biography of George Best. But I've left it in the sitting room, so I'll just lift another copy of my book. I'll definitely plug one of yours. We're looking at a Sam McElroy book.
Yeah, and Sammy, not yet involved in this journey in United history, but Busby and Mest certainly are, as we come to the end of, really, it might be the last time we can plug the Busby one, considering the subject matter of this episode, which is the 71 Manchester United season. If you're watching the video, please give it a like and subscribe, join in the conversation in the comments section. If you're listening back on the audio podcast, be aware that we were just holding up copies of Paddy's book on Matt Busby. And it's available in all great reputable places and some unreputable places as well, I'm sure.
Some right dives as well, yeah.
Yeah. If you're joining the conversation in the comments section, if you're listening back on the audio podcast, please be sure to subscribe. Give us a review on the platform you're listening on. So the 70-71 season, Wills McGuinness is in charge of Manchester United. pre-season we talked about the end of the previous season and a stupid crazy invention by the English FA to introduce playoffs to the semi-final sorry a third place playoff for a bronze medal for the FA Cup losing semi-finalists This time, it's the Watney Cup, which is effectively, am I right in saying this was the top scoring team in each of the divisions? I don't know what it was, but there was one of those cups that was like that. The Watney Cup was United's first teams from lower leagues anyway, and really not notable for anything, because United lost the final against Derby County at Derby.
I don't know. but it is notable for the semi-final where United played Hull City. And this game featured the first ever penalty shootout in British football. Paddy, just about that time, United won the shootout, by the way. I think George Best has got the honour of scoring the first ever penalty in a penalty shootout. Talk to me about this. We all remember, most people watching this podcast and listening back will remember the invention of a penalty shoot-out, golden goal, silver goal. A penalty shoot-out introduced into English football is still divisive today, whether or not it's a fair method. There's definitely a dramatic feel to any penalty shoot-out. What was the feel of the British
public at the
time?
the feeling at the time uh was that it was you know worth a try we'd not yet seen the american version uh correct me if i'm wrong but the i went to america and like a lot of the players who went to america in the 1970s i mean we're talking about the 1970-71 season so it'd perhaps be a bit later when the NASL really got underway and we saw this 25 yard out yard shootout which was fantastic and to this day I would like to see those replace penalties we are talking 52 years on 52 seasons on and you're quite right it's still divisive um but at the time there was certainly a feeling that something needed to be tried to provide a football-related end to a football match. There was less and less sort of appetite for the five-match epics in cups, in which the standard of football tended gradually to deteriorate and the enmity between the sides increased.
No, it was worth a try, particularly in something that was never taken seriously. I mean, Watney was a brand of beer, usually sold in four-pint cans and consumed in great quantities at student parties, although I was never a student. I certainly got into the parties. And you had to open the cans with a triangular...
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Chapters
3 chapters
1
What was the state of Manchester United at the start of the 1970‑71 season under Wilf McGuinness?
0:00–14:43
2
How did the Watney Cup and the first British penalty shoot‑out impact United’s early season?
14:43–51:55
3
Why did Wilf McGuinness’s tenure collapse and what led to Matt Busby’s return?
51:55–53:56
Speakers
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