| Club: | Manchester United |
| Season: | 1960–61 |
| Manager: | Matt Busby |
| Chairman: | Harold Hardman |
| League: | First Division |
| League Result: | 7th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Fourth Round |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Second Round |
| League Topscorer: | Bobby Charlton (21) |
| Season Topscorer: | Bobby Charlton (21) |
| Highest Attendance: | 65,295 vs Tottenham Hotspur (16 January 1961) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 15,662 vs Exeter City (26 October 1960) |
| Average Attendance: | 38,501 |
| Pattern La1: | _whiteborder |
| Pattern B1: | _vneckwhite |
| Pattern Ra1: | _whiteborder |
| Leftarm1: | E20E0E |
| Body1: | E20E0E |
| Rightarm1: | E20E0E |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Socks1: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern La2: | _borderred |
| Pattern B2: | _red_vneck |
| Pattern Ra2: | _borderred |
| Prevseason: | 1959–60 |
| Nextseason: | 1961–62 |
The 1960–61 season was Manchester United's 59th season in the Football League, and their 16th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] It was also United's first season in the inaugural Football League Cup, and for the second successive season they finished seventh in the league.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 1960 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1–3 | Charlton | 47,778 | |
| 24 August 1960 | Everton | A | 0–4 | 51,602 | ||
| 31 August 1960 | Everton | H | 4–0 | Dawson (2), Charlton, Nicholson | 51,818 | |
| 3 September 1960 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–4 | Viollet | 55,445 | |
| 5 September 1960 | West Ham United | A | 1–2 | Quixall | 30,506 | |
| 10 September 1960 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | Giles | 35,493 | |
| 14 September 1960 | West Ham United | H | 6–1 | Charlton (2), Viollet (2), Quixall, Scanlon | 33,695 | |
| 17 September 1960 | Aston Villa | A | 1–3 | Viollet | 43,593 | |
| 24 September 1960 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–3 | Charlton | 44,458 | |
| 1 October 1960 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | Giles | 39,197 | |
| 15 October 1960 | Burnley | A | 3–5 | Viollet (3) | 32,011 | |
| 22 October 1960 | Newcastle United | H | 3–2 | Dawson, Setters, Stiles | 37,516 | |
| 24 October 1960 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–1 | Viollet (2) | 23,628 | |
| 29 October 1960 | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | Quixall | 45,715 | |
| 5 November 1960 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 0–0 | 36,855 | ||
| 12 November 1960 | Birmingham City | A | 1–3 | Charlton | 31,549 | |
| 19 November 1960 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 3–0 | Dawson, Quixall, Viollet | 32,756 | |
| 26 November 1960 | Cardiff City | A | 0–3 | 21,122 | ||
| 3 December 1960 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | Dawson | 24,904 | |
| 10 December 1960 | Fulham | A | 4–4 | Quixall (2), Charlton, Dawson | 23,625 | |
| 17 December 1960 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 2–1 | Pearson (2) | 17,285 | |
| 24 December 1960 | Chelsea | A | 2–1 | Dawson, Charlton | 37,601 | |
| 26 December 1960 | Chelsea | H | 6–0 | Dawson (3), Nicholson (2), Charlton | 50,164 | |
| 31 December 1960 | Manchester City | H | 5–1 | Dawson (3), Charlton (2) | 61,213 | |
| 14 January 1961 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–0 | Pearson, Stiles | 65,295 | |
| 21 January 1961 | Leicester City | A | 0–6 | 31,308 | ||
| 4 February 1961 | Aston Villa | H | 1–1 | Charlton | 33,525 | |
| 11 February 1961 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | Nicholson | 38,526 | |
| 18 February 1961 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3–1 | Dawson (2), Quixall | 37,558 | |
| 25 February 1961 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–3 | Charlton, Quixall | 26,850 | |
| 4 March 1961 | Manchester City | A | 3–1 | Charlton, Dawson, Pearson | 50,479 | |
| 11 March 1961 | Newcastle United | A | 1–1 | Charlton | 28,870 | |
| 18 March 1961 | Arsenal | H | 1–1 | Moir | 29,732 | |
| 25 March 1961 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–5 | Charlton | 35,901 | |
| 31 March 1961 | Blackpool | A | 0–2 | 30,835 | ||
| 1 April 1961 | Fulham | H | 3–1 | Charlton, Quixall, Viollet | 24,654 | |
| 3 April 1961 | Blackpool | H | 2–0 | Nicholson, own goal | 39,169 | |
| 8 April 1961 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | Pearson | 27,750 | |
| 12 April 1961 | Burnley | H | 6–0 | Quixall (3), Viollet (3) | 25,019 | |
| 15 April 1961 | Birmingham City | H | 4–1 | Pearson (2), Quixall, Viollet | 28,376 | |
| 22 April 1961 | Preston North End | A | 4–2 | Charlton (2), Setters (2) | 21,252 | |
| 29 April 1961 | Cardiff City | H | 3–3 | Charlton (2), Setters | 30,320 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 1961 | Round 3 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–0 | Dawson (2), Cantwell | 49,184 | |
| 28 January 1961 | Round 4 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–1 | Cantwell | 58,000 | |
| 1 February 1961 | Round 4 Replay | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–7 | Dawson, Pearson | 65,243 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1960 | Round 1 | Exeter City | A | 1–1 | Dawson | 14,494 | |
| 26 October 1960 | Round 1 Replay | Exeter City | H | 4–1 | Quixall (2), Giles, Pearson | 15,662 | |
| 2 November 1960 | Round 2 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | Viollet | 4,670 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK | Ronnie Briggs | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| GK | David Gaskell | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| GK | Harry Gregg | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| GK | Mike Pinner | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| FB | Harold Bratt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FB |  Shay Brennan | 41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 | |
| FB | Noel Cantwell | 24 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |
| FB | Joe Carolan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| FB | Ronnie Cope | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| FB | Tony Dunne | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| FB | Tommy Heron | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| HB | Bill Foulkes | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| HB | Frank Haydock | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| HB | Nobby Lawton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| HB | Jimmy Nicholson | 31 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 5 | |
| HB | Maurice Setters | 40 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 4 | |
| HB | Nobby Stiles | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| FW | Warren Bradley | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| FW | Bobby Charlton | 39 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 21 | |
| FW | Alex Dawson | 28 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 20 | |
| FW | Johnny Giles | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 3 | |
| FW | Ian Moir | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| FW | Kenny Morgans | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| FW | Mark Pearson | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 9 | |
| FW | Albert Scanlon | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| FW | Albert Quixall | 38 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 15 | |
| FW | Dennis Viollet | 24 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 16 | |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | |