| Club: | Manchester United |
| Season: | 1963–64 |
| Manager: | Matt Busby |
| Chairman: | Harold Hardman |
| League: | First Division |
| League Result: | 2nd |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Semi-finals |
| Cup2: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Quarter-finals |
| Cup3: | Charity Shield |
| Cup3 Result: | Runners-up |
| League Topscorer: | Denis Law (30) |
| Season Topscorer: | Denis Law (46) |
| Highest Attendance: | 63,700 vs Sunderland (29 February 1964) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 25,848 vs Aston Villa (6 April 1964) |
| Average Attendance: | 45,891 |
| Pattern La1: | _whiteborder |
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| Socks1: | E20E0E |
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| Pattern B2: | _red_neck |
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| Prevseason: | 1962–63 |
| Nextseason: | 1964–65 |
The 1963–64 season was Manchester United's 62nd season in the Football League, and their 19th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] United failed to win any major trophies this season, but they made a strong challenge for the three major prizes, finishing second in the league, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup. A notable debutant this season was 17-year-old Northern Irish forward George Best, whose debut came in the league against West Bromwich Albion on 14 September 1963.[2] The highly promising Best turned out a total of 17 times for United that season, scoring four goals. Striker Denis Law had an outstanding season, scoring 30 goals in the league and a total of 46 in all competitions.[3]
See main article: 1963 FA Charity Shield.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 August 1963 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3–3 | Charlton (2), Moir | 32,177 | |
| 28 August 1963 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–0 | Law (2) | 39,921 | |
| 31 August 1963 | Everton | H | 5–1 | Chisnall (2), Law (2), Sadler | 62,965 | |
| 3 September 1963 | Ipswich Town | A | 7–2 | Law (3), Chisnall, Moir, Sadler, Setters | 28,113 | |
| 7 September 1963 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | Chisnall | 36,874 | |
| 11 September 1963 | Blackpool | H | 3–0 | Charlton (2), Law | 47,400 | |
| 14 September 1963 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–0 | Sadler | 50,453 | |
| 16 September 1963 | Blackpool | A | 0–1 | 29,806 | ||
| 21 September 1963 | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | Herd | 56,776 | |
| 28 September 1963 | Leicester City | H | 3–1 | Herd (2), Setters | 41,374 | |
| 2 October 1963 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | Setters | 45,351 | |
| 5 October 1963 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–0 | Herd | 35,872 | |
| 19 October 1963 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–1 | Chisnall, Quixall | 41,426 | |
| 26 October 1963 | West Ham United | H | 0–1 | 45,120 | ||
| 28 October 1963 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 2–2 | Quixall (2) | 41,169 | |
| 2 November 1963 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 34,159 | ||
| 9 November 1963 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4–1 | Law (3), Herd | 57,413 | |
| 16 November 1963 | Aston Villa | A | 0–4 | 36,276 | ||
| 23 November 1963 | Liverpool | H | 0–1 | 54,654 | ||
| 30 November 1963 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | Law (2) | 30,615 | |
| 7 December 1963 | Stoke City | H | 5–2 | Law (4), Herd | 52,232 | |
| 14 December 1963 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 3–1 | Herd (3) | 35,139 | |
| 21 December 1963 | Everton | A | 0–4 | 48,027 | ||
| 26 December 1963 | Burnley | A | 1–6 | Herd | 35,764 | |
| 28 December 1963 | Burnley | H | 5–1 | Herd (2), Moore (2), Best | 47,834 | |
| 11 January 1964 | Birmingham City | H | 1–2 | Sadler | 44,695 | |
| 18 January 1964 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 4–1 | Law (2), Best, Charlton | 25,624 | |
| 1 February 1964 | Arsenal | H | 3–1 | Herd, Law, Setters | 48,340 | |
| 8 February 1964 | Leicester City | A | 2–3 | Herd, Law | 35,538 | |
| 19 February 1964 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 5–0 | Best (2), Herd (2), Charlton | 33,926 | |
| 22 February 1964 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 3–1 | Law (2), Chisnall | 36,726 | |
| 7 March 1964 | West Ham United | A | 2–0 | Herd, Sadler | 27,027 | |
| 21 March 1964 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 3–2 | Charlton, Law, Moore | 56,392 | |
| 23 March 1964 | Chelsea | H | 1–1 | Law | 42,931 | |
| 27 March 1964 | Fulham | A | 2–2 | Herd, Law | 41,769 | |
| 28 March 1964 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–2 | Charlton, Herd | 44,470 | |
| 30 March 1964 | Fulham | H | 3–0 | Crerand, Foulkes, Herd | 42,279 | |
| 4 April 1964 | Liverpool | A | 0–3 | 52,559 | ||
| 6 April 1964 | Aston Villa | H | 1–0 | Law | 25,848 | |
| 13 April 1964 | Sheffield United | H | 2–1 | Law, Moir | 27,587 | |
| 18 April 1964 | Stoke City | A | 1–3 | Charlton | 45,670 | |
| 25 April 1964 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3–1 | Law (2), Moore | 31,671 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 January 1964 | Round 3 | Southampton | A | 3–2 | Crerand, Herd, Moore | 29,164 | |
| 25 January 1964 | Round 4 | Bristol Rovers | H | 4–1 | Law (3), Herd | 55,772 | |
| 15 February 1964 | Round 5 | Barnsley | A | 4–0 | Law (2), Best, Herd | 38,076 | |
| 29 February 1964 | Round 6 | Sunderland | H | 3–3 | Best, Charlton, own goal | 63,700 | |
| 4 March 1964 | Round 6 Replay | Sunderland | A | 2–2 | Charlton, Law | 68,000 | |
| 9 March 1964 | Round 6 2nd Replay | Sunderland | N | 5–1 | Law (3), Chisnall, Herd | 54,952 | |
| 14 March 1964 | Semi-final | West Ham United | N | 1–3 | Law | 65,000 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 1963 | First round First leg | Willem II | A | 1–1 | Herd | 20,000 | |
| 15 October 1963 | First round Second leg | Willem II | H | 6–1 | Law (3), Charlton, Chisnall, Setters | 46,272 | |
| 3 December 1963 | Second round First leg | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–2 | 57,447 | ||
| 10 December 1963 | Second round Second leg | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4–1 | Charlton (2), Herd (2) | 50,000 | |
| 26 February 1964 | Quarter-final First leg | Sporting CP | H | 4–1 | Law (3), Charlton | 60,000 | |
| 18 March 1964 | Quarter-final Second leg | Sporting CP | A | 0–5 | 40,000 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | Cup Winners' Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK | David Gaskell | 17 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| GK | Harry Gregg | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| FB |  Shay Brennan | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| FB | Noel Cantwell | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| FB | Tony Dunne | 40 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 0 | |
| HB | Pat Crerand | 41 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 2 | |
| HB | Bill Foulkes | 41 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | |
| HB | Maurice Setters | 32 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 5 | |
| HB | Nobby Stiles | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| HB | Wilf Tranter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FW | Willie Anderson | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| FW | George Best | 17 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | |
| FW | Bobby Charlton | 40 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 54 | 15 | |
| FW | Phil Chisnall | 20 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | |
| FW | Johnny Giles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FW | David Herd | 30 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 27 | |
| FW | Denis Law | 30 | 30 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 46 | |
| FW | Ian Moir | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| FW | Graham Moore | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |
| FW | Albert Quixall | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | |
| FW | David Sadler | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | |