League Record
| Division | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals for | Goals against | Points | Finish | English top-flight champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div 1 | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 81 | 48 | 52 | 2nd | Arsenal |
Cups And Honours
| FA Cup | League Cup | Community Shield | Europe / world | Archive honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winners | Not contested | Not eligible | Not contested | FA Cup |
People and Context
Top scorer: Jack Rowley (28 goals in all competitions). [3]
Season in focus
Sir Matt Busby won his first trophy as United manager when the club beat Blackpool 4–2 in the FA Cup final. Stan Pearson and Jack Rowley were central to the attacking performance at Wembley, which gave the cup run decisive weight after another second-place league finish. The trophy restored national stature after wartime disruption and set the tone for Busby’s early years. [3]
League consistency behind the cup win
United lost nine of 42 league matches and drew fourteen: exactly one-third of the programme. Their 81 goals scored and 48 conceded produced a +33 goal difference. Second place records a sustained league challenge alongside the separate achievement at Wembley.
The 1907–08 champions also scored 81 and conceded 48, but over 38 matches. The identical totals therefore represent different rates: 1.93 goals scored per game in 1947–48 against 2.13 in 1907–08. Neither comparison by itself measures the strength of the opponents or explains why one team won the league.