Season 1952/53
original illustrations of the kits worn during the season
Home Kit
Change Kit
Home Kit
Change Kit
Home Kit
Visitors Kit
These kits were worn by United and Nantwich in the Youth Cup tie played on November 4th 1952 at the Cliff under floodlights.
The Season in brief
United were going through a transitional period, with many of the players that had won the title only the year before facing increased competition from Jimmy Murphy's talented crop of youngsters. In all nine players made their League débuts during 1952/53 including a sixteen year old Duncan Edwards, David Pegg, Dennis Viollet and Bill Foulkes.
Complimenting the up and coming youngsters was Tommy Taylor, signed from Barnsley in March, for a new club record £29,999.
United were never in contention to retain the Championship and eventually finished eighth in the table, some eight points adrift of Arsenal the new Champions.
In the F.A. Cup they were beaten at Goodison Park in the fifth round after almost slipping up against amateurs Walthamstow Avenue. Held 1-1 at Old Trafford they made no mistake in the replay played at Highbury, winning 5-2.
The F.A. Youth Cup was introduced in 1952/53. United's youths, managed and coached by Jimmy Murphy, met Stan Cullis' Wolves side in the two legged Final. Still smarting from the loss of Duncan Edwards to United, Wolves lost the first leg at Old Trafford 7-1! The second leg was drawn 2-2.
United's home and change kits were unchanged.
Heavy woollen green jerseys had been adopted almost universally by League clubs as the standard goalkeeper's kit. The only differences were to the material (coarser or finer, largely depending upon a club's financial state), and the depth of the polo neck.
We believe the change shirt, which was seldom used, would have been royal blue although the limitations of black and white photography make it impossible to accurately confirm the shirt's colour.