On this day in 1953, Sunderland were eventually defeated away against Manchester United — the first time in five trips to Old Trafford, that the Lads had lost to the Red Devils.
This brilliant sequence had finally been broken and according to all accounts, it was a deserved win for the home team. Despite a late rally by Sunderland and enough chances to get something out of the game, there really could be no complaints about the final outcome as we’d been outsmarted for the majority of the match.
There
was a late fitness test for the great Len Shackleton and it wasn’t until two hours before kick off that Sunderland decided to take a chance on the inside right and include him in the starting line up. He hadn’t trained during the week due to a heavy cold, but when the player announced that he was prepared to “have a go”, the original team was allowed to stand.
Manager Bill Murray made six changes to the line up that had drawn at Stamford Bridge the week before, and the Lads were backed by a loud and vociferous away support that had arrived by bus and rail and added to the near 37,000 attendance. There weren’t many families who owned a car in those days; public transport was much more relied upon and much more reliable!
Jimmy Cowan was the first goal keeper in action.
A free kick awarded against Albert Snell was taken by United’s Jeff Whitefoot, who found Tommy Taylor’s head, and although Cowan had little difficulty in collecting the header, he had to smartly side step the centre forward’s follow-up charge. We were still in the era where goalkeepers weren’t wrapped in cotton wool like today, and were frequently barged and pushed.
Shackleton the sent a long ball forward, trying to release Billy Bingham, who managed to hold off United full back Roger Byrne, but just didn’t quite have the strength to put in a meaningful cross.
Sunderland centre forward Tommy Wright broke clear of his markers and a cross found him diving to head the ball into the net — unfortunately, it was offside. Snell then brought Harry Elliot into the game with a through ball, but United’s right back John Aston put in a heavy tackle, which ultimately meant Elliot had to go off with a suspected fractured wrist.
These early forays by the Lads tell the whole story of the game and although we went in at 0-0 at half time, it was United that had most control of the ball.
Matt Busby’s side enjoyed a great deal of dominance which eventually told in the 60th minute when Jack Rowley found the back of the net. His nickname of ‘the Gunner’ (gained because of his powerful and ferocious shooting power) was quite apt.
For the first seventy five minutes of the match, Sunderland were largely outplayed. Yet strangely, in the closing quarter of an hour, once we were a goal behind, a great fighting display was shown and we could’ve taken a point — or even won it — if luck had just been a little kinder.
Despite a first defeat at Old Trafford in over five years, there were still positives to be taken from the encounter. There was some good attacking intent shown by Snell and Anderson, and in view of Shackleton’s lack of fitness, he still put in a good display.
Man of the match however, had to go to goalkeeper Cowan, who gave a magnificent performance behind a defence that had been repeatedly ripped apart for much of the game.
10 October 1953
Football League First Division
Old Trafford
Attendance: 36,482
Referee: H.Webb
Manchester United 1 (Rowley 60’)
Sunderland 0
Manchester United: Wood; Aston, Byrne, Whitefoot; Chilton, Cockburn, Pearson; Rowley, Berry, Taylor; McShane
Sunderland: Cowan; Hudgell, Stelling, Snell; Aitken, Anderson, Watson; Shackleton, Elliott, Wright; Bingham
