1994–95 Manchester United F.C. season

Manchester United
1994–95 season
Chairman	Martin Edwards
Manager	Alex Ferguson
FA Premier League	2nd
FA Cup	Runners-up
League Cup	Third round
UEFA Champions League	Group stage
Charity Shield	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: ; Andrei Kanchelskis (14); All: ; Andrei Kanchelskis (15)
Highest home attendance	43,868 vs Sheffield Wednesday (7 May 1995)
Lowest home attendance	31,615 vs Port Vale (5 October 1994)
Average home league attendance	43,682
	← 1993–94 1995–96 →

The 1994–95 season was Manchester United's third season in the Premier League, and their 20th consecutive season in the top division of English football.^[1]

United acquired David May from Blackburn Rovers early on in the season. They then bought Andy Cole from Newcastle United in January for a British record fee of £7 million (£6 million cash with £1 million-rated Keith Gillespie in part-exchange). That month, Eric Cantona was involved in an incident away to Crystal Palace. As a result of abuse received from a fan, Cantona broke free of kitman Norman Davies' grasp as he was escorting him from the pitch after being sent off, and launched a kung-fu style kick at the fan. Cantona was banned from football for eight months and fined £20,000 by his club and a further £10,000 by the Football Association.

United lost the Premier League title on the last day when, despite Blackburn Rovers losing to Liverpool, United could only manage a draw away to West Ham United. The misery continued when Manchester United went on to lose to Everton in the 1995 FA Cup final.

After the season was over, United sold Paul Ince to Internazionale and Mark Hughes to Chelsea, while Andrei Kanchelskis was placed on the transfer list, eventually agreeing a deal with Everton.

Pre-season and friendlies

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
30 July 1994	Dundalk	A	4–2	Hughes (2), Giggs, Ince	4,500
1 August 1994	Shelbourne	A	3–0	Cantona, Ince, McClair	12,500
3 August 1994	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	2–1	Ince, Blades (o.g.)	28,500
5 August 1994	Newcastle United	N	1–1 (5–6p)	Cantona	27,282
6 August 1994	Rangers	A	0–1		30,186
9 August 1994	Cambridge United	A	1–1	Sharpe	9,194
16 August 1994	Middlesbrough	A	3–0	Hughes (2), Sharpe	19,658

FA Charity Shield

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
14 August 1994	Blackburn Rovers	N	2–0	Cantona 22' (pen.), Ince 81'	60,402

FA Premier League

League table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Blackburn Rovers (C)	42	27	8	7	80	39	+41	89	Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2	Manchester United	42	26	10	6	77	28	+49	88	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round^[a]
3	Nottingham Forest	42	22	11	9	72	43	+29	77
4	Liverpool	42	21	11	10	65	37	+28	74
5	Leeds United	42	20	13	9	59	38	+21	73

Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:

^ Leeds United were rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.

Results by round

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42
Ground	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	H	A
Result	W	D	W	W	L	W	L	W	L	W	W	W	W	W	W	D	W	W	L	W	D	D	W	D	W	D	W	W	W	L	W	W	D	L	W	D	W	D	W	W	W	D
Position	3	1	3	2	5	3	4	4	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; = Champions, Qualified to the 1995-96 UEFA Champions League; = Qualified to the 1995-96 UEFA Cup First Round; = Relegated to First Division; c = Qualified from the 1995-96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup First Round as FA Cup winners.

Matches

20 August 1994 1	Manchester United	2–0	Queens Park Rangers	Greater Manchester
BST	Hughes 48' McClair 69'	3rd		Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,214

22 August 1994 2	Nottingham Forest	1–1	Manchester United	West Bridgford
BST	Collymore 26' Des Lyttle Roy Woan	1st	23'Kanchelskis Roy Keane	Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 22,072 Referee: Alan Wilkie

27 August 1994 3	Tottenham Hotspur	0–1	Manchester United	Tottenham
8:00 BST	Anderton 89'	Report	49'Bruce 89' Giggs	Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 24,502 Referee: Keith Burge

31 August 1994 4	Manchester United	3–0	Wimbledon	Greater Manchester
BST	Cantona 40' McClair 81' Giggs 84'	2nd		Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,440 Referee: Terence Holbrook

11 September 1994 5	Leeds United	2–1	Manchester United	Leeds
09:00 BST	Wetherall 13' Deane 49' Deane 59' Masinga 86' Palmer 89' Noel Whelan 89' Speed 89' Gary Kelly 89'	Report	74' (pen) Cantona 89' May	Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 39,396 Referee: David Elleray

17 September 1994 6	Manchester United	2–0	Liverpool	Greater Manchester
8:00 BST	Kanchelskis 73' McClair 74' May Bruce Cantona	Report	Neil Ruddock Rob Jones	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,740

24 September 1994 7	Ipswich Town	3–2	Manchester United	Ipswich
BST	Paul Mason 15' Paul Mason 43' Steve Sedgley 80', Palmer	Report	71'Cantona 74' Scholes Ince Keane Irwin	Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 22,559 Referee: Peter Jones

1 October 1994 8	Manchester United	2–0	Everton	Greater Manchester
BST	Kanchelskis 41' Sharpe 88', Bruce	Report	Parkinson Snodin	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,803 Referee: Graham Poll

8 October 1994 9	Sheffield Wednesday	1–0	Manchester United	Sheffield
BST	David Hirst 44' Andy Pearce	Report	Sharpe Bruce	Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 33,441 Referee: Paul Danson

15 October 1994 10	Manchester United	1–0	West Ham United	Greater Manchester
BST	Cantona 44' Butt 44' Sharpe	Report		Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,795 Referee: Rodger Gifford

23 October 1994 11	Blackburn Rovers	2–4	Manchester United	Blackburn
BST	Paul Warhurst 13' Colin Hendry 51' Sutton Berg 44'	Report	45' (pen) Cantona 52' Kanchelskis 82' Kanchelskis 67' Hughes Bruce	Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 30,260 Referee: Gerald Ashby

29 October 1994 12	Manchester United	2–0	Newcastle United	Greater Manchester
BST	Pallister 11' Gillespie 77' Bruce	Report		Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,795 Referee: Joe Worrall

6 November 1994 13	Aston Villa	1–2	Manchester United	Birmingham
GMT	Dalian Atkinson 29' Paul McGrath	Report	41' Ince 51' Kanchelskis Bruce Gillespie	Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 32,136 Referee: Philip Don

10 November 1994 14	Manchester United	5–0	Manchester City	Greater Manchester
GMT	Cantona 24' Kanchelskis 43' Kanchelskis 47' Hughes 70' Kanchelskis 89' Hughes	Report	Nicky Summerbee Edghill Ian Brightwell Niall Quinn Terry Phelan	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,738 Referee: Keith Cooper

19 November 1994 15	Manchester United	3–0	Crystal Palace	Greater Manchester
GMT	Irwin 8' Cantona 34' Kanchelskis 51'	Report	Gareth Southgate 67' Darren Patterson	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,788 Referee: Brian Hill

26 November 1994 16	Arsenal	0–0	Manchester United	London
GMT	Dickov 44' McGoldrick	Report	33' Butt 72' Gillespie 78' Hughes Ince	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,301 Referee: Kelvin Morton

3 December 1994 17	Manchester United	1–0	Norwich City	Greater Manchester
GMT	Cantona 36' Gary Neville	Report	Mark Bowen	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,789 Referee: Terry Holbrook

10 December 1994 18	Queens Park Rangers	3–2	Manchester United	London
GMT	Les Ferdinand 63' Les Ferdinand 64', Alan McDonald	Report	34', 48'Scholes 45' Keane 77' Gary Neville Ince Irwin McClair	Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 18,948 Referee: Graham Poll

17 December 1994 19	Manchester United	1–2	Nottingham Forest	Greater Manchester
09:00 GMT	Cantona 68' Giggs Keane	Report	35' Collymore 62', Pearce 83' Roy Ian Woan Chettle Stone Lyttle	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,789 Referee: Terry Holbrook

26 December 1994 20	Chelsea	2–3	Manchester United	Fulham
GMT	John Spencer 58' (pen), Eddie Newton 77' Craig Burley	Report	22 'Hughes 46' (pen )Cantona 79 'McClair Gary Neville Butt Cantona Keane	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 31,161 Referee: Mike Reed

28 December 1994 21	Manchester United	1–1	Leicester City	Greater Manchester
GMT	Kanchelskis 61' Hughes 68'	Report	65' Mike Whitlow 72' Lee Philpott	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,789 Referee: Dermot Gallagher

31 December 1994 22	Southampton	2–2	Manchester United	Southampton
GMT	Jim Magilton 44' David Hughes 74' Jason Dodd Kenneth Monkou Francis Benali	Report	51' Butt 79' Pallister 74' McClair Cantona Hughes Butt	Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 16,708 Referee: Martin Bodenham

3 January 1995 23	Manchester United	2–0	Coventry City	Greater Manchester
14:00 GMT	Scholes 30' Cantona 50' (pen) Gary Neville Steve Bruce	Report	48' Steven Pressley	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,130 Referee: Gary Willard

15 January 1995 24	Newcastle United	1–1	Manchester United	Newcastle Upon Tyne
10:00 GMT	Paul Kitson 67' Robbie Elliott	Report	13' Hughes Keane Lee Sharpe	Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 34,471 Referee: Stephen Lodge

22 January 1995 25	Manchester United	1–0	Blackburn Rovers	Greater Manchester
10:00 GMT	Cantona 80', Bruce	Report	Sutton Le Saux Alan Wright	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,742 Referee: Paul Durkin

25 January 1995 26	Crystal Palace	1–1	Manchester United	London
13:45 GMT	Gareth Southgate 79' Chris Armstrong Darren Pitcher Chris Coleman	Report	57' May 47' Cantona Keane	Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 18,224 Referee: Alan Wilkie

4 February 1995 27	Manchester United	1–0	Aston Villa	Greater Manchester
09:00 GMT	Cole 18' Ince	Report	Paul McGrath	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,795 Referee: David Elleray

11 February 1995 28	Manchester City	0–3	Manchester United	Moss Side
09:00 GMT	Peter Beagrie 62' David Brightwell Uwe Rösler	Report	58', Ince 74' Kanchelskis 78' Cole	Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 26,368 Referee: Keith Cooper

22 February 1995 29	Norwich City	0–2	Manchester United	Norwich
13:45 GMT	John Polston	Report	3' Ince 17' Kanchelskis	Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 21,824 Referee: Terry Holbrook

25 February 1995 30	Everton	1–0	Manchester United	Merseyside
09:00 GMT	Ferguson 58' John Ebbrell 72'	Report	Ince	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 40,011 Referee: Joe Worrall

4 March 1995 31	Manchester United	9–0	Ipswich Town	Greater Manchester
15:00 GMT	Keane 16' Cole 24' Cole 37' Cole 53' Hughes 54', Hughes 59' Cole 65' Ince 73' Cole 89'	Report	Craig Forrest David Linighan	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,804 Referee: Graham Poll

7 March 1995 32	Wimbledon	1–0	Manchester United	London
13:45 GMT	Alan Kimble 70' Dean Holdsworth Gary Elkins	Report	84' Bruce Lee Sharpe	Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 18,224 Referee: Robert Hart

15 March 1995 33	Manchester United	0–0	Tottenham Hotspur	Greater Manchester
14:00 GMT	Giggs Sharpe	Report	Colin Calderwood	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,802 Referee: Kelvin Morton

19 March 1995 34	Liverpool	2–0	Manchester United	Liverpool
10:00 GMT	Redknapp 25', Michael Thomas 28' Bruce 85' (o.g.)	Report	83' Keane Bruce	Stadium: Anfield Road Attendance: 38,906 Referee: Martin Bodenham

22 March 1995 35	Manchester United	3–0	Arsenal	Greater Manchester
14:00 GMT	Hughes 27' Sharpe 32' Kanchelskis 80' Bruce	Report	Bould Keown Wright	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,623 Referee: Keith Cooper

2 April 1995 36	Manchester United	0–0	Leeds United	Greater Manchester
07:00 BST		Report	Rod Wallace Gary Kelly Gary McAllister	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,712 Referee: Rodger Gifford

15 April 1995 37	Leicester City	0–4	Manchester United	Leicester
08:00 BST		Report	34'Sharpe 45' Cole 53' Cole 90' Ince	Stadium: Filbert Street Attendance: 21,281 Referee: Martin Bodenham

17 April 1995 38	Manchester United	0–0	Chelsea	Greater Manchester
08:00 BST		Report	66' Paul Furlong David Lee Mark Stein Frank Sinclair Steve Clarke	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,728 Referee: Stephen Lodge

1 May 1995 39	Coventry City	2–3	Manchester United	Coventry
13:00 BST	Peter Ndlovu 39' Steven Pressley 72' Marcus Hall Brian Borrows	Report	33' Scholes 56' Cole 79', Cole Lee Sharpe Gary Neville	Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 21,885 Referee: Philip Don

7 May 1995 40	Manchester United	1–0	Sheffield Wednesday	Greater Manchester
09:00 BST	May 6' Hughes	Report	Andy Pearce Des Walker	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,868 Referee: Paul Durkin

10 May 1995 41	Manchester United	2–1	Southampton	Greater Manchester
13:00 BST	Cole 22' Irwin 81' (pen) Bruce	Report	5' Simon Charlton 12' Tommy Widdrington 31' Neil Heaney Jason Dodd	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 43,479 Referee: Paul Danson

14 May 1995 42	West Ham United	1–1	Manchester United	London
09:00 BST	Michael Hughes 31' Matt Holmes Tim Breacker	Report	53' McClair	Stadium: Boleyn Ground Attendance: 24,783 Referee: Alan Wilkie

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
9 January 1995	Round 3	Sheffield United	A	2–0	Hughes 80', Cantona 82'	22,322
28 January 1995	Round 4	Wrexham	H	5–2	Irwin (2) 17', 74' (pen.), Giggs 27', McClair 67', Humes 81' (o.g.)	43,222
19 February 1995	Round 5	Leeds United	H	3–1	Bruce 2', McClair 5', Hughes 72'	42,744
12 March 1995	Round 6	Queens Park Rangers	H	2–0	Sharpe 23', Irwin 53'	42,830
9 April 1995	Semi-final	Crystal Palace	N	2–2 (a.e.t.)	Irwin 70', Pallister 97'	38,256
12 April 1995	Semi-final Replay	Crystal Palace	N	2–0	Bruce 30', Pallister 41'	17,987
20 May 1995	Final	Everton	N	0–1		79,592

League Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
21 September 1994	Round 2 First leg	Port Vale	A	2–1	Scholes (2) 36', 53'	18,605
5 October 1994	Round 2 Second leg	Port Vale	H	2–0	McClair 35', May 61'	31,615
26 October 1994	Round 3	Newcastle United	A	0–2		34,178

UEFA Champions League

Group stage

Date	Opponents	H / A	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
14 September 1994	IFK Göteborg	H	4–2	Giggs (2) 33', 66', Kanchelskis 48', Sharpe 71'	33,625
28 September 1994	Galatasaray	A	0–0		28,605
19 October 1994	Barcelona	H	2–2	Hughes 20', Sharpe 80'	40,064
2 November 1994	Barcelona	A	0–4		114,273
23 November 1994	IFK Göteborg	A	1–3	Hughes 64'	36,350
7 December 1994	Galatasaray	H	4–0	Davies 3', Beckham 38', Keane 49', Bülent (o.g.) 88'	39,220

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	IFK Göteborg	6	4	1	1	10	7	+3	9	Advance to knockout stage
2	Barcelona	6	2	2	2	11	8	+3	6	Advance to knockout stage
3	Manchester United	6	2	2	2	11	11	0	6
4	Galatasaray	6	1	1	4	3	9	−6	3

Source: UEFA

Squad statistics

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Premier League		FA Cup		League Cup		UEFA Champions League
No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	DEN	Peter Schmeichel	42	0	32	0	7	0	0	0	3	0
27	DF	ENG	Gary Neville	27	0	16+2	0	4	0	2+1	0	1+1	0
4	DF	ENG	Steve Bruce	47	4	35	2	5	2	1	0	5+1	0
6	DF	ENG	Gary Pallister	57	4	42	2	7	2	2	0	6	0
3	DF	IRL	Denis Irwin	54	6	40	2	7	4	2	0	5	0
14	MF	RUS	Andrei Kanchelskis	38	15	25+5	14	2+1	0	0	0	5	1
8	MF	ENG	Paul Ince	47	5	36	5	6	0	0	0	5	0
11	MF	WAL	Ryan Giggs	39	4	29	1	6+1	1	0	0	3	2
5	MF	ENG	Lee Sharpe	40	6	26+2	3	6+1	1	0+2	0	3	2
9	FW	SCO	Brian McClair	52	8	35+5	5	6+1	2	3	1	2	0
10	FW	WAL	Mark Hughes	45	12	33+1	8	6	2	0	0	5	2
13	GK	ENG	Gary Walsh	16	0	10	0	0	0	3	0	3	0
16	MF	IRL	Roy Keane	37	3	23+2	2	6+1	0	1	0	4	1
7	FW	FRA	Eric Cantona	24	13	21	12	1	1	0	0	2	0
17	FW	ENG	Andy Cole	18	12	17+1	12	0	0	0	0	0	0
12	DF	ENG	David May	26	3	15+4	2	1	0	2	1	4	0
19	MF	ENG	Nicky Butt	35	1	11+11	1	3+1	0	3	0	5+1	0
24	MF	ENG	Paul Scholes	25	7	6+11	5	1+2	0	3	2	0+2	0
31	MF	NIR	Keith Gillespie	12	1	3+6	1	0	0	3	0	0	0
18	MF	WAL	Simon Davies	10	1	3+2	0	0	0	3	0	2	1
28	MF	ENG	David Beckham	10	1	2+2	0	1+1	0	3	0	1	1
2	DF	ENG	Paul Parker	5	0	1+1	0	0	0	0	0	2+1	0
23	DF	ENG	Phil Neville	3	0	1+1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
25	GK	ENG	Kevin Pilkington	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
15	FW	ENG	Graeme Tomlinson	2	0	0	0	0	0	0+2	0	0	0
20	MF	ENG	Terry Cooke	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
21	DF	NIR	Pat McGibbon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
26	DF	ENG	Chris Casper	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
29	MF	ENG	Ben Thornley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
30	DF	ENG	John O'Kane	3	0	0	0	1	0	1+1	0	0	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Events of the season

Pre season

United's only major signing of the close season was David May, the 24-year-old Blackburn Rovers defender signed for a fee of £1.4 million^[2] with a view to becoming an eventual successor to the ageing Steve Bruce in the centre of defence, as well as being capable of playing at right-back.^[3] Alex Ferguson also added to the reserve ranks with a £100,000 move to 18-year-old Bradford City striker Graeme Tomlinson.^[4]

"Captain Marvel" Bryan Robson had left at the end of the 1993–94 season after 13 years at United to become player-manager of Middlesbrough.^[5] Clayton Blackmore, another of United's longest-serving players, also called time on more than a decade at Old Trafford, having missed the whole 1993–94 season through injuries, to join Robson on Teesside.^[6]

Goalkeeper Les Sealey was given a free transfer, having kept goal for United in two 18-month spells since December 1989,^[7] as was fellow veteran Mike Phelan, who had given five years of service in midfield.^[8] Just after the start of the season, defender Neil Whitworth^[9] and striker Colin McKee also headed out of the Old Trafford exit door, signing for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier Division.^[10]

August

United's season began on 14 August 1994 at Wembley Stadium, where they took on Blackburn Rovers in the FA Charity Shield. They won 2–0 with a penalty from Eric Cantona and another goal from Paul Ince.^[11] Their league campaign began six days later at Old Trafford, where they took on Queen's Park Rangers and triumphed 2–0. A 1–1 draw at newly promoted Nottingham Forest followed, before a 1–0 win at Tottenham Hotspur and finally a 3–0 home win over Wimbledon, which saw United end the month in second place after four games with only Newcastle United ahead of them.^[12]

September

September saw United's league challenge continue, and they also began their challenges in the League Cup and the Champions League. On 11 September, they fell to their first defeat of the season, losing 2–1 to Leeds United. They also lost their next away game, a shock 3–2 loss at a struggling Ipswich Town side. On the scoresheet for United in that game was 19-year-old striker Paul Scholes, who had found the net twice three days earlier on his competitive debut in the League Cup second round first leg at Vale Park, where they beat Port Vale 2–1.^[13] Their Champions League quest started on a high note as they beat IFK Gothenburg of Sweden 4–2 at Old Trafford in their first group game, though they were held to a goalless draw in Istanbul by Galatasaray (who had knocked them out in the second knockout round the previous season) in the next European clash.

October

October was another mixed month for United, who began with a 2–0 home win over a crumbling Everton side, before being beaten 1–0 at Sheffield Wednesday in their next game. They then achieved a 1–0 home win over West Ham United, followed four days later by a 2–2 home draw with Spanish giants FC Barcelona in the third Champions League group match at Old Trafford. They then travelled to Ewood Park for a league clash with fellow title chasers Blackburn Rovers, winning the game 4–2 with two goals from influential winger Andrei Kanchelskis, to move ahead of Kenny Dalglish's side in the title race, but still leaving themselves seven points behind leaders Newcastle United and five points adrift of second placed Nottingham Forest.^[14]

They were then eliminated from the League Cup by a 2–0 third round defeat at Newcastle United, but gained their revenge on the Tynesiders in the league three days later with a 2–0 win at Old Trafford, meaning that they had cut Newcastle's lead further by the end of the month.^[15]

November

November brought more erratic performances for United. The month began with a 4–0 demolition at Barcelona in the Champions League. They did bounce back in the league four days later with a 2–1 win at Aston Villa just days before the dismissal of former United manager Ron Atkinson as the Villa manager. Then came a superb 5–0 home win over Manchester City in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, in which Andrei Kanchelskis scored a hat-trick, to cut Newcastle's lead of the Premier League to a mere two points.^[16] They also achieved a 3–0 home win over struggling Crystal Palace in the next game, which was overshadowed by a back injury to goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, ruling him out of action for the next 10 league games, during which his place between the sticks was taken by Gary Walsh with the young Kevin Pilkington on standby.^[17]

United suffered perhaps their most humiliating defeat of the whole season on 23 November, when they travelled to Gothenburg for the fifth of their sixth Champions League games and came away on the receiving end of a 3–1 defeat, in which Paul Ince was sent off. The result left them needing a miracle to reach the quarter-finals; progression only being possible if Gothenburg managed to beat Barcelona in their final group game as well as United beating Galatasaray at Old Trafford in theirs.^[18]

The month ended in a goalless draw with Arsenal at Highbury, in which Mark Hughes was sent off and Paul Ince was stretchered off after injuring his ankle blocking a shot from Arsenal's John Jensen.

December

A 4–0 home win over Galatasary, with first goals from young midfielders David Beckham and Simon Davies, was not enough to prevent them from bowing out of the Champions League at the group stage, but at least it freed them up to concentrate on their domestic season.

December brought some more strong performances from United on the league scene, as they defeated Norwich City, Queen's Park Rangers and Chelsea. However, they suffered their first home defeat in nine months on 17 December when they lost 2–1 at home to Nottingham Forest – when a victory would have sent them to the top of the table.^[19] They blew another chance to go top on 28 December when they were held to a 1–1 draw at home by second-from-bottom Leicester City.^[20] They finished the year with a 2–2 draw at Southampton, in which 19-year-old midfielder Nicky Butt scored his first senior goal.

January

1995 began with a 2–0 home win over Coventry City, followed six days later by the beginning of their FA Cup quest, which began at Bramall Lane where they beat Sheffield United 2–0 in the third round.

After a failed bid to sign Nottingham Forest's Stan Collymore,^[21] United broke the national transfer record on 10 January 1995 in a £7 million deal to sign 23-year-old striker Andy Cole from Newcastle United. Cole, who was the Premier League's top scorer in 1993–94 with 34 goals and had already managed nine in 1994–95, cost United £6 million in cash, with £1 million-rated winger Keith Gillespie moving in the opposite direction.^[22] Five days later, the two sides met at St James' Park in the league, but neither player turned out for their new side in the game which ended in a 1–1 draw. United had gone ahead with an early goal from Mark Hughes, who suffered a knee injury in the process and was ruled out until the following month, before Newcastle equalised with a goal from Paul Kitson – the man taking Cole's place in the Newcastle attack.

On 22 January, United hosted Blackburn Rovers – still top of the table – at Old Trafford in the league. An Eric Cantona goal won them the game 1–0 to cut Blackburn's lead to two points.^[23]

25 January 1995 saw one of the most controversial events in the history of Manchester United football club. In the 48th minute of a 1–1 league draw with struggling Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Eric Cantona was sent off for kicking out at Palace defender Richard Shaw, and then faced verbal abuse from the Palace fans. He reacted to the taunts of one Palace fan, 21-year-old Matthew Simmons, by launching a kung-fu kick at him and trading blows with his hands. Within 48 hours, the club had fined Cantona £20,000 and suspended him from the first team for the rest of the season.^[24] The Football Association soon extended the ban to eight months (up to and including 30 September 1995) and fined him a further £10,000. Cantona later admitted common assault at Croydon Magistrates' Court and received a 14-day prison sentence, though he was bailed pending an appeal against it. On appeal, this was reduced to a 120-hour community service order.^[25]

Three days after the Cantona incident, United kept their FA Cup quest going with a 5–2 home win over Wrexham in the fourth round.

February

Andy Cole's first United goal came on 4 February 1995, the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Aston Villa in the league.^[26] At this stage, United were two points behind Blackburn, and the title race was now looking like a two-horse race with United nine points ahead of third placed Newcastle United.^[27] The second Manchester derby of the season, at Maine Road, was United's next game, which they won comfortably by a 3–0 scoreline to take a brief lead at the top of the table.^[28] Then they defeated Leeds United 3–1 in the FA Cup fifth round, before winning 2–0 at Carrow Road against a Norwich City side who had chased them for the title two seasons earlier but were now sinking down the league table after early promise for the second season in a row.^[29] However, the month ended on a sour note with a 1–0 defeat at Everton – United's first since their 2–1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest before Christmas. A landslide victory in that game would have put United top on goal difference.^[30]

March

4 March 1995 saw United set two notable new records in the Premier League. Their 9–0 home win over Ipswich Town was the biggest victory margin and saw them score the highest number of goals in any game in the league's three-season history. Andy Cole's five goals were the most scored by any player in a Premier League game. The result meant that United were still three points behind leaders Blackburn, but had a greater goal difference.^[31] They did briefly regain the lead of the league three days later with a Steve Bruce goal giving them a 1–0 win at Wimbledon,^[32] There was more success in their next game as they beat Queen's Park Rangers (player-managed by former United midfielder Ray Wilkins) 2–0 in the FA Cup quarter final at Old Trafford. Then came a goalless draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the league – the first time United had failed to score at Old Trafford in the league all season. Their title hopes were hit by an even bigger blow four days later when they were beaten 2–0 by Liverpool at Anfield – their first defeat to Liverpool for three years. They were now six points behind leaders Blackburn.^[33] The next game saw United keep their title hopes alive with a comfortable 3–0 home win over Arsenal.

April

April began with more disappointment for the Reds, who were held to a goalless draw at home by Leeds United. With six games left to play, they were now five points behind leaders Blackburn, who had a game in hand.^[34]

United's opponents in the FA Cup semi final were Crystal Palace, who held them to a 2–2 draw in extra time at Villa Park. With bad blood between fans of the two clubs still boiling over the Cantona incident more than two months earlier, a more serious cloud hung over the replay (also at Villa Park) as a Palace fan had been killed in fighting between fans of the two clubs outside a Walsall public house just before the game. During the first half, Roy Keane suffered ankle injury due to a rash tackle by Palace's Darren Pitcher, and resisted Ferguson's offer to substitute him at half time, when he needed stitches. Just into the second half, Keane's injury was aggravated by another Palace tackle, this time from Gareth Southgate. He reacted by stamping on Southgate and earned himself a red card.^[35] Keane was then attacked by Palace's Darren Patterson, who was also sent off. It seemed likely that Keane would miss the rest of the season and the FA Cup final (which United reached by winning the semi-final replay 2–0) but ultimately he was back in action for the final, having already served his three-match ban for bringing the game into disrepute.^[36]

After the drama of the FA Cup semi final, United resumed league action and travelled to Filbert Street where they took on an already relegated Leicester side who had held them to a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford less than four months earlier. They won this game 4–0 to remain in contention for the title, though they were still six points behind Blackburn with five games remaining.^[37] However, they were held to a 0–0 draw at Old Trafford by Chelsea two days later, though due to Blackburn losing their game they were now just five points behind the leaders. But time was running out, with both sides just having four games to go.^[38]

May

After a two-week break, United returned to action on 1 May, when they faced Coventry City at Highfield Road. The midlanders were now managed by former United manager Ron Atkinson. They won 3–2 to ensure that the home side's survival remained far from certain, but more importantly they ensured that their challenge for the title remained very much alive. Blackburn had slipped up in their last two games, meaning that United had cut their lead to five points – and had a game in hand.^[39] In the next game six days later, David May scored the only goal of a 1–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday to cut United's deficit behind his old club to two points with two games to go.^[40] This meant that a victory over Southampton at Old Trafford on 10 May would keep United in the title race right up to the very last game. United went down 1–0 in the fifth minute as the Saints scored through Simon Charlton, only for Andy Cole to equalise in the 21st minute. However, United were still being held to a 1–1 score well into the second half, and the championship celebrations were just minutes away from beginning in Blackburn. Then came an 80th-minute goal by Denis Irwin which won the game 2–1 for United and kept their title bid alive.^[41] The last game of the season, on 14 May, saw United travel to Upton Park for a clash with a West Ham United side who had just secured their safety. Blackburn, in contrast, had to travel to Anfield for a clash with Kenny Dalglish's old club Liverpool; their game undoubtedly appeared much harder on paper as Liverpool had finished fourth in the league and won the League Cup. However, the Hammers shocked United by going ahead in the 31st minute through Michael Hughes. Brian McClair did equalise in the 52nd minute, and as the game wore on United fought against the clock to score a winner, but West Ham remained resilient and after two late blunders by Andy Cole, the game ended 1–1 and United lost the title, which went to Blackburn in spite of their 2–1 defeat at Liverpool.^[42]

The FA Cup final on 20 May 1995 saw United beaten 1–0 by Everton at Wembley, with Paul Rideout scoring the only goal of the game, to leave them without a major trophy for the first time in six years.^[43]

Close season

The end of the 1994–95 season saw the demolition of the 30-year-old North Stand at Old Trafford, to make way for a new 26,800-seat stand costing nearly £30 million, which would be fully operational within a year and increase Old Trafford's capacity to more than 57,000.

A month after the season ended, two of the club's key players were sold. The first was Paul Ince, who agreed to sign for Italian side Internazionale for a fee of £7.5 million. Within 24 hours of Ince's transfer, striker Mark Hughes was sold to Chelsea for £1.5 million, much to the dismay of many of the club's fans. Ince had been linked with the Italian giants for some time, but Hughes's departure came as something of a surprise, despite the arrival of Andy Cole in January and the knowledge that Eric Cantona had signed a new three-year contract with the club three months into his eight-month suspension. Soon after, the club announced that a transfer request from top scorer Andrei Kanchelskis had been accepted. After interest from Liverpool and Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough, Kanchelskis agreed to sign for Everton in a £5 million deal, although complications over the contract meant that the transfer was not completed until a few days into the 1995–96 season.

On 6 August, Eric Cantona headed back to France and informed Manchester United of his intention to quit English football, frustrated at the terms of his ban, and fearing that he would be faced with fresh disciplinary action after United had been censured by the FA for fielding Cantona in what they chose to define as a friendly match. However, he quickly went back on his decision and was soon back at Old Trafford, training with his colleagues and looking forward to his return to action.

As the first game of the 1995–96 season loomed, United had still yet to make a major signing.

References

^ "Manchester United Season 1994/95". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
^ "Sporting Heroes".
^ "May's Days". Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
^ "Graeme Murdoch Tomlinson".
^ "Manchester United Legends".
^ "Sporting Heroes".
^ "Sporting Heroes".
^ "Sporting Heroes".
^ "Neil Anthony Whitworth".
^ "Colin McKee".
^ "1994/95 Charity Shield".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 31st August 1994".
^ "Yaya Toure not fit to lace Paul Scholes' boots". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 23rd October 1994".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 29th October 1994".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 10th November 1994".
^ "Schmeichel out for six weeks". New Straits Times.
^ "UEFA Champions League 94/95 / IFK Gothenburg vs Man Utd". Statbunker.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 17th December 1994".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 28th December 1994".
^ "Stan Collymore factfile". The Guardian. London. 7 March 2001.
^ "Hot shot Cole Now a Red Devil". New Straits Times.
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 22nd January 1995".
^ "1995: Cantona banned over attack on fan". BBC News. 27 January 1995.
^ "ERIC CANTONA ATTACKS PALACE SUPPORTER". Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
^ "Andy Cole Fact File 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 4th February 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 11th February 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 22nd February 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 25th February 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 4th March 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 7th March 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 19th March 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 2nd April 1995".
^ "Roy Keane and the Gareth Southgate Stamping Incident". 22 December 2022.
^ "Keane hit with fine after ban". The Independent. London. 27 May 1995. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 15th April 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 17th April 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 1st May 1995".
^ "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 7th May 1995".
^ "Manchester United vs Southampton – 10 May 1995". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
^ "Manchester United vs West Ham United – 14 May 1995". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
^ Bevan, Chris (17 April 2009). "When Everton won the FA Cup". BBC News.

[table_note_res_UC10.92492891518629-2] Leeds United were rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.

[1] "Manchester United Season 1994/95". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2008.

[3] "Sporting Heroes".

[4] "May's Days". Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

[5] "Graeme Murdoch Tomlinson".

[6] "Manchester United Legends".

[7] "Sporting Heroes".

[8] "Sporting Heroes".

[9] "Sporting Heroes".

[10] "Neil Anthony Whitworth".

[11] "Colin McKee".

[12] "1994/95 Charity Shield".

[13] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 31st August 1994".

[14] "Yaya Toure not fit to lace Paul Scholes' boots". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

[15] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 23rd October 1994".

[16] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 29th October 1994".

[17] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 10th November 1994".

[18] "Schmeichel out for six weeks". New Straits Times.

[19] "UEFA Champions League 94/95 / IFK Gothenburg vs Man Utd". Statbunker.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

[20] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 17th December 1994".

[21] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 28th December 1994".

[22] "Stan Collymore factfile". The Guardian. London. 7 March 2001.

[23] "Hot shot Cole Now a Red Devil". New Straits Times.

[24] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 22nd January 1995".

[25] "1995: Cantona banned over attack on fan". BBC News. 27 January 1995.

[26] "ERIC CANTONA ATTACKS PALACE SUPPORTER". Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

[27] "Andy Cole Fact File 1995".

[28] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 4th February 1995".

[29] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 11th February 1995".

[30] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 22nd February 1995".

[31] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 25th February 1995".

[32] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 4th March 1995".

[33] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 7th March 1995".

[34] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 19th March 1995".

[35] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 2nd April 1995".

[36] "Roy Keane and the Gareth Southgate Stamping Incident". 22 December 2022.

[37] "Keane hit with fine after ban". The Independent. London. 27 May 1995. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.

[38] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 15th April 1995".

[39] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 17th April 1995".

[40] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 1st May 1995".

[41] "F.A. Carling Premiership 1994/1995. Historical league standings at 7th May 1995".

[42] "Manchester United vs Southampton – 10 May 1995". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.

[43] "Manchester United vs West Ham United – 14 May 1995". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.

[44] Bevan, Chris (17 April 2009). "When Everton won the FA Cup". BBC News.

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