Arthur ALBISTON

 Arthur Albiston signed for Manchester United as a trainee in July 1972 and turned professional in July 1974. His debut came in a League Cup match on 9th October 1974 at home to Manchester City, which United won 1-0. Still a teenager, Albiston had limited opportunities to make his way into the first team over the first couple of years, although he did get the chance to make his European debut against Ajax in the UEFA Cup on 29th September 1976. He began to feature more regularly during the first half of the 1976/77 season and towards the end of the same season he was given a chance when Stewart Houston damaged ankle ligaments. He played the final games of the league campaign and made his FA Cup debut in the 1977 final against treble chasing Liverpool. Up against the mighty Steve Heighway, Arthur gave an assured display and helped the side to an unlikely 2-1 victory, the club's first Cup success for fourteen years.

Within a month of winning the trophy United sacked Tommy Docherty on moral grounds and brought in Dave Sexton coming in as his replacement. Sexton stuck with the young players that formed the nucleus of Docherty's team and Albiston certainly belonged to that. He cemented his place within the team as a two-footed left-back with good pace and distribution. He played 80 times over the following two seasons as the side continued to struggle to challenge for the league title, however, Arthur and his team-mates did return to Wembley for the 1979 FA Cup Final against Arsenal. 2-0 down with five minutes to go, United stormed back to level the game at 2-2 as the match entered injury time. Tragically for Albiston et al Arsenal had more left in them and Alan Sunderland grabbed a last gasp winner to take the Cup. (Steve Drabble)

The 1979/80 season began solidly for both Arthur Albiston and United as he helped the side to 8 clean sheets in the opening 13 league games. However, a 0-0 draw against Everton at Goodison Park on 27th October 1979 was to be Arthur's last game for over four months as he suffered a nasty injury and underwent a cartilage operation. He returned on 12th March 1980 with United having lost the previous fixture 6-0 at Portman Road away to Ipswich Town. The match was the return game against Everton at Old Trafford and Arthur bolstered the defence as the teams drew 0-0 again. Three further clean sheets followed and eight wins in nine, however, this was not to be enough to topple the all-conquering Liverpool and United had to settle for second place. The game against Everton was to be Albiston's first match in a run of 126 consecutive league appearances that ended with a 1-1 draw against Norwich on 30th April 1983.

During that spell, Arthur scored his first goal for the club in the Manchester derby on 27th September 1980 in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. His second came at Anfield in a 2-1 win against Liverpool on 24th October 1981 as United began Ron Atkinson's period of management with a fine start in the league, letting in only 5 goals in an unbeaten spell of 12 matches between 19th September and 7th November 1981. Though no title success followed over the next couple of years United did return to Wembley on two occasions in the 1982/83 season. Arthur picked up a runners-up medal in the League Cup as United lost to Liverpool 2-1, however, he and they returned triumphant two months later when they beat Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 in a replay having drawn the first game 2-2. (Steve Drabble)

 Arthur Albiston continued his impressive record of appearances, as he remained a mainstay of the United first team for the 1983/84 and 84/85 seasons. He missed only 5 of 118 matches during that time which included appearances in games in the European Cup Winners' Cup Semifinal against Juventus and a UEFA Cup Quarter-Final against Videoton. Though United remained fruitless in their quest for the 1st Division League Championship they again returned to Wembley, in May 1985, for the FA Cup Final against Everton, who, like Liverpool eight years earlier, were chasing a treble. It was to be Arthur's fourth appearance in the final of the competition and he picked up a then record third winner's medal as United overcame the Toffees 1-0 with a Norman Whiteside goal in extra-time with his side reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Kevin Moran.

United took their form to the following season and opened with ten consecutive victories in the league and 13 in the opening 15 to lead the table comfortably. However, the season fell apart and United finished fourth. Their poor performances continued into the following season and United lay second from bottom after 15 games. Atkinson was sacked and replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson. Having been a regular member of the starting line-up for 10 years Ferguson came in and duly dropped the reliable Scotsman. He played just over a dozen games over the subsequent year and a half and was released on a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 1988. Over 14 seasons Arthur made nearly 500 appearances to lie fifth in the Old Trafford Hall of Fame. He played under five different managers in a time of considerable change at the club though, for four of them at least, there was only one choice as left back. (Steve Drabble).

1974–1988    Manchester United    379    (6)
1988–1989    West Bromwich Albion    43    (2)
1989–1990    Dundee    10    (0)
1990–1991    Chesterfield    3    (1)
1991–1993    Chester City    68    (0)
1992               Molde (loan)    15    (3)
1993               Molde    9    (0)
1993–1994    Ayr United    1    (0)
1994               Sittingbourne    0    (0)