Frank O'Farrell

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Jon.  Having witnessed how steamed up some can get at a Manager being awarded a 3 year contract, I wonder if it was Frank's 5 year deal on coming to Old Trafford, that had sown the seeds of discontent on the terraces from the very start ?

But more seriously, learning so soon that an attempt had been made to deprive him of £3000 in salary, which the club's owners were quite prepared and happy to pay him, could well have created an atmosphere of mistrust with Busby from the very start that would never be overcome, irrespective of any struggles to persuade Sir Matt to vacate the Manager's office, so that it could be used by the actual Manager instead.

Things appeared to have been split along tribal lines to some extent, with Dunphy and McIlroy speaking more favourably towards their fellow Irishman, and similar bonds perhaps accounting for Frank's continual efforts to assist George Best to mend his ways and not throw away his talent. Did Willie Morgan, Denis Law, join with Pat Crerand in backing their fellow Scot, Matt Busby, on any and every issue at the time ?  In fact the only thing they seemed to be able to all agree on, was the ineffectiveness of Welshman Wyn Davies  .