"In those days there was no sponsorship, there was no merchandising. It was all about the pitter-patter of feet on the terraces.

"That's why he did so much to make it easier for fans to get to games. He understood what they wanted."

Youth Academy

Gibson realized the importance of community and the impact the club could have on it.

He negotiated with the local railways for steps to be built from the platform at the nearby train station to lead to the stadium, while he also arranged for trains to make unscheduled stops on their way to London.

It helped attendances rise and encouraged those without the luxury of a car to make the trip to Old Trafford. Today, a red plaque still shines upon the railway bridge on Sir Matt Busby Way with Gibson's name enshrined.

Even more crucial was the establishment of the club's youth Aacademy, which was set up during the 1936/7 season.

With little money to invest in players, Gibson was determined to find talent within the local area which would help improve United's fortunes on the pitch. It was to prove a masterstroke.

The youth team won the Chorlton Amateur League in 1939, scoring a remarkable 223 goals in the process. It laid the foundations for generations of young talent which would go and bring success for many a year to come.

But on that fateful March night as German bombers blitzed Old Trafford. all Gibson's hard work was undone.

With the stadium all but destroyed, United were effectively homeless and the club's future was once again hanging by a thread.

Gibson moved quickly, arranging a deal for United to play its home matches at Maine Road, home of local neigbor, Manchester City.

But with rules in place which required a license to be granted by the government for rebuilding work, it took seven years for Gibson to get started on restoring Old Trafford

Tragedy

It was not until 1948 that Gibson truly began to see the fruits of his labor bear fruit.

With the renovations and repairs starting at Old Trafford and the arrival of Matt Busby as manager, the club began to excel. In the two years following the end of the war, United had finished second in the league on both occasions and in 1948 the clubreached the FA Cup Final

Under Busby, who had been appointed by Gibson despite having no previous managerial experience, the team went on to achieve greatness. With its last FA Cup victory having come in 1909, Busby's team faced a Blackpool side boasting the great talents of Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. It was a day that Gibson had dreamed of.

The likes of Johnny Morris, Jack Rowley, Stan Person and Charlie Mitten, all of whom had grown up around the streets of Manchester, were ushering in a new era of success.

Tragically just hours before Gibson was set to make the trip down to Wembley he suffered a stroke.

Perhaps that helped motivate the players as they claimed a 4-2 win and the team took a detour on the way home to visit their stricken owner. It was there that they left the FA Cup, for Old Trafford had not been finished yet.

"It was a wonderful gesture for the players to come and see him," recalls Embling.

"I remember that they kept the FA Cup in the spare bedroom. There were a lot of spare bedrooms, but I'll never forget it.

"There was nowhere to keep it as Old Trafford was still being renovated and I'll never forget my aunt taking me into the bedroom and opening the wardrobe.

"I was only a young boy and I had my paws on the FA Cup. I know it wasn't the original but even still, it was amazing."

Pride