Manchester United's FA Cup 5th Round Facts

As Manchester United's Emirates FA Cup mission continues with an away tie at Shrewsbury Town, ManUtd.com picks out 10 facts about the club's fifth-round ties of the past...

Blank line-up
The poignant match against Sheffield Wednesday in 1958 at Old Trafford, the first game after the Munich tragedy, was a night that will never be forgotten. The programme contained no names in the United side, only blank spaces, as it was unclear just which XI the Reds would be able to field. Wednesday were the opponents three times at the fifth-round hurdle between 1958 and 1961.

Away days
United reached the fifth round 14 times between 1970 and 1994 - and were drawn away on 13 of those occasions, with a home tie against Middlesbrough in 1972 being the exception. Even then, the replay ensured a journey to Ayresome Park, the Teessiders' former stadium.

Simply the Best
George Best became the second player to score six goals in a single United game (the first was Harold Halse in the 1911 Charity Shield) when Northampton Town were hammered 8-2 at The County Ground in 1970. It is not the Reds' biggest win at this stage of the competition, however, as Yeovil Town were thrashed 8-0 in 1949 with Jack Rowley netting five times. United were then playing home games at Maine Road, Manchester City's old abode, while Old Trafford was being rebuilt after World War II bomb damage.

Double figures
George Best and Denis Law both have 10 goals to their name for the club in FA Cup fifth-round ties. Jack Rowley has six with Brian McClair and Charlie Mitten both on five.

For and against
Jimmy Greenhoff scored for and against United in the fifth round of the FA Cup; as an opponent, he opened the scoring for Birmingham City in their 6-2 replay defeat at Old Trafford in 1969.

It takes two to tussle
Several fiery confrontations between opposing personnel have taken place in the FA Cup fifth round. Brian McClair and Nigel Winterburn famously fell out at the end of United's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at Highbury in 1988, Alex Ferguson and his opposite number had a spat on the sidelines in the 1990 game at Newcastle United while Gary Neville was sent off for a headbutt on Manchester City's Steve McManaman in 2004.

Quick out of the blocks
In 1995, the Reds went 2-0 up against Leeds United within five minutes, through Steve Bruce and Brian McClair, en route to a 3-1 triumph. In the replay at Reading in 2007, Sir Alex's men were 3-0 ahead with only six minutes on the clock thanks to Gabriel Heinze, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The match finished 3-2.

Spot of bother
There have been a number of penalty issues at this stage of the competition for United. Brian McClair's late miss in the aforementioned 1988 tie at Arsenal cost the Reds a replay, while there was a controversial spot-kick awarded by referee Alan Wilkie against Manchester City's Michael Frontzeck for holding Eric Cantona inside the box in 1996; the Frenchman expertly converted it of course. In the dying embers of the game at Sheffield United on Valentine's Day in 1993, Steve Bruce failed from 12 yards when hitting a post but it should have been retaken due to encroachment.

Rooney return
Wayne Rooney's first game back at Goodison Park following his move to Old Trafford came in a fifth-round FA Cup clash in 2005. Before the game, the 19-year-old said: "It's mostly people who don't understand the game who give you stick. I'm a Manchester United player and, if the Everton fans want to dislike me, that's up to them." Rooney helped the Reds win 2-0 in a hostile environment with Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo netting against David Moyes's men.

Huddersfield home
United once staged a home game at Huddersfield Town's old ground, Leeds Road, and it came as part of the successful 1948 FA Cup run. John Warner and Charlie Mitten scored in a 2-0 triumph over Charlton Athletic. A crowd of 33,312 witnessed the clash which could not be held in Manchester due to Old Trafford being unusable for the war wounds mentioned above and the usual landlords City also being drawn at home. The Reds did play another FA Cup tie at Leeds Road, against Sunderland in 1964, but on that occasion it was a neutral venue for a second replay in the sixth round.

Credit: Manutd.com