Matt Busby's maiden championship arrived, as did Alex Ferguson's, in his sixth full season in charge. And as with the case with his countryman and heir to the Old Trafford throne, Busby's landmark league triumph was delivered with a giant sigh of relief.
The parallels are compelling. With one FA Cup success under his belt in 1948, Busby had briefly quenched the fans' thirst for silverware, but despite encouraging finishes in the league, the Reds were developing a reputation as 'nearly men', ending runners-up four times in five post-war campaigns, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Portsmouth and, finally, Tottenham pipping us to the crown.