That was until our Museum curator Mark Wylie got to work in researching the award and managed to extend the roll of honour all the way back to the early 1970s.
It means proper recognition can now be afforded to a number of Reds stars from yesteryear, with no fewer than five players winning it on two occasions during this missing period - Willie Morgan, Lou Macari, Joe Jordan, Ray Wilkins and Paul McGrath.
Of course, Bruno Fernandes is the current holder of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award but some canny digging by Wylie has unveiled something new: a deeper and richer history than some fans might have imagined.