It was a wonderful moment, showing the backing of the fans for these unsung heroes, and providing the level of acknowledgement that will have pleased Sir Alex, who proudly welcomed his former staff to Old Trafford as his guests for the Carabao Cup third-round tie against West Ham United.
Our picture shows the scouts with our ex-boss and Academy stalwarts Tony Whelan and Dave Bushell, and we spoke to Dave for the lowdown on these loyal servants to the red cause.
"Graham Buckingham started in April 1990 and was a Brian Kidd appointment," said Bushell.