The OT Story : 1963 - 1974

boxes in British football. The board was initially sceptical about this revolutionary extra; many doubted that fans would ever want to watch a match from behind glass. But the architects believed passionately in the idea, the directors eventually changed their

minds, and 34 boxes were installed with the first seasonal rent at £250-£300.

The cost of the new stand was reportedly £350,000, and further work on the ground took United’s pre-World Cup expenditure beyond £400,000, putting them firmly in the red. Some fans -complained at that; the money, it was felt, would have been better spent on improving the squad. But Matt Busby was content with his playing resources – after all, he had the likes of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best – and recognised with characteristic vision that the club needed to advance on all fronts.

United continued to move with the times. In March 1967, the club experimented for the first time with closed-circuit TV. Seven huge screens were erected on the pitch to relay action from the Reds’ match at