“Manchester was different. There were more minorities than in most English cities, all in their own way victims of prejudice. A census of Manchester and Salford towns in 1851 showed that of the 400,000 inhabitants, 220,000 had been born elsewhere. The scope for serious bigotry was, therefore, somewhat limited. The outsiders, first or second generation Catholics, Jews and Italians shared common ground, more acreage than the bigots. Manchester was their city, although in the 20s and 30s this was yet to be established. “Matt Busby was drawn to this cosmopolitan atmosphere, Manchester had the feel of a place where things…

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