Full name:
Manchester United FC
Nickname(s):
Red Devils
Founded:
1878
Home stadium:
Old Trafford, Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester M16 0RA
Chairman:
Joel and Avram Glazer
Manager:
Sir Alex Ferguson
League:
English Premier League
Facts & History
Manchester United Football Club
Manchester United Football Club is an English football club based at
the Old Trafford Stadium in Greater Manchester in the North of England. Manchester United FC
was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992 and has played in
the top division of English football since 1975. Also known as the Red
Devils, it is the most popular football team in the world with over 330
million supporters worldwide and one of the most successful in English
and European Football, with 16 league titles, 11 FA Cups and 3 UEFA Champions Leagues!
Since 1986, Sir Alex Ferguson has been manager of the team, leading
them to win 18 trophies in 20 years! According to Forbes Magazine,
Manchester is the richest football club in the world, with a $1.5
Billion value.
Club History
Founded in 1878, the club was originally named Newton Heath L&YR
F.C. as the works team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at
Newton Heath. In 1892, they entered the Football League and changed
their name, becoming Newton Heath F.C. However, in 1902, the club was
near bankruptcy with more than £2500 in debts: it was saved by J.H
Davies, who was the managing director of Manchester Breweries, becoming
club chairman. The new staff first decided to rename the team, in order
to start fresh: Manchester Central and Manchester Celtics were among the
names suggested before Louis Rocca mentioned Manchester United. On
April 26, 1902, Manchester United
was born. New name implied new club's colours: they abandoned the green
and gold halves in favour of red and white. Ernest Mangnall was
appointed as head coach to get the club in the First Division. That
year, Manchester finished 5th in Division 2, a good result for a first
attempt. The next season, thanks to new players such as Charlie Roberts,
who cost the club a then-record £750, Manchester finished 3rd, only 1
point short from the promotion in First Division. Finally, in 1906, they
were promoted to First Division, finishing 8th in their first season in
the top-flight.
In 1907, 18 players of Manchester City
were banned from playing for them ever again: United quickly signed
some of them (Sandy Turnbull, Billy Meredith…). They made a huge impact
on the team, leading them to win their first league title in 1909! The
following season was also very successful for the Red Devils: they won
the first edition of the Charity Shield and their first FA Cup! That
same year, the team moved to their new stadium, Old Trafford: they
played their first game there on February 19, 1910 against Liverpool in a
4-3 loss, despite a 3–0 lead. In 1911, they won their second league
title, which was also their last one for 41 years. Manchester was
relegated in Division 2 in 1922, struggling for the next ten years
between promotions and relegations. They were back in Division 1 in
1939, right before WWII.
After WWII, Matt Busby was appointed as manager and
revolutionized coaching, bringing in players from the youth team
whenever possible. He was allowed to pick his own team, choose which
players to sign and direct the team's training sessions himself, which
were usually the tasks reserved to the club’s directors. Manchester
trusted him and finished 2nd in 1947, 1948 and 1949. Moreover, they won
the 1948 FA Cup,
thanks to the ‘magic trio’ of Stan Pearson, Jack Rowley and Charlie
Mitten. With an average age of only 22, the Red Devils won the league
title again in 1956: Busby’s Youth policy was working. The following
season, the Busby Babes who were led by Duncan Edwards won another
league title and reached the FA Cup Final, which United lost against
Aston Villa. The same season, they were the first English team to
compete in the European Cup, reaching the semi-finals before being
knocked out by Real Madrid.
During their European campaign, they also recorded their biggest win in
all competitions, beating Belgian champions Anderlecht 10–0 at Maine
Road!
On February 6, 1958, the plane carrying the team home from a
European Cup match crashed in Munich, Germany: 8 players (Geoff Bent,
Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy
Taylor and Liam "Billy" Whelan) died and 15 persons were injured.
Despite the accident, United reached the FA Cup Final, losing against Bolton Wanderers and even managed to finish 2nd in Division 1 the following year.
Busby was rebuilding the team at the beginning of the 1960s,
signing players such as Denis Law, Pat Crerand and the eventual legend
George Best. Best was known for his control of the ball. The Red Devils
won the 1963 FA Cup, despite finishing 19th in Division 1. They reached
the 2nd place the next year, and won the league title in 1965 and 1967.
In 1968, United became the first English club to win the European Cup,
wining 4-1 against Eusebio’s Benfica in the final! Denis Law, Bobby
Charlton, and George Best were named European Footballer of the Year,
respectively in 1964, 1966 and 1968. Matt Busby resigned as manager in
1969 and was replaced by former United player Wilf McGuinness.
United struggled under Wilf McGuinness, finishing 8th in 1970:
McGuinness was demoted and Busby came back for 6 months. Results were
better, although he left the club for the last time in the summer of
1971. Frank O'Farrell was named as Busby's successor but only lasted
less than 18 months. However, in the mean time, he brought new players
such as Martin Buchan for £125,000 to make up the team's poor form.
Tommy Docherty, or 'the Doc', became manager at the end of 1972.
Despite saving United from relegation that season, the Red Devils were
relegated in 1974. Moreover, the golden trio of Best, Law and Charlton
had left the club: Law moved to Manchester City in the summer of 1973,
and scored the goal that relegated United, and politely refused to
celebrate the goal with his team mates. In 1975, they were promoted
again, back to the top flight, and reached the 1976 FA Cup Final, but
were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977,
beating Liverpool 2-1. In spite of this success and his popularity with
the supporters, Docherty was fired soon after the final.
In 1977, Dave Sexton was appointed as manager and made the team
play in a defensive formation, which is why Sexton was unpopular with
supporters. This defensive formation failed to win any trophies:
Manchester United lost the FA Cup Final against Arsenal in what was
known as the "five-minute final" for the flurry of goals in the last
minutes and finished once 2nd in Division 1. Sexton was fired in 1981
and replaced by Ron Atkinson.
Ron Atkinson's first move was to sign Bryan Robson from his old
club for £1.75 million, breaking the British record transfer fee. Robson
was considered as United's best midfielder since Duncan Edwards. The
Red Devils won the 1983 and 1985 FA Cups. In the 1985-1986 season, they
won their first ten league games, opening a ten-point gap over their
rivals as early as October and were favourites to win the league.
However, they finished only 4th and the following season, with United on
the edge of the First Division's relegation zone, Atkinson was fired.
In 1986, Alex Ferguson arrived from Aberdeen to replace Atkinson.
For his first season as head coach, United finished 11th, and the
following season, they finished 2nd with Brian McClair becoming the
first United player to score more than 20 league goals in a season since
George Best! However, the team struggled the next 2 seasons, and
Ferguson was on the edge to be sacked! Fortunately, the team won the
1990 FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace in the final. In 1991, United won
their first and only one European Cup Winners' Cup, beating Spanish
champions Barcelona. The 1992-1993 season was very successful for
Manchester United: the arrival of Eric Cantona, combined with the talent
of Ryan Giggs and Paul Ince, led the team to win its first league title
since 1967! Moreover, they won their first double League and FA Cup the
following year, helped by a newcomer named Roy Keane, who would
eventually become the team captain. However, on January 20, 1994, the
club and all the fans were plunged into mourning following the death of
Sir Matt Busby. United finished runner-up in both league and FA Cup in
the 1994-1995 season.
The 1995-1996 season was a key period for the Red Devils.
Actually, Ferguson brought new players from the club's youth team such
as David Beckham, Paul Scholes or Gary Neville, in order to replace some
of the key players. The team did surprisingly well, wining the double
again. This was the first time any English club had won the double
twice, and the feat was nicknamed the "Double Double".
The 1998-1999 season was the most successful season in the
English Football Club History as United became the first and only
English team to win The Treble Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League!
United won the title on the final day beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 and
they won the FA Cup Final 2-0 against Newcastle United, the 2 goals
were scored by Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes. In the UEFA Champions
League Final, they won against Bayern Munich: they scored twice in
injury time to finally win 2-1! Moreover, they won the Intercontinental
Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo. Ferguson was subsequently
knighted for his services to football. They won the league in 2000 and
2001.
In 2000, Manchester United became one of the 14 founders of the
G-14 group of leading European football clubs. They finished 3rd in the
2002 Premiership, but they regained the title the following season
(2003), securing their 8th title in 11 seasons. Ferguson even described
this success as his greatest achievement since becoming United manager
in 1986. The 2004 FA Cup was the only trophy United won during the
2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. However, they rebuilt the team, signing
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand respectively for
£12.24 million, £23 million and £29.1 million.
Roy Keane left United to join the Celtics in 2005 and the club
failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in more than 10 years. They finished 2nd in the
Premiership and were eliminated in the FA Cup by Liverpool. However,
they won the 2006 League Cup, beating Wigan Athletic 4-0 in the final.
At the end of the season, Ruud Van Nistelrooy left to join Real Madrid
due to a row with Ferguson.
On May 6, 2007, United won the English Premier League
title, 4 years after their last one: it was their 9th Premiership title
in the 15 seasons of its existence. Moreover, they scored 20 more goals
in 32 matches than second placed Chelsea. However, they lost 1-0
against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. In the Champions League, they
advanced to the semi-finals, but they lost against eventual winner A.C
Milan 5-3 on aggregate.
In the 2007-2008 season, in the FA Cup, they were eliminated in
the quarter-finals by Portsmouth. In the 79th minute, after Van Der Saar
was substituted at half-time, second goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak was
sent off for a professional foul on Milan Baroš. Rio Ferdinand was given
the responsibility of attempting to save the penalty but he failed:
United were knocked out of the FA Cup. They won the Champions League in
Moscow, defeating Chelsea on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time
and extra time. This final will remain in peoples minds because of John
Terry's slip as he took his penalty, the penalty that would have won it
for Chelsea. Ryan Giggs duly stepped up to score the winner in his
record breaking 759th appearance.
Club Rivalries
Manchester United has 3 'traditional' rivals: Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds United.
Although, most fans see Liverpool as the number 1 rival, due to the
success of both clubs as well as their proximity to each other.
Liverpool
The rivalry with Liverpool began during the 1960s, when both clubs were the best in England. Here is an interesting fact: the fixture is usually played at midday to discourage fans from drinking before the game! Ryan Giggs even said that "it is the most famous fixture in English football". Liverpool has a total of 40 trophies and Manchester United of 32, and both clubs claim the title of 'the Greatest English Football Club'. Unfortunately for Liverpool, only one team has it right.
The rivalry with Liverpool began during the 1960s, when both clubs were the best in England. Here is an interesting fact: the fixture is usually played at midday to discourage fans from drinking before the game! Ryan Giggs even said that "it is the most famous fixture in English football". Liverpool has a total of 40 trophies and Manchester United of 32, and both clubs claim the title of 'the Greatest English Football Club'. Unfortunately for Liverpool, only one team has it right.
Manchester City
The Manchester City rivalry dates back to the Newton Heath era of the 1890s. The game between the 2 teams is called the Manchester derby. United fans point out that City have gone awhile without winning a major trophy, whereas City fans claim United do not actually come from Manchester. The 2 teams have met 149 times, United have won 59 and City 41.
The Manchester City rivalry dates back to the Newton Heath era of the 1890s. The game between the 2 teams is called the Manchester derby. United fans point out that City have gone awhile without winning a major trophy, whereas City fans claim United do not actually come from Manchester. The 2 teams have met 149 times, United have won 59 and City 41.
Leeds United
The Rivalry with Leeds began during the late 60s, reaching its apex when Leeds won the league title in 1992, Manchester United finishing 2nd. One of the rivalry's nicknames is the Roses rivalry, a historical reference to the Wars of the Roses. Moreover, when British Football Hooliganism was at its height, the fights between Leeds' Service Crew and Manchester United's Red Army became known as the most violent clashes in British football. Nowadays, there is a high level of security when the clubs face each other.
The Rivalry with Leeds began during the late 60s, reaching its apex when Leeds won the league title in 1992, Manchester United finishing 2nd. One of the rivalry's nicknames is the Roses rivalry, a historical reference to the Wars of the Roses. Moreover, when British Football Hooliganism was at its height, the fights between Leeds' Service Crew and Manchester United's Red Army became known as the most violent clashes in British football. Nowadays, there is a high level of security when the clubs face each other.
Stars of the Current Squad
Edwin Van der Sar is a Dutch goalkeeper and the captain of the
Dutch national team. In 1990, he joined the Ajax's youth centre. In 9
years with Ajax, he played in 226 games, won the 1992 UEFA Cup and the
1995 Champions League. He then moved to Juventus for 2 years making only
66 appearances and eventually lost his place to Gianluigi Buffon. He
joined the Premiership with Fullham in 2001 for around £7.7 million. He
has been playing for Manchester since 2005, Sir Alex Fergusson consider
him as one of the best goalkeeper in the world. Van der Sar’s solid
presence, agility and reliability have been crucial to United’s success
in recent years. He started his international career in 1995 against
Belarus, and has played in all the major international competitions
since then. On October 2007, he said he intends to retire from
international football following the 2008 Euro.
Wayne Rooney is an English striker, and is always where he
is supposed to be! Opportune like no other, he’s the key reference to
every play in the English team. Rooney never gives up on a ball and is
one of the top strikers in the powerful offensive line of Manchester
United with Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. He started his
professional career in 2002 with Everton, before joining United in 2004
for £23 million. In his first game at Old Trafford, he produced a
stunning display to blast an unforgettable debut hat-trick against
Fenerbahce! Sir Alex Ferguson describes him as “the best young player I
have seen in my time”. He has scored a total of 72 goals in 179
appearances.
Gary Neville is an English defender. He started his professional career
in 1992 with the Reds, and has been playing for them since then. In
December 2005, Gary was appointed the new captain of Manchester United,
following Roy Keane's departure. He enters every game refusing to
contemplate defeat, and the fans love him for it. He has won an
impressive amount of trophies, with seven Premiership titles, three FA
Cups, one European Cup and one League Cup! Since his debut with the Red
Devils, he has played in 540 matches and scored 7 goals! His brother
Phil Neville is a former player of United (1993-2005). Gary Neville made
his debut with the English National Team in 1995, in a friendly against
Japan and has earned 85 caps so far.
Rio Ferdinand is an English centre back. He started his
professional career in 1995 with West Ham United. In 2000, he joined
Leeds United for a £18 million transfer fee, becoming the world's most
expensive defender. On July 22, 2002, he signed with United for £29.1
million! One of the best defenders in the world, he has an incredible
reading of the game. In September 2003, he missed a routine drugs test
and, despite appealing, was banned from playing for 8 months in January
2004. He has a personal record of 255 appearances and 7 goals. On
November 15 1997, he made his international debut with England in a
friendly against Cameroon, making him the youngest defender to play for
England at 19 years and 8 Days old at that time. He was named captain of
England for the friendly against France on March 26, 2008.
Club Legends
Sir Bobby Charlton is a former English striker. He played
almost his entire career at Manchester United and was well-known for his
attacking instincts and his amazing long-range shot. He started his
professional career in 1954 with United. Having survived the Munich air
disaster, he played as if every game was for his fallen colleagues. One
of the Busby Babes, he played a record of 754 games, scoring 247 goals,
holding both appearances and goals records in United's history. Named
European Footballer of the Year in 1966, he also won the World Cup with
England the same year. Part of the famed Best-Law-Charlton triumvirate,
he retired in 1973. In June 1984 Charlton became a director of
Manchester United, a position he still holds today.
George Best was a Northern Irish winger. He started his
professional career in 1963 with Manchester United at the age of 17.
Spotted by United scout Bob Bishop, who famously told Matt Busby: “Boss,
I think I’ve found you a genius”, he was one of the key players
alongside Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law in United's first European Cup
in 1968. Nicknamed The Fifth Beatle for his long hair, good looks and
extravagant celebrity lifestyle, he was named European Footballer of the
Year in 1968 and won 2 League titles and the 1968 European Cup with the
Reds. In 1974, he left United with 470 appearances and 179 goals! He
then joined several clubs in Australia, Scotland and in the US. He
played his first international game with Northern Ireland in 1964 and
scored a total of 9 goals in 37 caps. He died on December 3, 2005 at the
age of 59: 100,000 people were at his funeral in Belfast.
Dennis Law is a former Scottish striker. He started his
professional career in 1956 at second division Huddersfield Town. In
1960, Manchester City signed him for a transfer fee of £55,000, setting a
new British record. A year later, he was bought by Italian club Torino
for £110,000. He spent only one year in Italy, having a difficult time
to settle there. In 1962, he signed with Manchester United for £115,000,
setting another British record. In 11 years with the Reds, he won 2
league titles, 1 FA Cup and the 1968 European Cup. He scored a total of
237 goals in 404 appearances. He was named European Footballer of the
Year in 1964 and was nicknamed The King and The Lawman by supporters. He
left United in 1973 and joined Manchester City. Law also played for
Scotland, making his international debut in 1958. He earned 55 caps and
scored 30 goals for his national team.
Roy Keane is a former Irish midfielder. He started his
professional career in 1990 with Nottingham Forrest. He then signed with
United in 1993 for £3.75 million, a British transfer record at the
time. In his first season, he won the club's first ever double League
title and FA Cup! In 1995, younger players such as David Beckham, Nicky
Butt and Paul Scholes were brought into the team, which left Keane as
the most experienced player in midfield. That season, Keane won his
second double in 3 years! He took over the United captaincy from Eric
Cantona at the start of the 1997/98 campaign, but he missed most of the
season due to a knee ligament injury! He returned for the 1998-1999
season, and was one of the key players in United's Treble (Premiership,
FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League). In 2000, he was named Footballer of
the Year and Players' Player of the Year. On November 18, 2005, he left
Manchester United with a personal record of 480 appearances and 51 goals
scored, and joined Celtic. Six months after joining Celtic and helping
them secure the Scottish Premier League title and Scottish League Cup,
Keane announced his retirement from professional football. Manchester
United....
Most Appearances
| Rank | Player | Career Dates | # Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Giggs | 1991-present | 759 |
Most Goals
| Rank | Player | Career Dates | # Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Bobby Charleton | 1956-1973 | 249 |
Player Recognition & Awards
Dennis Law
* European Player of the Year - 1964
* European Player of the Year - 1964
Bobby Charlton
* European Player of the Year: 1966
* Footballer of the Year: 1966
* European Player of the Year: 1966
* Footballer of the Year: 1966
George Best
* European Player of the Year: 1968
* Footballer of the Year: 1968
* European Player of the Year: 1968
* Footballer of the Year: 1968
Eric Cantona
* Players' Player of the Year: 1995
* Footballer of the Year: 1996
* Players' Player of the Year: 1995
* Footballer of the Year: 1996
Roy Keane
* Footballer of the Year: 2000
* Players' Player of the Year: 2000
* Footballer of the Year: 2000
* Players' Player of the Year: 2000
Cristiano Ronaldo
* Footballer of the Year: 2007
* Players' Player of the Year: 2007
* Footballer of the Year: 2007
* Players' Player of the Year: 2007
Team Honours
League Title (16): 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57,
1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99,
1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007-08, 2008-09
FA Cups (11): 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cups (2): 1992, 2006
FA Charity/Community Shield (16): 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957,
1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007,
2008 (* joint holders)
UEFA Champions League (3): 1968, 1999, 2007
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991
European Supercup: 1991
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
The Club's Best Season
The 1998-1999 season was United's most successful season as they
became the first and only English team to win The Treble Premiership, FA
Cup and UEFA Champions League! In particular, United went undefeated
from December 1998 – May 1999, a run of 33 matches. United won the title
on the final day beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 and they won the FA Cup
Final 2-0 against Newcastle United, the 2 goals were scored by Teddy
Sheringham and Paul Scholes.
In the UEFA Champions League Final, they won against Bayern
Munich: they scored twice in injury time (Teddy Sherringham and Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer) to finally win 2-1!
They also won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo.
Club Management
On May 12, 2005, American businessman Malcolm Glazer took control of
United through his investment vehicle Red Football Ltd. for £800
million. On May 16, he increased his share to the 75% necessary to
de-list the club from the Stock Exchange, making it private again. On
June 8, he appointed his sons to the Manchester United board as
non-executive directors.
Owner: Malcolm Glazer
Chairmen: Joel and Avram Glazer
Head Coach: Sir Alex Ferguson
Coach: Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex is a Scottish football manager and former player. He has
been the manager of Manchester United since 1986. Considered as one of
the best managers in the world, he is the second-longest serving manager
in the history of Manchester United after Sir Matt Busby and the most
successful manager in the history of English football! He has won 9
Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 1 Champions League, 1
Supercup, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup. In 1999, he became
the first manager to lead an English team to the treble of Premiership,
FA Cup and Champions League.
Uniforms
From 1878 to 1902, the club's shirts were green and gold halves. When
the was renamed Manchester United in 1902, the staff also changed the
jerseys, abandoning the green and gold halves of Newton Heath, and
picking red and white as new colours.
Stadium
From 1878 to 1893, The Heathens were playing on a small field on
North Road, near to where Manchester Piccadilly Station is currently
located. In 1893, when United entered the Football League, they moved to
a new home at Bank Street in nearby Clayton. In April 1909, Old
Trafford was named as the home of Manchester United, following the
purchase of the land for around £60,000. Architect Archibald Leitch was
hired by United chairman John Henry Davies, and given a budget of
£30,000 for construction. The inaugural game was played on 19 February
1910 against Liverpool F.C. in a 4–3 win for the visitors. Most of the
stadium was destroyed during WWII, but it was rebuilt in 1949.
Currently, it has a capacity of 76,212.
Sponsors
AIG (Principal Sponsor), Nike (Official Sportswear Partner), Audi
(Official Car Supplier and Dugout Seat Provider), Budweiser, Betfred
(Official Betting Partner), Xfm Manchester (Official Radio Station),
Hublot (Swiss watch manufacturers, official timekeepers for United),
Saudi Telecom
AIG was announced as the new shirt sponsors of Manchester United
in a record sponsorship deal of £56.5 million on April 6, 2006.