(Redirected from Manchester United)
'Manchester United Football Club' is an
English football club, based at the
Old Trafford stadium in
Trafford,
Greater Manchester, and is arguably the most popular football club in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide;
[1][2] average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in
English football for all but six seasons since
1964-65.
[3] The club is also one of the most successful in English football; for over twenty years, since the
1986-87 season, they have won 18 major honours, which is more than any other
Premier League club.
[4] They are the Premier League's reigning champions, and have won the Premier League/
Football League 16 times. In
1968, they became the first English club to win the
European Cup, beating
S.L. Benfica 4–1, and they won a second European Cup in
1999. They also hold the record for the most FA Cup titles with 11.
[5]
Since the late 1990s, the club has been one of the richest in the world, and until recently had the highest revenue of any football club for several years running. As of
2007, the club has the fourth largest turnover in club football,
[6] but remains the most profitable club based on operating income.
[7] Manchester United also remains the most valuable club in the world.
[8] The club is a founding member of the
G-14 group of
Europe's leading football clubs.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been
manager of the club since
6 November 1986. The captain is
Gary Neville, who succeeded
Roy Keane in November
2005.
[9]
History
Early years (1878-1945)
Main articles: History of Manchester United F.C. (1878-1945)
The Manchester United team at the start of the
1905-06 season in which they were runners up in Division 2 and promoted
The club was formed as 'Newton Heath L&YR F.C.' in
1878 as the works team of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at
Newton Heath. The club's shirts were green and gold halves. They played on a small, dilapidated field on
North Road, near the future site of the
Manchester Piccadilly railway station for fifteen years, before moving to
Bank Street in the nearby town of
Clayton in
1893. The club had entered
the Football League the previous year and began to sever its links with the rail depot, becoming an independent company, appointing a club secretary and dropping the "L&YR" from their name to become simply 'Newton Heath F.C.'. Not long afterwards, in
1902, the club neared bankruptcy, with debts of over £2500. At one point, their Bank Street ground was even closed by the bailiffs.
[10]
Just before having to be shut down for good, the club received a sizeable investment from
J. H. Davies, the managing director of Manchester Breweries. Legend goes that
Harry Stafford, the club captain, was showing off his prized
St. Bernard dog at a club fund-raiser, when Davies approached him to buy the dog. Stafford declined, but was able to persuade Davies to invest in the club and become club chairman.
[11] It was decided at one of the early board meetings that the club required a change of name to reflect the fresh start they had been afforded. 'Manchester Central' and 'Manchester Celtic' were among the names suggested, before Louis Rocca, a young
immigrant from
Italy, said "Gentlemen, why don't we call ourselves Manchester United?"
[12] The name stuck, and Manchester United officially came into existence on
26 April 1902. Davies also decided it would be appropriate to change the club's colours, abandoning the green and gold halves of Newton Heath, and picking red and white to be the colours of Manchester United.
Ernest Mangnall was appointed as club secretary after
James West had resigned as manager on
28 September 1902. Mangnall was charged with trying to get the club into the
First Division, and fell just short of that target at the first attempt, finishing in 5th in
Division Two. Mangnall decided that it was necessary to bring in some fresh faces to the club, and signed players such as
Harry Moger in goal,
Dick Duckworth at half-back and John Picken up front, but it was another new half-back by the name of
Charlie Roberts who made the biggest impact. He cost the club a then-record £750 from
Grimsby Town in April
1904, and helped them to a third place finish in the
1903-04 season, just a point short of the second promotion place.
It was not long, however, before the club was at last promoted to the First Division for the first time under their new name, finishing in second place in the
1905-06 Second Division. A season of consolidation followed, with the club finishing in 8th, before they finally won their first league title in
1908.
Manchester City had recently been under investigation for paying some of their players a salary over the amount allowed by
FA regulations. They were fined £250 and eighteen of their players were banned from playing for them ever again. United were quick to pounce on the situation, picking up
Billy Meredith (the Welsh Wizard) and
Sandy Turnbull, amongst others. The new boys from across town were ineligible to play until
New Year's Day 1907, due to their suspension, so it was left until the
1907-08 season for them to make a proper impact on United's bid for the title. And that they did, getting the campaign off to a storming start, with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United, beginning a run of ten consecutive victories. Despite a shaky end to the season, United managed to hang on and finished the season nine points ahead of their closest rivals,
Aston Villa.
The following season began with United picking up another piece of silverware, the first ever
Charity Shield,
[13] and ended with another, the club's first
FA Cup title, sowing the seeds for what has become a record number of FA Cup titles. Just as they were in the club's first title-winning campaign, Turnbull and Meredith were instrumental in this season, Turnbull scoring the winner in the
FA Cup Final. The club had to wait another two years before winning any more silverware, winning the First Division for the second time in the
1910-11 season. In the meantime, United moved to their new ground at
Old Trafford. They played their first game there on
19 February 1910 against
Liverpool, but lost 4-3 having thrown away a 3-0 lead. They then went trophyless again in the
1911-12 season, which not only proved to be the last with Mangnall in charge (he moved to Manchester City after ten years with United), but also the last time the club won the First Division for 41 years, the longest time they have gone without winning the league in their history.
For the next ten years, the club went into a state of gradual decline before being relegated back down to Division Two in
1922. They were promoted again in
1925, but struggled to get into the top half of the table, and were relegated again in
1931. In the eight years leading up to
World War II, the club became somewhat of a
yo-yo club, reaching their all-time lowest position of 20th in Division Two in
1934. They were promoted and relegated once again before being promoted in the penultimate season before World War II. They guaranteed their place in the top flight for after the war by finishing in 14th in the
1938-39 season.
Old Trafford was bombed during the Second World War, on
11 March 1941. The majority of the stands were destroyed - only the centre tunnel survived the bombing of the main stand - and the pitch was wrecked, leading the club to seek charity from their then-more illustrious neighbours Manchester City, who allowed them to play their games at
Maine Road for a period and a nominal fee of £5000 plus a percentage of the gate receipts. World War II turned out to be a blessing in disguise for United, as it allowed them time to do an almost total restructuring of the club, including the appointment of a certain
Scot as the new manager.
The Busby years (1945-1969)
Main articles: History of Manchester United F.C. (1945-1969)
1945 saw the appointment of
Matt Busby to the manager's post at Old Trafford. He took a then-unheard of approach to his job, insisting that he be allowed to pick his own team, choose which players to sign and direct the team's training sessions himself. He had already missed out on the manager's job at his former club,
Liverpool F.C., because the club saw those tasks as jobs for the directors, but United decided to take a chance on Busby's innovative ideas. Busby's first signing was not a player, but a new assistant manager by the name of
Jimmy Murphy. The risk the club had taken in appointing Busby paid immediate dividends, with the club finishing second in the league in
1947,
1948 and
1949 and winning the
FA Cup in 1948, thanks in part to the locally-born trio of
Stan Pearson,
Jack Rowley and
Charlie Mitten (Rowley and Pearson both scored in the
1948 Cup Final), as well as the centre-half from the North-East,
Allenby Chilton.
Charlie Mitten had fled to
Colombia in search of a better salary, but the remainder of United's old heads managed to win the
First Division title back in
1952. Busby knew, however, that football teams required more than just experience in the side, and so he adopted a policy of bringing in players from the youth team whenever possible. At first, the young players such as
Roger Byrne,
Bill Foulkes,
Mark Jones and
Dennis Viollet, took time to bed themselves into the side, sliding to a low of 8th place in
1953, but the team won the league again in
1956 with an average age of only 22, scoring 103 goals in the process. The youth policy set in motion by Busby has now become a hallmark of the most successful periods in the club's history (the mid-1950s, mid-to-late-1960s and 1990s). Busby's original "crop" of youth players was referred to as the '
Busby Babes', the jewel in the crown of which was a wing-half named
Duncan Edwards. The boy from
Dudley in the
West Midlands made his United début at the age of just 16 back in 1953. It was said that Edwards could play at any position on the field, and many who saw him play said that he was the greatest player ever. The following season,
1956-57, they won the league again and reached the
FA Cup final, losing to
Aston Villa. They also became the first English team to compete in the
European Cup, at the behest of the
FA, who had denied
Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season, and reached the semi-final, only to be knocked out by
Real Madrid. En route to the semi-final, United also recorded a win that still stands as their biggest win in all competitions, beating
Belgian champions
Anderlecht 10-0 at
Maine Road.
A plaque at Old Trafford in honour of the players who died in the Munich Air Disaster.
Tragedy struck the following season, when the plane carrying the team home from a European Cup match crashed on take-off at a refuelling stop in
Munich,
Germany. The
Munich air disaster of
6 February 1958 claimed the lives of eight players -
Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne,
Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones,
David Pegg,
Tommy Taylor and
Liam "Billy" Whelan - and another fifteen passengers, including United staff members
Walter Crickmer,
Bert Whalley and
Tom Curry.
[14] There had already been two attempted take-offs before the fatal third, which was caused by a build-up of slush at the end of the runway slowing the plane down to a speed insufficient for take-off. The plane skidded off the end of the runway, through a fence and into an unoccupied house. United goalkeeper
Harry Gregg managed to maintain consciousness after the crash, and through fear of the plane exploding at any second, he grabbed both
Bobby Charlton - who had made his United début less than 18 months earlier - and Dennis Viollet by their waistbands and dragged them to safety. Seven United players died at the scene, while Duncan Edwards died a fortnight later in hospital. Right-winger
Johnny Berry also survived the accident, but injuries sustained in the accident brought his football career to a premature end. Matt Busby was not given much hope of survival by the Munich doctors, and was even given the
Last Rites at one point, but recovered miraculously and was finally let out of hospital after having spent over two months there.
There were rumours of the club folding and withdrawing from competitions, but with Jimmy Murphy taking over as manager while Busby recovered from his injuries, the club continued playing with a makeshift side. Despite the accident, they reached the
FA Cup final again, where they lost to
Bolton Wanderers. At the end of the season,
UEFA offered the FA the opportunity to submit both United and the eventual champions,
Wolverhampton Wanderers, for the
1958-59 European Cup as a tribute to the victims, but the FA declined. United managed to push Wolves right to the wire the following season, finishing in a creditable 2nd place; not bad for a team that had lost nine first-team players to the Munich air disaster.
Busby rebuilt the team throughout the early 1960s, signing players such as
Denis Law and
Pat Crerand, all the while nurturing his new generation of youngsters. Perhaps the most famous of this new batch was a young man from
Belfast named
George Best. Best had a natural athleticism rarely seen, but his most valuable asset was his close control of a football. His quick feet allowed him to pass through almost any gap in the opposition defence, no matter how small. The team won the FA Cup in
1963, albeit finishing in 19th place in the First Division. The FA Cup triumph seemed to reinvigorate the players, who helped the club to 2nd place in
1964, and then went one better by winning the league in
1965 and
1967. United won the
European Cup in
1968, beating
Eusébio's
SL Benfica 4-1 in the
final, becoming the first English club to win the competition. This United team was notable for containing three
European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton,
Denis Law and George Best. Matt Busby resigned as manager in
1969 and was replaced by the reserve-team coach and former United player,
Wilf McGuinness.
1969-1986
Main articles: History of Manchester United F.C. (1969-1986)
Manchester United badge in the 1960s and early 1970s
United struggled to replace Busby, and the team struggled under
Wilf McGuinness in the
1969-70 season, finishing a disappointing 8th, and following a poor start to the
1970-71 season, McGuinness was demoted back to the position of reserve team coach. Busby was coaxed back to the club, albeit only for six months. Results got better with Busby's guidance, but he finally left the club for the last time in the summer of
1971. In the meantime, United had lost a number of high-profile players such as
Nobby Stiles and
Pat Crerand.
Despite approaching
Celtic's European Cup-winning manager,
Jock Stein, for the manager's job - Stein had agreed a verbal contract to join United, but pulled out at the last minute -
Frank O'Farrell was appointed as Busby's successor. However, like McGuinness, O'Farrell only lasted less than 18 months, the only difference between the two being that O'Farrell reacted to the team's poor form by bringing in some fresh talent, most specifically
Martin Buchan from
Aberdeen for £125,000.
Tommy Docherty became manager at the end of
1972. Docherty, or "the Doc", saved United from relegation that season but United were relegated in
1974, by which time the golden trio of Best, Law and Charlton had left the club.
Denis Law had moved to
Manchester City in the summer of
1973, and ended up scoring the goal that many people say relegated United, and politely refused to celebrate the goal with his team mates. Players like
Lou Macari,
Stuart Houston and
Brian Greenhoff were brought in to replace Best, Law and Charlton, but none could live up to the stature of the three that came before.
The team won promotion at the first attempt, with a young
Steve Coppell making his début towards the end of that season, having joined from
Tranmere Rovers, and reached the
FA Cup final in
1976, 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 sacked soon after the final when he was found to have had an affair with the physiotherapist's wife.
Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977, and made the team play in a more defensive formation. This style was unpopular with supporters, who were used to the attacking football preferred by Docherty and Busby. Major signings under Sexton included
Joe Jordan,
Gordon McQueen,
Gary Bailey and
Ray Wilkins, but Sexton's defensive United failed to break out of mid-table obscurity, only once finishing in the top two, and only reached the FA Cup final once, losing to
Arsenal. Because of this lack of trophies, Sexton was sacked in
1981, even though he won his last seven games in charge.
He was replaced by the flamboyant
Ron Atkinson, whose extrovert attitude was reflected in the clubs he managed. He immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign
Bryan Robson from his old club,
West Brom. Robson would come to be touted in the future as United's best midfield player since
Duncan Edwards. Atkinson's team featured new signings such as
Jesper Olsen,
Paul McGrath and
Gordon Strachan playing alongside former youth-team players
Norman Whiteside and
Mark Hughes. United won the FA Cup twice in three years, in
1983 and
1985, and were overwhelming favourites to win the league in the
1985-86 season after winning their first ten league games, opening a ten-point gap over their rivals as early as October. The team's form collapsed, however, and United finished the season in fourth place. The poor form continued into the following season, and with United on the edge of the First Division's relegation zone by the beginning of November
1986, Atkinson was sacked.
Alex Ferguson era, pre-Treble (1986-1998)
Main articles: History of Manchester United F.C. (1986-1998)
Alex Ferguson arrived from
Aberdeen to replace Atkinson and guided the club to an 11th place finish. The following season (
1987-88), United finished second, with
Brian McClair becoming the first United player since
George Best to score twenty league goals in a season.
However, United struggled throughout the next two seasons, with many of Ferguson's signings not reaching the expectations of the fans. Alex Ferguson was reportedly on the verge of being sacked at the beginning of
1990 but a Mark Robins goal gave United a narrow 1-0 win in the third round of the
FA Cup over
Nottingham Forest. This kept the season alive, and the team went on to win the competition, beating
Crystal Palace in a replay in the final.
United won the
European Cup Winners' Cup in
1990-91, beating that season's Spanish champions
Barcelona in the final, but the following season was a disappointment as a late season slump saw them miss out on the league to rivals
Leeds United. Meanwhile in
1991, the club floated on the
London Stock Exchange with a valuation of £47 million,
[15] bringing its finances into the public eye.
The arrival of
Eric Cantona in November
1992 provided the crucial spark for United, and blending with the best of trusted talent in
Gary Pallister,
Denis Irwin and
Paul Ince, as well as budding stars like
Ryan Giggs, they finished the
1992-93 season as champions for the first time since
1967. They won
the double (the league and the FA Cup) for the first time the following season, aided by the capture of
Roy Keane, a determined midfielder from
Nottingham Forest, who would go on to become the team captain. In the same year, however, the club was plunged into mourning following the death of legendary manager and club president Sir
Matt Busby, who died on
20 January 1994.
In
1994-95, Cantona received an eight month suspension for jumping into the crowd and assaulting
Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons, who had given Cantona racial abuse as he left the field, in United's game at
Selhurst Park. Drawing their last league match and losing to
Everton in the
FA Cup final left United as runners-up in both the league and
FA Cup. Ferguson then outraged the supporters by selling key players and replacing them with players from the club's
youth team, including
David Beckham,
Gary Neville,
Phil Neville and
Paul Scholes. The new players, several of whom quickly became regular internationals for
England, did surprisingly well and United won the double again in
1995-96. This was the first time any English club had won the double twice, and the feat was nicknamed the "Double Double".
[16]
They won the league in
1996-97, and Eric Cantona announced his retirement from football at the age of 30. They started the following season (
1997-98) well, but they finished in second place, behind the double-winning champions
Arsenal.
The Treble (1998-99)
Main articles: Manchester United F.C. season 1998-99
The
1998-99 season for Manchester United was the most successful season in English club football history as they became the first and only English team to win The Treble - winning the
Premiership,
FA Cup and
UEFA Champions League in the same season.
[17] After a very tense Premier League season, Manchester United won the title on the final day beating
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, whilst
Arsenal won 1-0 against
Aston Villa.
[18] Winning the Premiership was the first part of the Treble in place, the one part that manager
Alex Ferguson described as the hardest.
In the
FA Cup Final United faced
Newcastle United and won 2-0 with goals from
Teddy Sheringham and
Paul Scholes.
[19] In the final match of that season, the
1999 UEFA Champions League Final they defeated
Bayern Munich in what was then considered one of the greatest comebacks ever witnessed, losing going into
injury time and scoring twice to win 2-1.
Ferguson was subsequently knighted for his services to football.
[20] Rounding out that record breaking year, Manchester United also won the
Intercontinental Cup after beating
Palmeiras 1-0 in
Tokyo.
[21]
After the Treble (1999-present)
Main articles: History of Manchester United F.C. (1999-present)
United won the league in
2000 and
2001 but the press saw these seasons as failures as they failed to regain the European Cup. In 2000, Manchester United became one of 14 founder members of the
G-14 group of leading
European football clubs.
[22] Ferguson adopted more defensive tactics to make United harder to beat in Europe but it was not a success and United finished the
2001-02 Premiership season in third place. They regained the league the following season (
2002-03) and started the following season well, but their form dropped significantly when
Rio Ferdinand received a controversial eight month suspension for missing a
drugs test. They did win the
2004 FA Cup, however, knocking out Arsenal (that season's eventual champions) on their way to the final in which they beat
Millwall.
The
2004-05 season was characterised by a failure to score goals, mainly due to the injury of striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy and United finished the season trophyless and in third place in the league. This time, even the "consolation prize" of the FA Cup eluded them as Arsenal beat United on penalties after a goalless draw after 120 minutes. Off the pitch, the main story was the possibility of the club being taken over and at the end of the season,
Tampa businessman
Malcolm Glazer,
acquired a controlling interest in the club.
United made a poor start to the
2005-06 season, with midfielder
Roy Keane leaving the club to join
Celtic after publicly criticising several of his team-mates, and the club failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade after losing to
Portuguese team
SL Benfica. Their season was also dealt cruel blows with injuries to key players such as
Gabriel Heinze,
Alan Smith,
Ryan Giggs and
Paul Scholes. However, they were prevented from being left empty-handed in successive seasons - a disappointment not endured in the last 17 years - by winning the 2006
League Cup beating newly-promoted neighbours
Wigan Athletic in the final 4-0. United also ensured a second-place finish and automatic
Champions League qualification on the final day of the season by defeating
Charlton Athletic 4-0. At the end of the
2005-06 season, one of United's key strikers,
Ruud van Nistelrooy, left the club to join Real Madrid, due to a row with
Alex Ferguson.
[23]
The
2006-07 season saw United return to the attacking style of football that was the cornerstone of their years of success in the late 1990s, scoring almost 20 more goals in 32 matches than second placed side
Chelsea. In January
2007, United signed
Henrik Larsson on a two-month loan from
Swedish side
Helsingborgs, and the
striker played an important role in advancing United to the
semi-finals of the Champions' League,
[24] with hopes for a second
Treble; however, upon reaching the semi-finals, United lost to
A.C. Milan 3-5 on
aggregate.
[25]
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Manchester United's entry into European competition, as well as the 50th anniversary of the
Treaty of Rome, Manchester United played
Marcello Lippi's
European XI at Old Trafford on
13 March 2007. United won the game 4-3, with two goals from
Wayne Rooney, and one each from
Wes Brown and
Cristiano Ronaldo.
[26]
Four years after their last championship, United claimed back the Premier League title on
6 May 2007, after Chelsea drew away with Arsenal, leaving the Blues seven points behind with two games to go, following United's 1-0 victory in the
Manchester derby the previous day, making it their ninth Premiership title in the 15 seasons of its existence. However, an unprecedented fourth Double was not to be, as Chelsea beat United 1-0 in extra time in
the first FA Cup Final to be held at the new
Wembley Stadium; the first to be held in England since the old stadium was demolished seven years earlier.
The Malcolm Glazer takeover
Main articles: Malcolm Glazer takeover of Manchester United
On
12 May 2005,
American businessman
Malcolm Glazer acquired a controlling interest in the club through his investment vehicle Red Football Ltd. in a takeover valuing the club at approximately
£800
million (approx.
$1.5
billion).
[27][28] On
16 May, he increased his share to the 75% necessary to de-list the club from the
Stock Exchange, making it private again, and announced his intention to do so within 20 days.
On
8 June he appointed his sons to the Manchester United board as non-executive directors.
[29]
In July
2006, the club announced a refinancing package. The total amount will be £660 million, on which interest payments will be £62 million a year.
[30] This result of this new financing plan will be a 30% reduction of annual payments.
[31]
Club crest and colours
Manchester United badge up to the most recent revision
During its days as 'Newton Heath', the club's home jerseys were yellow and green; this strip was revived as an away kit in the early 1990s. In 1902 , in conjunction with the name change to Manchester United, the club changed their colours to red jerseys, white shorts and black socks, which has become the standard for most Man Utd home kits ever since. The most notable exception to this is the shirt that the team wore in the
1909 FA Cup Final against
Bristol City, which was white with a thin red V-neck. This design was resurrected in the 1920s before United reverted back to the all-red shirts.
Away strips are usually white jerseys with black shorts and white socks, but other colours have been used, including a blue and white striped shirt used on-and-off from
1903 to
1916, an all-black kit in
1994 and
2003 and a navy blue shirt with silver horizontal pinstripes in
2000. One of the most famous, yet short-lived, United away kits, though, was the all grey kit from
1996. This kit was dropped after Manchester United failed to win a single game while wearing it. At half-time during a game against
Southampton, when United were already 3-0 down, they switched to their blue and white third kit, but eventually lost 3-1. According to the players, the grey kit was not visible enough which led to the poor results.
[32][33] Another famous Man Utd away kit included a reversible shirt that was white with black sleeves and gold trim on one side, and gold with black trim on the other side. This shirt was released as the last kit created by
Umbro for the club before the change to
Nike, and commemorated 100 years since the club had changed its name from Newton Heath to Manchester United.
The United third kit is traditionally all-blue in homage to the kit that the 1968 European Cup was won in. Exceptions to this rule have included a bright yellow kit worn in the early 1970s, the aforementioned blue and white striped shirt from 1996, which proved to be a firm favourite with the fans, and a white shirt with black and red horizontal pinstripes from 2004. United have also used what were originally used as training shirts as their third kit in the past, having adopted an all-black kit in the
1998-99 season and a dark blue shirt with maroon sides in 2001 for games against Southampton and PSV Eindhoven.
Currently, Manchester United's home jerseys are red with a vertical, white broken stripe with black trim on the reverse. The stripe is adorned with the letters MUFC at the top of the bottom portion, and a silhouette of the devil from the club badge at the top of the top portion. The
AIG and
Nike logos are also white. A patch with the words "The Red Devils" written in white, over an image of the club badge's devil, is attached to the bottom-left of the shirt. The club crest sits on a red kiss-cut shield on the left breast. The away jerseys are similar in template to the home shirt, but are black. The crest sits in a black shield, also on the left breast. There is a red-coloured piping running from the neck to the armpit and the AIG and Nike logos are white. The shirt also features the broken stripe on the reverse, in recognition of the team's 2006-07
Premier League win.
[34]
The Manchester United crest has been altered on a few occasions, but the basic form remains similar. The badge is derived from the crest of the city of
Manchester. The devil on the club badge stems from the club's nickname "The Red Devils", which was adopted in the early 1960s after
Matt Busby heard it in reference to the red-shirted
Salford rugby league side.
[35] By the end of the 1960s, the devil had started to be included on club programmes and scarves, before it was finally incorporated into the club badge in 1970, holding its unmistakable trident. In 1998, the badge was once again redesigned, this time removing the words "Football Club".
[36] This move was met with opposition from some supporters, who viewed it as a move away from the club's footballing roots and more into the business side of the game.
Players
First-team squad
As of
28 August 2007, according to combined sources on the official website.
[37][38]
''For more details see:
Manchester United F.C. season 2007-08.
For recent transfers, see
List of English football transfers 2007-08.''
Reserves and academy
''For the reserve and academy squads, see
Manchester United F.C. Reserves & Academy.''
Former players
''For details on former players, see
List of Manchester United F.C. players and .''
Club captains
Player records
''As of match played 1 Sep 2007 and according to the official statistics website.
[39] Players in bold are still currently playing for Manchester United.''
Most appearances
Most goals
European Footballers of the Year (Ballon d'Or)
The following players have won
European Footballer of the Year (
Ballon d'Or) whilst playing for Manchester United:
★
Denis Law - 1964
★
Bobby Charlton - 1966
★
George Best - 1968
Ladies team
Manchester United Ladies FC was founded in
1977, and officially became a part of Manchester United FC at the start of the
2001-02 season. They played in the Northern Combination league (the third tier of women's football in England) until they were controversially disbanded before the start of the
2004-05 season for financial reasons. The decision was met with considerable criticism given the huge profits made by Manchester United and also due to the fact that the teams were withdrawn from all their leagues before the players were even informed of the decision.
[40]
Club officials
★ Owner: '
Malcolm Glazer'
★ Honorary Life President: '
Martin Edwards'
'Manchester United Limited'
★ Joint Chairmen: '
Joel Glazer' & '
Avram Glazer'
★ Directors: '
Bryan Glazer', 'Kevin Glazer', 'Edward Glazer' & 'Darcie Glazer'
★ Chief Executive: '
David Gill'
★ Chief Operating Officer: 'Michael Bolingbroke'
★ Commercial Director: ''vacant''
'Manchester United football club'
★ Directors: '
David Gill', 'Michael Edelson', '
Sir Bobby Charlton', '
Maurice Watkins'
★ Club Secretary: 'Ken Ramsden'
★ Assistant Club Secretary: 'Ken Merrett'
'Coaching and Medical Staff'
★ Manager: '
Sir Alex Ferguson'
★ Assistant Manager: '
Carlos Queiroz'
★ First Team Coach: '
Mike Phelan'
★ Technical Skills Development Coach: '
René Meulensteen'
★ First Team Coach (Strikers): '
Ole Gunnar Solskjær'
★ Goalkeeping Coach: '
Tony Coton'
★ Fitness Coach: 'Tony Strudwick'
★ Strength & Conditioning Coach: 'Mick Clegg'
★ Caretaker Reserve Team Coach: '
Brian McClair'
★ Chief Scout: '
Jim Lawlor'
★ Chief European Scout: '
Martin Ferguson'
★ Director of Youth Academy: '
Brian McClair'
★ Director of Youth Football: '
Jimmy Ryan'
★ Technical Skills Development Coach: '
René Meulensteen'
★ Club Doctor: 'Dr. Steve McNally'
★ Assistant Club Doctor: 'Dr. Tony Gill'
★ First Team Physiotherapist: 'Rob Swire'
Managerial history
Support
Before
World War II, few English football supporters travelled to away games because of time, cost, and logistical constraints such as the scarcity of cars amongst the population. As City and United played home matches on alternate Saturdays, many Mancunians would watch United one week and City the next, but after the war, a stronger rivalry developed and it became more common for a supporter to choose to follow one team exclusively.
When United won the league in
1956, they had the highest average home attendance in the league, a record that had been held by
Newcastle United for the previous few years. Following the
Munich air disaster in 1958, more people began to support United and many started to go to matches. This caused United's support to swell and is one reason why United have had the highest league attendances in English football for almost every season since then, even as a
Second Division side in
1974-75.
[41]
In the late 1990s and early part of the 2000s, an increasing source of concern for many United supporters was the possibility of the club being taken over. The supporters' group
IMUSA (''Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association'') were extremely active in opposing a proposed takeover by
Rupert Murdoch in 1998.
[42] Another pressure group, ''Shareholders United Against Murdoch'' (which became Shareholders United and is now the ''
Manchester United Supporters' Trust'') was formed at around this time to encourage supporters to buy shares in the club, partly to enable supporters to have a greater say in the issues that concern them, such as ticket prices and allocation, and partly to reduce the risk of an unwanted party buying enough shares to take over the club. However, this scheme failed to prevent
Malcolm Glazer from becoming the majority share holder. Many supporters were outraged, and some formed a splinter club called
F.C. United of Manchester. Despite the anger of some supporters towards the new owners, attendances have continued to increase.
Stadium
When the club was first founded, 'Newton Heath' played their home games on a small field on North Road in Newton Heath, near to where Manchester Piccadilly Station is currently located. However, visiting teams often complained about the state of the pitch, which was "a bog at one end and rocky as a quarry at the other".
The changing rooms were also nothing to be proud of, being located ten minutes walk away at the Three Crowns pub on Oldham Road. They were later moved to the Shears Hotel, another pub on Oldham Road, but a change was needed if the club was to continue in the Football League.
The Heathens remained at their North Road ground for fifteen years from 1878 to
1893, a year after entering the Football League, before moving to a new home at Bank Street in nearby Clayton. The new ground was not much better, only a few tufts of grass sticking up through the sandy surface, and clouds of smoke coming down from the factory next door. On one occasion, the Walsall Town Swifts even refused to play, the conditions were so bad. A layer of sand was put down by the groundsman and the visitors were finally persuaded to play, eventually losing 14-0. They protested against the result, citing the poor conditions as the reason for their loss and the match was replayed. The conditions were not much better the second time around, and the Walsall team lost again, although this time they only lost 9-0.
In
1902, the club went close to bankruptcy and the Bank Street ground was closed by bailiffs due to their insolvency. They were saved at the last minute by club captain Harry Stafford, who managed to scrape together enough money to pay for the club's next away game at Bristol City and found a temporary ground at neighbouring Harpurhey for the next home game against Blackpool.
[43]
Following investment to get the club back on an even keel, they renamed as Manchester United, though still with a desire for a passable ground. Six weeks before United's first FA Cup title in April
1909, Old Trafford was named as the home of Manchester United, following the purchase of the necessary 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. Original plans indicated that the stadium would hold around 100,000, though this was scaled back to 77,000. Despite this, a record attendance of 76,962 was recorded, which is more than even the current stadium officially supports. Construction was carried out by Messrs Brameld and Smith of Manchester. At the opening of the stadium, standing tickets cost sixpence, while the most expensive seats in the grandstand would have set you back five shillings. The inaugural game was played on
19 February 1910 against
Liverpool F.C., and resulted in a 4-3 win for the visitors. As it happened, the change of ground could not have come soon enough. Only a few days after the club played their last game at Bank Street, the main stand was blown down in a storm.
[44]
Bombing during the
Second World War - on
11 March 1941 - destroyed much of the stadium, notably the main stand. The central tunnel in the South Stand was all that remained of that quarter of the ground. Though the ground was rebuilt in
1949, it meant that a game had not been played at Old Trafford for nearly 10 years as the team played all their "home" games in that period at
Manchester City's ground,
Maine Road. Man City charged the club £5000 per year for the use of their stadium, plus a nominal percentage of the gate receipts. United filed a report with the War Damage Commission and received compensation to the value of £22,278 for the reconstruction of the ground.
[45]
Subsequent improvements occurred, beginning with the addition of a roof first to the Stretford End and then to the North and East Stands. However, the old-fashioned roof supports obscured the view of many fans, resulting in the upgrading of the roofs to incorporate the cantilevering still seen on the stadium today. The Stretford End was the last stand to receive the upgrade to the cantilevered roof, the work being completed in time for the start of the
1993-94 season.
[46]
Floodlights were first installed at the ground in the mid-1950s. Four 180-foot-tall pylons were erected, each housing 54 individual floodlights. The whole lighting system cost the club £40,000, and was first used for a match on
25 March 1957. However, the old style floodlights were dismantled in
1987, to be replaced by a new lighting system embedded in the roof of each of the stands, which has survived to this day.
In
1990, following the
Hillsborough disaster, a report was issued which demanded all stadia must be
all-seater stadia, leading to subsequent renovation, which dropped capacity to around 44,000. However, the club's popularity ensured that further development would occur. In
1995, the North Stand was redeveloped into three tiers, bringing the capacity up to approximately 55,000. This was followed by expansions of first the East and then West Stands to reach a total capacity of 68,000. The most recent expansion was completed in 2006, when the North-East and North-West Quadrants were opened, allowing the current record of 76,098, only 104 short of the stadium's maximum capacity.
It has been estimated that for any further development to be attempted on the stadium, specifically the South Stand which is still only one tier high, development costs would almost equal the £114 million already spent on the stadium in the last fourteen years. This is due to the fact that up to fifty houses would have to be bought out by the club, which would cause a lot of disruption to local residents, and any extension would have to be built over the top of the railway line that runs adjacent to the stadium. Ideally, the expansion would include bringing the South Stand up to at least two tiers and filling in the South-West and South-East quadrants to restore the "bowl" effect of the stadium. Present estimates put the projected capacity of the completed stadium at approximately 96,000, more than the new Wembley Stadium.
Sponsorship
On
23 November 2005,
Vodafone ended their £36 million, four-year shirt sponsorship deal with Manchester United. On
6 April 2006, chief executive
David Gill announced
AIG as the new shirt sponsors of Manchester United in a British record shirt sponsorship deal of £56.5 million to be paid over four years (£14.1 million a year).
[47] Manchester United now has the most valuable sponsorship deal in the world, due to the renegotiation of the £15 million-a-year deal
Juventus had with oil firm
Tamoil.
[48] The four-year agreement has also been heralded, by extension, as the largest sponsorship deal in British history, eclipsing
Chelsea's deal with
Samsung.
Companies that Manchester United currently have sponsorship deals with include:
[49]
★
AIG - Principal Sponsor
★
Nike - Official Sportswear Partner
★
Audi - Official Car Supplier and Dugout Seat Provider
★
Budweiser - Official Beer
★
Betfred - Official Betting Partner
★
Xfm Manchester - Official Radio Station
[50]
The club has only ever had three main shirt sponsors, the longest-running being
Sharp Electronics, who sponsored the club from
1982 to
2000, when Vodafone took over in an initial four-year £30 million deal. Similarly, the club has only had four independent kit manufacturers, the first being
Admiral.
Adidas took over in the mid-1980s, only for local sportswear company
Umbro to replace them in 1992. Umbro's sponsorship lasted for a whole ten years, until the club struck a record-breaking £302.9 million deal with
Nike. The agreement with Nike will last an initial 13 years, although the
American company does have the option to cancel the deal in
2008. Otherwise, the contract will run until at least
2015.
[51]
Rivalries
United's number one rival is difficult to determine. Most fans see
Liverpool as their biggest rivals, due to the success of both clubs, as well as their proximity in relation to each other, while others rate intra-city rivals
Manchester City as their biggest rivals. The Liverpool rivalry began during the 1960s when the two clubs were among the strongest in
England, and have been competing closely just about every season since. The Manchester City rivalry dates back to the
Newton Heath era of the 1890s, and has remained fierce due to both clubs being in the same division for much of their history.
Other rivals include
Everton,
Leeds United and
Arsenal. The Everton rivalry has been strong since the early 1960s, when the two teams among the finest in England. It intensified again during the 1980s, notably when United beat Everton in the 1985
FA Cup final, and again in 1995 when United were on the receiving end of an Everton triumph in the FA Cup final. The rivalry with Leeds United began during the late 1960s, when Leeds emerged as a top side, and reached its apex when Leeds pipped United to the league title in
1992. The rivalry with Arsenal has been particularly intense since Arsenal pipped United to the 1998, 2002 and 2004
Premier League titles, and between the first two titles, United were champions with Arsenal finishing second.
2003 also saw United finish top and Arsenal as runners-up.
Honours
Domestic
League
★ '
Premier League (including
(Old) First Division)'
[52]' titles: 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.
★ '
(Old) Second Division'
[53]': 2'
★
★
1935-36,
1974-75
Cups
★ '
FA Cup: 11'
★
★
1909,
1948,
1963,
1977,
1983,
1985,
1990,
1994,
1996,
1999,
2004
★ '
League Cup: 2'
★
★ 1992,
2006
★ '
FA Charity/Community Shield: 16 (12 outright, 4 shared)'
★
★ 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965
★ , 1967
★ , 1977
★ , 1983, 1990
★ , 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003,
2007 (
★ joint holders)
European
★ '
European Cup / UEFA Champions League: 2'
★
★
1968,
1999
★ '
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1'
★
★
1991
★ '
European Super Cup: 1'
★
★
1991
International
★ '
Intercontinental Cup/World Club Championship: 1'
★
★ 1999
The only major honour that Manchester United F.C. has not yet won is the
UEFA Cup.
[54]
Club records
★ Record League victory: '10-1' v
Wolves, Division 1, 15 October 1892
★ Record Premiership victory: '9-0' v
Ipswich Town, 4 March 1995
★ Record
European Cup victory: '10-0' v
Anderlecht, European Champion Clubs' Cup, Preliminary Round, 26 September 1956
★ Record European Cup (Champions League era) victory: '7-1' v
AS Roma, 10 April 2007
★ Record home win '10-0' v
Anderlecht, 26 September 1956
★ Record away win: '8-1' v
Nottingham Forest, 6 February 1999
★ Record League defeat: '0-7' v
Blackburn Rovers, Division 1, 10 April 1926 / v
Aston Villa, Division 1, 27 December 1930 / v
Wolves, Division 2, 26 December 1931
★ Record Cup defeat: '1-7' v
Burnley, FA Cup, 1st Round, 13 February 1901
★ Record 'Home' attendance: '83,250' v
Arsenal, Division 1,
Maine Road, 7 January 1948
★ Record League attendance (at
Old Trafford): '76,098' v Blackburn Rovers, 31 March 2007.
★ Longest unbeaten run : '45' (all competitions), 24 December 1998 to 3 October 1999
★ Most appearances : '759'
Bobby Charlton
★ Most League appearances: '606' -
Bobby Charlton
★ Most goals scored : '249' -
Bobby Charlton
★ Most League goals: '199' -
Bobby Charlton
★ Most
Premier League goals: '96' -
Paul Scholes
★ Most League goals in a season: '32' -
Dennis Viollet, Division 1, 1959-60
★ Most goals in a season in all competitions: '46' -
Denis Law, 1963-64
★ Most goals scored in a match: '6' -
Harold Halse v
Swindon Town, 25 September 1911 /
George Best v
Northampton Town, 7 February 1970
★ Most goals scored in European competition: '38' -
Ruud van Nistelrooy
★ Goals in consecutive league matches: '10' consecutive matches -
Ruud van Nistelrooy, 22 March 2003 to 23 August 2003
★ Highest transfer fee paid: '£31.12 million' -
Rio Ferdinand, 2002/2003
[55] (includes £300k in agents fees)
★ Most League goals in a season (by team): '103' 1956/57, 1958/59
★ Most points in a 42-game season: '92' - 1993/94
★ Most points in a 38-game Season: '91' - 1999/2000
★ Most
international caps (total): '129' -
Peter Schmeichel -
Denmark (76 whilst with United)
★ Most international caps as a United player: '106' -
Sir Bobby Charlton -
England
★ Fastest goal: '15 seconds' -
Ryan Giggs v
Southampton, Premiership, 18 November 1995
★ Fastest four goals: '13 minutes' -
Ole Gunnar Solskjær v
Nottingham Forest, Premiership, 6 February 1999
[56]
See also
★
List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
★
Richest football clubs
'Supporters' organisations'
★
IMUSA
★
Manchester United Supporters' Trust
★
Manchester United Supporters Club of America
'Fanzines'
★
Red Issue
★
United We Stand (fanzine)
★
Red News
'Chart'
★
Manchester United F.C. - 50 Greatest Players Of All Time
References
1. Who's The Greatest?
2. Manchester United score with annual profits Ian Henderson
3. European Football Statistics
4. Starting from the 1986-1987 season, Manchester United have won nine Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, five FA Cups and two League Cups. Trophies such as the Intercontinental Cup, European Super Cup and Community Shield are by convention considered minor trophies of lesser worth than other honours.
5. Manchester United win 11th FA Cup
6. United slip to fourth in rich list after Champions League failure Jon Brodkin
7. Soccer Team Valuations by Operating Profit
8. Soccer Team Valuations
9. Neville appointed Manchester United Captain
10. The Official Illustrated History of Manchester United, , Alex, Murphy, Orion Books, 2006,
11. Man Utd's turbulent business history Bill Wilson
12. The Official Illustrated History of Manchester United, , Alex, Murphy, Orion Books, 2006,
13. 1908 Charity Shield
14. Munich Air Disaster
15. A Game of Two Halves? The Business of Football, , Simon, Lee, University of London, ,
16. Cantona crown's United's season of Double delight
17. United crowned kings of Europe
18. Man United stands alone
19. Two down, one to go
20. Ferguson and Magnier:a truce in the internal warfare at United
21. Other News in Soccer in 1999
22. G-14's members
23. Ruud accuses Ferguson of betrayal
24. Seven wonders of sublime United dazzle and destroy helpless Roma
25. AC Milan 3-0 Man Utd (Agg: 5-3) Caroline Cheese
26. {{cite news |title=Manchester United 4-3 Europe XI |publisher= ManUtd.com |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=410702 |date=2007-03-13 }}
27. Glazer Man Utd stake exceeds 75%
28. Manchester United's new owner
29. Glazer's sons join Man U board
30. Glazers Tighten Grip On United With Debt Refinancing
31. Manchester United reveal refinancing plans
32. Grey day for Manchester United
33. Excuses, excuses, excuses Anthony Thomas
34. History of Man Utd's Kit
35. A to Z of Manchester United - R
36. Manchester United kits
37. {{cite web |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={91EA3BE2-963A-4BAB-802C-F46A0EF3FCA3}&page=1 |title=First Team |accessdate=2007-05-28 |year=2007 |publisher=ManUtd.com }}
38. {{cite news |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=462234 |title=Reds confirm squad numbers |date=2007-08-10 |accessdate=2007-08-10 |author=Ben Hibbs |publisher=Manchester United }}
39. StretfordEnd.co.uk
40. United abandons women’s football Theresa Towle
41. More poignantly, for two of the seasons that United did not have the league's largest attendance, Old Trafford was undergoing major building work (1971-72 and 1992-93).
A 2002 report, entitled ''Do You Come From Manchester?'', showed that a higher proportion of Manchester City season ticket holders live in the Manchester postal districts, whilst United had the higher absolute number of season ticket holders living in the same area.[ Do You Come From Manchester? Dr. Adam Brown ]
42. Fan Power Andy Walsh and Adam Brown
43. The Official Illustrated History of Manchester United, , Alex, Murphy, Orion Books, 2006,
44. The Official Illustrated History of Manchester United, , Alex, Murphy, Orion Books, 2006,
45. The United Miscellany, , John, White, Carlton Books, 2007,
46. Old Trafford 1909-2006
47. Man Utd sign £56m AIG shirt deal
48. Oilinvest to renegotiate Juventus sponsorship
49. {{cite web |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={3479FBF4-753A-4BF4-8FDD-0F0BFCEA3FFF} |title=Official Sponsors |accessdate=2007-05-28 |year=2007 |publisher=ManUtd.com }}
50. Xfm to air Manchester United commentary John Plunkett
51. A to Z of Manchester United - N
52. Up until 1992, the top division of English football was the Football League First Division; since then, it has been the Premier League.
53. The Second Division became the First Division upon the formation of the Premier League, and is now known as the Football League Championship.
54. {{cite web |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={EE4D6083-FCB8-4FAB-A765-75E2B0F4B4E0} |title=Trophy Room |accessdate=2007-05-28 |year=2007 |publisher=ManUtd.com }}
55. MANCHESTER UNITED PLC - REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2005
56. The hat-trick Hall of Fame
External links
Official
★
Official site
★
Talking Reds (message board)
Independent media sites
★
Manchester Evening News
★
Manchester United coverage from SportNetwork.net
★
Football365's Manchester United coverage
★
4thegame.com's Manchester United Section
★
Manchester United - Premierleague.com
★
Manchester United Football Club team news from Carling
Major fan sites
★
Official Manchester United Supporters' Trust
★
Independent Manchester United Supporters Association
★
Red Issue - The United Fanzine
★
Red News - United's First Fanzine
★
United We Stand - The Manchester United Fanzine
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