,
1 of 2 Next
United history: 1878 to 1909
Manchester United Football Club was first formed in 1878, albeit under a different name - Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway).
Little suspecting the impact they were about to have on the national, even global game, the workers in the railway yard at Newton Heath indulged their passion for association football with games against other departments of the LYR and other railway companies.
Indeed, when the Football League was formed in 1888, Newton Heath did not consider themselves good enough to become founder members alongside the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End. Instead, they waited until 1892 to make their entrance.
Financial problems plagued the club and, by the start of the 20th Century, it seemed they were destined for extinction. The team was saved, however, by local brewery owner John Henry Davies. Legend has it that he learned of the club's plight when he found a dog belonging to captain Harry Stafford.
Davies decided to invest in Newton Heath, in return for some interest in running it. This led to a change of name and, after several alternatives including Manchester Central and Manchester Celtic were rejected, Manchester United was born in April/May of 1902.
The next influential figure to arrive at United was Ernest Mangnall, who was appointed secretary in September 1903 but is widely acknowledged as being the club's first manager. His side, including new signings like goalkeeper Harry Moger and forward Charlie Sagar, finished third in the Second
Division in 1903/04 and again in 1904/05.
The following season, 1905/06, was to prove one of the greatest in the early life of Manchester United. The half-back line of Dick Duckworth, Alex Bell and captain Charlie Roberts (pictured) were instrumental in the side which reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but, more importantly, finished as runners-up in the Second Division. Some 12 years after being relegated, United reclaimed their place in the top flight. To celebrate, Mangnall signed Billy Meredith from rivals Manchester City. Nicknamed the Welsh Wizard, Meredith had been implicated in a bribery scandal at City, and was due to be auctioned along with 17 other players. Mangnall shrewdly made his move early, and acquired Meredith's signature before the bidding began.
The winger's arrival proved to be inspirational - Meredith set up countless goals for Sandy Turnbull in 1907/08 when United won the Football League title for the first time. As champions, United played in the first-ever Charity Shield in 1908. They duly won the trophy, beating Southern League champions QPR 4-0 thanks largely to a hat-trick from Sandy's namesake, Jimmy Turnbull. The third trophy to be added to the club's honours board was the FA Cup, at the end of a tremendous run in 1909. United beat Bristol City 1-0 in the final, thanks to Sandy Turnbull's winner.
United history: 1940 to 1949
The outbreak of the Second World War forced football to the very back of people's minds between 1939 and 1946. But even in the absence of League football, Old Trafford was still the focus of attention.
On 11 March 1941, the stadium was bombed during a German air raid. The attack destroyed the main stand, dressing rooms and offices. It was a devastating blow but, within a few years, there would be optimism again around the famous old ground.
It came with a man named Matt Busby, who would prove to be a hugely important figure in the history of Manchester United. A former Manchester City and Liverpool player, Busby served in the Ninth Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, where his leadership qualities shone through. These qualities did not go unnoticed by United.
Busby joined the Reds in 1945, initially on a five-year contract. Little did he know he would still be managing the club 25 years later! The young boss did not waste any time making his mark, altering the positions of several key players. He also founded the 'Famous Five' forwards when he brought together Jimmy Delaney, Stan Pearson, Jack Rowley,Charlie Mitten and Johnny Morris.
Perhaps the most important signing Busby made, however, was on the coaching staff. Matt had met Jimmy Murphy during the war, and identified him as his perfect right-hand man. The pair formed a partnership that would see United become a power in world football.
Busby and Murphy's first step on the road to glory was to build a team that was capable of challenging for domestic honours. They succeeded almost at the first attempt, as United finished second to Liverpool in the first Football League campaign after the war, 1946/47. It was the club's highest placing for 36 years, and there was extra cause for optimism when the Reserves won their (Central) League Championship in the same season.
Busby's mix of young local lads and established players lifted their first trophy the following year, when beating the Blackpool side of Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen and Harry Johnston in the 1948 FA Cup final. It was 39 years to the day that United had previously won the Cup, in 1909.
The FA Cup was also the club's first major honour since winning the League Championship in 1911, and recapturing the title would now become the number one target for Busby's men. During the first five seasons of his post-war reign, United finished second on four occasions, and fourth on the other (1949/50).
The thrill of the chase for honours brought the fans flooding back – more than one million of them passed through the turnstiles in the 1947/48 season, dragging the club out of debt. Surely these fans wouldn't have to wait long to be rewarded with the prize they all craved…
United history: 1960 to 1969
After building one of the greatest teams seen in England, Matt Busby had to start all over again at the start of the 1960s. The Munich air disaster had robbed him, and football, of some of the era's greatest players. But once the great manager had recovered from his own injuries, he set about building another side to take the world by storm.
Dennis Viollet was one of the leading names within this team. In 1959/60, the Munich survivor broke Jack Rowley's club record by scoring 32 goals in one league season. The team in total scored 102, but they conceded 80 and finished in seventh place.
Viollet wasn't the only Munich survivor to enjoy a great Old Trafford career; others includedBill Foulkes, and Bobby Charlton, who came through the club's youth ranks to break goalscoring records for club and country. Nobby Stiles also rose through the ranks, whileDenis Law came via a record £115,000 transfer from Torino.
United's form was erratic at the start of the decade, while new names settled in, but then everything came together with a run to Wembley for the 1963 FA Cup Final. Busby's new-look team beat Leicester 3-1, with two goals from David Herd and one by Law.
The next season saw United build on the foundations of FA Cup success to challenge for the title – finishing second, only four points behind the champions Liverpool, to whom they lost both at home and away. The 1962/63 season was also notable for the signing and debut of George Best, the young man from Belfast who would become football's first superstar. His incredible skill, pace and control left opponents in knots, making him a hit with the fans, while his film-star looks made him a hit with the ladies.
In 1964/65, the famous Trinity of Best, Law and Charlton took United to new heights. They won the League championship, pipping Leeds on goal difference, and reached the semi-finals of the European Fairs Cup and the FA Cup. Law plundered goals galore and was named the European Footballer of the Year.
The title-winning team seemed to be the finished article, but they finished a disappointing fourth the following season, and exited both the FA and European Cups in the semi-finals. The season's highlight had been the 5-1 away thrashing of Benfica in the European Cup quarter-finals, when Best had been in blistering form and earned the tag the 'fifth Beatle'.
In 1966/67, United were crowned League champions again and another season of European Cup football was guaranteed. This time, United would go all the way, beating Benfica in the final at Wembley. Jaime Graca equalised Charlton's headed goal to take the game into extra-time, but further goals from Best, Brian Kidd and Charlton gave United their first European Cup. Just 10 years after Sir Matt had seen his dream team destroyed, he had performed the impossible. He was knighted soon afterwards.
The following season saw the European champions finish 11th in the league and fail to win a trophy. The Reds also lost the World Club Championship 2-1 on aggregate to Estudiantes in a match marred by on-field violence. Despite the anti-climatic end to the decade, United fans could feel delighted with the 1960s and few could begrudge Sir Matt's retirement in 1969, after all he'd achieved.