Manchester United is one of the world’s most famous football clubs and has won countless trophies under managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby. The club is not only rich in silverware but also in history. The club started out in 1878 and was called Newton Heath LYR Football Club. In 1902 the club changed its name to Manchester United and finally in 1910 the club moved to its current home Old Trafford.

The Early Years

The club which was formerly called Newton Heath was formed by the carriage and wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. In the beginning the team played against other departments within the company but by 1888 the club joined the Combination league. This was a regional league that the club helped to setup. Despite the efforts made to get the league going it ceased to exist the following year.

After the collapse of the Combination league Newton Heath joined the football alliance which merged with the Football League. The club started in the first division but after two seasons the club were relegated to the second division. In this time the club also dropped its association with the rail company.

After relegation and being served with a winding up order for outstanding debts the club was forced to find new investors. Four local business men were happy to make a direct investment into the club however they were looking for a change in the club name. In 1902 Manchester United was born under managed Ernest Mangnall.

The Busby Years

In 1945, just after the war, Matt Busby was appointed as manager of Manchester United. His appointment was somewhat controversial as he demanded unprecedented control over the club. Busby became one of Manchester United’s most successful managers and won the FA cup in 1948, the league title in 1952 and again in 1956.

During this period Manchester United had a very young team which were given the inspiring title of ‘the Busby Babes’. In 1957 United were the first English team to compete in the European cup. This again caused some controversy.

Europe proved to be a catalyst for the club and from 1957 the club has experienced both the high’s and lows of European football. In 1958 while returning home from a victory against Red Star Belgrade the clubs plane crashed on the run way in Munich. The crash claimed 23 lives and changed the clubs history forever. Of the 23 died 8 first team players were killed. The Busby Babes were no more and the United had to start rebuilding its team.

In 1968 Busby lead United to European glory with the likes of George Best and Dennis Law. In 1969 after much success Busby stood down as manager.

The 70’s and 80’s

In this period the club experienced some of its darkest days. In the 1969 season the club finished only eighth and the poor form continued the following year. After that the club was saved from relegation by Tommy Docherty but failed to avoid this the following season. The club was in trouble as many star players had left and managers started to be replaced more frequently.

In 1977 Dave Sexton was appointed to replace Docherty and was allowed to sign some big name players including Ray Wilkins. Despite significant investment in players the club failed to win anything and finished only second in the 1979 season. In 1981 Sexton was fired and was replaced by Ron Atkinson. He went on to buy Bryan Robson for a club record and was one of the clubs most highly regarded players. Under Robson the club won the FA Cup twice but league results were not so promising. In 87 the club looked certain for relegation and Atkinson was dismissed.

The Ferguson Years

In 1986 United started to rebuild under a new manager. Sir Alex Ferguson joined Manchester United from Aberdeen and hasn’t looked back since. Despite difficulties early on Alex Ferguson has become one of the most successful managers of all time. It was reported however that he was once on the verge of being sacked.

In his time at the helm of Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson has won numerous trophies and set an example to other managers and clubs. Few are like him and he has broken countless records. Most noticeably he has won the Champions League twice.

In recent years the club has secured new American owners and continues to perform well in both the European and domestic leagues.

Author Bio: Richard Hall – Coaches kids football courses for MUSS

Category: Sports
Keywords: football, soccer, sports