Manchester United history since its foundation

• Manchester United is a professional football team which competes in the English Premier League. 
• Manchester United history dates back to 1878, when it was formed as Newton Heath LYR Football Club. 
• The Red Devils are among the teams with a massive following worldwide. 

Manchester United history is a matter of interest to many football fans since it is one of the teams with a massive following worldwide. The European team reportedly has 1.1 billion fans from all parts of the world.

The fans play a huge role in helping the team generate significant revenue from multiple sources, including broadcasting, sponsorship, matchday, merchandising and product licensing.

Manchester United history. Photo/ Manchester Evening News.

Manchester United, also known as the Red Devils, compete in the top division of the English football league system – the Premier League. 

The professional football club is based in Greater Manchester and plays its home matches at Old Trafford. 

The Red Devils are among the most successful football teams in Europe, having won a record 20 league titles and 12 FA Cups, among other titles. 

Manchester United history has it that they were the first English team to win the European Cup. As of now, the Red Devils have won three European Cup/ UEFA Champions League titles. 

Manchester United Early Years 

Manchester United history goes back to 1878, when the club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club. The carriage and wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway formed the club. 

Newton Heath LYR Football Club initially played games against other departments and railway companies. The team’s first recorded match was on November 20, 1880, defeating Bolton Wanderers 6-0. They wore the colours of the railway company during the match. 

Newton Heath was among the founding members of The Combination, a regional football league formed in 1888. The team then joined Football Alliance which was formed the following year. 

The Football Alliance ran for three seasons and then merged with the Football League. And that led to Newton Heath starting in the First Division during the 1892-93 season. 

The club spent two seasons in the First Division before its relegation to the Second Division. 

Newton Heath officially changed its name to Manchester United on April 24, 1902. The club’s first manager was Ernest Mangnall, who helped the team return to the First Division in 1906. 

Manchester United won its first-ever title in 1908 – the First Division title. Manchester United then located to its current stadium, Old Trafford, in 1910.

Old Trafford. Photo/ Sports Illustrated.

Manchester United After World War Two 

Matt Busby took over as Manchester United’s manager in October 1945 following the resumption of football after the second world war. He demanded unprecedented control over training sessions, team selection and transfers. 

Matt led the team to second finish on the table in 1947, 1948 and 1949. His first title victory came in 1948, and it was the FA Cup. 

Manchester United were the first English team to compete in European Cup in 1957. The Munich air disaster happened the following season after Manchester United recorded a quarter-final victory over Red Star Belgrade. 

The accident, whose exact date was February 6, 1958, claimed 23 lives, including players, journalists and officials. 

Matt Busby was among dozens who got serious injuries. The injuries forced him to stay away for some time as he recovered from the injuries. 

The legendary manager then rebuilt the team in the 1960s, signing players like Denis Law, George Best and Pat Crerand. 

Manchester United continued winning titles in the 1970s and 1980s, which led to them gaining fans worldwide. 

Ferguson Years

Sir Alex Ferguson took over as Manchester United manager after the dismissal of Ron Atkinson in 1986. He guided the team to a second finish during the 1987-88 season. 

The legendary manager was on the verge of losing his job after the 1988-89 season but retained it after victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final. 

Sir Alex Ferguson went ahead to manage Manchester United for another 23 years, winning numerous titles. The Scott manager retired after the end of the 2012-13 season as the most decorated manager in football history.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Photo/ Goal.com.

Manchester United Post-Ferguson Era 

Manchester United history continues after the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The Red Devils signed David Moyes after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. 

Moyes was Manchester United’s manager for only one season, and then he sacked due to the team’s poor performance. 

Manchester United then hired Louis van Gaal on May 19, 2014, on a three-year deal. The Dutch manager led the team to win its 12th FA Cup title before his sacking two years later. 

Jose Mourinho, who replaced Louis van Gaal directed the team to win the FA Community Shield, EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League in his first season. However, he was not the right man to lead Manchester United as the team sacked him in early 2019.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer directed Manchester United to victories as the club’s caretaker and eventually took over as the manager on March 28, 2019. 

The Red Devils sacked Ole Gunnar last season after consistent poor results. He was replaced by Ralf Ranginick, who served as the interim manager until the end of the season. 

Manchester United are hoping that Erik ten Hag is the right man to lead them to titles. The Dutch manager joined the club on April 21, 2022.