History of Manchester United
Early years (1878–1945)
Manchester United was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club The team initially played games against other departments and rail companies, in 1880, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the railway company – green and gold – they were defeated 6–0 by Bolton Wanderers’ reserve team
Busby years (1945–1969) The Busby Babes
In 1945, with the resumption of football Matt Busby got the managerial appointment at Manchester United he was a hard task master and demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers and training sessions Busby led the team to second-place league finishes in 1947, 1948 and 1949, and to FA Cup victory in 1948. In 1952, the club won the First Division, its first league title for 41 years.[21] With an average age of 22, the media labelled the back-to-back title winning side of 1956 “the Busby Babes”, a testament to Busby’s faith in his youth players In 1957, Manchester United became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, his team recorded a 10–0 victory over Belgian champions Anderlecht, which remains the club’s biggest victory on record
Ferguson years (1986–present)
Alex Ferguson has been manager of Manchester United since November 1986.
Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox arrived from Aberdeen on the day of Atkinson’s dismissal In his first season he guided the Team to 11th-place Despite a second-place finish in 1987–88, the club was back in 11th place the following season. He was on the verge of being dismissed, victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup Final replay (after a 3–3 draw) saved Ferguson’s career
Manchester United claimed its first Cup Winners’ Cup title and competed in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup, beating European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 in the final at Old Trafford. In 1992, the club won its first league title since 1967, and a year later, for the first time since 1957, it won a second consecutive title – alongside the FA Cup – to complete the first “Double” in the club's History.
