to home
| to home |
Manchester United began life in 1878 as Newton Heath, a side formed by a group of workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. Newton Heath went bankrupt in 1902 and changed their club colours , this time the white shirts and blue shorts were replaced by red shirts and white shorts. The name of Newton Heath was not liked by all, they had left their home in Newton Heath 9 years previously, and following the reorganisation of the Club many called for a name change. Manchester Central was suggested, but it was decided that it sounded too much like a railway station, also suggested and rejected was Manchester Celtic, then a Mr Louis Rocca hit upon the name Manchester United. The name had been suggested before but had not met much support, but this time it stuck and on Saturday 26th April 1902 Newton Heath became Manchester United .
The move to a new stadium had been agreed in 1908, Clayton - the previous ground - was a disgrace of a pitch. During the winter months it was a quagmire and hardly a fitting place for a team that had won the FA Cup and Championship. The old stadium was sold to the Manchester Corporation for 5,000 pounds and the new site in Trafford Park was purchased with the help of a grant for 60,000 pounds. The site for the new stadium was chosen and paid for by John Henry Davies, who paid all the costs out of his own pocket. The new stadium was planned to be the largest and finest in the country. It was originally designed to hold 100,000 fans, but after construction estimates soared an additional 30,000 pounds over budget, the plans were revised, restricting the gate to around 60,000.
The new ground was opened on February 19 and named 'Old Trafford' . Liverpool were the opponents that day and spoiled the party by beating United 4-3 after United had led 2-0. They soon got used to the new ground though and it was October 21, a year later, before they suffered another defeat at home.
The price of admission for the games at Old Trafford at the time was, best reserved seats five shillings, while to stand on the terraces cost sixpence. With the new stadium, United had a better season than last year, finishing on fifth in the league.
On the night of Tuesday 11th March 1941 there was a roar around Old Trafford, coming from the drone of German planes overhead. The magnificent stadium sustained heavy bomb damage, and was in a dilapidated state, a shadow of its former self. The terraces were covered in weeds and grass and out on the famous turf a 6' high bush had sprouted. Thanks to the kindness of Manchester City, United were given use of Maine Road.
After the war United where to become a great team. The man to do this was Matt Busby. He was appointed manager in Febuary 1946 from Liverpool on just £15 per week, at one of the lowest ebbs in the club's proud history. Results on the pitch were disastrous. Busby however, was a man with a plan. And ended the 1946-1947 season in the second place.
That plan reached it's aim in 1947-48 , when Busby's young side of cheap boys and youth team players beat a Blackpool FC side consisting of the great Stanley Matthews to the FA Cup. Sheer will and determination to win took Manchester United side from behind to a 4-2 victory. In that season on 17 January 1948 an all-time record breaking attendance for a League match was set as Manchester United took on Arsenal in Maine Road when 83,260 fans packed into the City's stadium. He than took the third title in their history in 1951-52, by 4 points to Tottenham as Busby's shrewd tactical changes and brilliant coaching saw off a determined challenge from Arsenal. It was a well deserved win, and confirmed Busby as one of the most capable managers anywhere at that time.
The other league title came in 1955-56 title by a record of 11 points from Wolves and were invited to join the inaugural European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) , a competition for champions across the continent. The Football Association were bitterly opposed to United involvement in the cup, fearing it would distract teams from domestic tasks but they could not stop Manchester United.
On their first two-leg Matt Busby's side beat Belgian team Anderlecht 12-0 and went succumbed to the great Real Madrid team who won the cup in the final.
Flight 609 left Munich Airport at 15:03 on 3 Febuary 1958 its last attempt at take-off. Snow and engine problems had grounded the plane on another 2 attempts. The charter flight had barely made it into the air when the engines failed again and it crashed to the ice covered runway below, skidding through a fence and across a road before finally coming to a halt. The plane was wrecked and a generation of young talent players was decimated.
United stopped in Munich for refueling on there way back from Belgrade where they had defeated Red Star Belgrade on an aggregate of 5-4. The manager Matt Busby was severely injured and seven players perished in Munich : Roger Byrne who was the team captain, Tommy Taylor, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, Geoff Bent and David Pegg. Duncan Edwards the smallest player to get a cap for England died two weeks later in hospital aged 21. His final words where "What time's kickoff on Saturday?"
United played the next 3 months with a makeshift team. To their huge credit they made it to the FA Cup Final and Busby returned from hospital to inspire his team. United lost 2-0 but it was the start of a long road back to recovery for one of Britain's proudest clubs.
In 1963 Manchester United came to win the FA Cup in a 3-1 final with Leicester City where Dennis Law at that time the most paid player scored the opener and set up the other two where with bobby Charlton he was doing an exciting partnership. In 1965 United won their first league title since Munich disaster
In 1968 United after a decade of thrilling domestic football with a great team won the European Cup. The squad including players like Nobby Styles, Dennis Law, George Best and Bobby Charlton, where the first English team to bring this cup to England. The final in Wembeley with the Portuguese team of Benfica having players like Puskas the game ended 4 - 1 after extra time. The United scorers and heroes for that night where : Bobby Charlton, George Best and the 19 year old Brian Kidd. For Matt Busby it was the last success for him as manager of the team and retired happy in January 1969. He was knighted by for his services to the game by the Queen with Alf Ramsey the England Manager who won the World Cup in 1966.
Another success came in 1977 when Manchester United after being relegated in 1974 and Cup Finalists in 1976 won the FA Cup beating the old rivals Liverpool 2-1 denaying the Reds the Treble when they had won the European Cup and the domestic league.
In 1994 the stadium was turned an all-seated stadium in 1994. The capacity of the stadium is of 60,000 supporters and the largest of all premier league sides stadiums.
Manchester United Official Site