Manchester United Football Club Facts

History:

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club which plays at Old Trafford located in Greater Manchester. They currently play in the top division in football being the Premier League. The club was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath. They joined the Football League in 1892 and they have played in the top division of English football since 1938. The average attendance at the club has been higher than any other team in English football. The club is one of the most successful in the history of English football and has won over 20 major honours since Sir Alex Ferguson became manager. Since the 1990's United have been one of the richest clubs in the world with the highest revenue of any football club.

Club Crest:

The United club crest has been changed on a few occasions, but the main form remains similar. The badge has been designed around the crest of the city of Manchester. The red devil on the clubs badge is part of the design due to the club's nickname The Red Devils, which was taken on in the early 1960's.

Stadium:

United's magnificent stadium 'The Theatre of Dreams' was bought in 1909 for around ?60,000 with a total construction cost of ?90,000. The capacity of this stadium in total is 76,212 fans all seated.

Sponsorship:

The sponsors who are currently with Manchester United are AIG who are the main sponsors of Man United, and as part of the sponsorship deal their logo is displayed on the front of the club's shirts and is also on other merchandise. The AIG deal was announced by Manchester United in 2006 and is worth a British record ?56.5 million.

Owner and Chairmen:

The owner of this amazing football club is Malcolm Glazer who is there to make sure the club runs smoothly and doesn't go bankrupt. Also along with Malcolm Glazer are the co-chairmen being Joel and Avram Glazer. Together they run a successful business in keeping Manchester United in the top financial condition so the team is able to win important matches and please fans.

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Alan Davies - Manchester United's Forgotten Player

Born and raised in Manchester, Alan Davies started his professional playing career with Manchester United in December 1978. After making his Manchester United league debut in a narrow 1-0 victory against Southampton at Old Trafford in May 1982, Davies remained on Manchester United's books till the end of the 1984-85 season.

Although the talented maverick appeared in both matches in the 1983 FA Cup Final against Brighton and Hove Albion, the midfield player was restricted to a mere seven first team appearances for Manchester United between 1978 and 1985. Alan Davies failed to live up to his early promise and he was eventually sold to Newcastle United for an estimated transfer fee of ?65,000 in the summer of 1985. The midfielder never settled down at St James? Park, however, and he had loan spells with Charlton Athletic and Carlisle United before he moved on to famous Welsh club Swansea City in August 1987.

The move to Wales helped Davies revitalise his professional footballing career and he played an important part in Swansea's promotion success in 1988. He proceeded to appear in 84 league matches for the Swans before he was sold to Bradford City for a transfer fee of ?130,000 in June 1989. However, after just 26 league appearances for the club the player followed manager Terry Yorath back to Swansea in exchange for Vetch Field hero Robbie James in the summer of 1990. Alan Davies also played for Wales and he went on to collect a total of 13 international caps.

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Harry Gregg - Manchester United Legend

Harry Gregg was arguably one of the best goalkeepers to play for Manchester United football club. Born in Northern Ireland in 1932, Gregg began his football career with Irish side Coleraine before signing for Doncaster Rovers at the start of the 1952-53 season, After establishing himself in the first team, he made a total of 94 appearances for Rovers, before signing for Manchester United in 1957, for a World record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at that time of ?23,000.

After leaving 3rd Division Doncaster Rovers to play alongside some of the biggest names in English football at that time, Harry Gregg adapted well into his new team and he made his first team debut for the Reds a few days later, when he played against Leicester City in a comfortable 4-0 victory, on December 21st, 1957.

Gregg made his first Manchester derby appearance when United play City just a week later, and he soon established himself as a regular in the team and favourite amongst the fans.

After just twelve matches for the Reds, Harry Gregg was with the team on the flight back from Belgrade after a European quarter-final match, when the plane crashed after refuelling in Munich, the disaster claimed the lives of 23 of the passengers on board the plane. Gregg survived the crash with only minor injuries, returned to the burning aircraft to help others from the wreckage. Amazingly Gregg played in Manchester United's next match two weeks later.

Harry Gregg was a major part of the team as they re-built after the Munich disaster and he went onto play for Manchester United 247 times during the nine years he spent at the club keeping a very credible 48 clean sheets while in goal. Despite this time being a very successful period for the club he failed to win any medals himself. He didn't play in the 1963 FA Cup winning team due to a shoulder injury, and injuries also meant that he didn't play enough games to qualify for a medal during the title winning season of 1964-64 and 1966-67. Gregg's only cup final appearance came in the 1958 FA Cup final when United were defeated by Bolton Wanderers.

Gregg also had a distinguished international career, with Northern Ireland, playing a total of 25 times for his country. He was also voted as the best goalkeeper during the 1958 World Cup finals.

Gregg made his last appearance for the Reds on 7 September 1966 which was a 3-0 defeat by Stoke City, he then left United to sign for Stoke, but he only ever made two appearances for the club. It is at Manchester United that he will always be remembered as a true legend

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Why Manchester United Will Continue to Dominate For the Next Decade

Manchester United have actually dominated English and European football for the better part of the last two decades. Fans of the club would already have made it clear that their team will continue to rule over the rest for the next ten years, while opposing supporters would disagree and cannot wait for their dominance to end. The growing consensus is that the club is likely to enter into a steady decline once current manager Alex Ferguson decides to retire. However, it might not be as simple as that. And these are the reasons why that is likely to change anything in the future while the current situation is only going to improve with time.

1. Alex Ferguson will remain the manager of Manchester United for the foreseeable future. With the Scotsman in charge, there is an aura about the club that other teams have been unable to overcome permanently. Both Arsenal and Chelsea were able to break the aura temporarily, before Ferguson returned with an iron grip. The Red Devils players are also known to both fear and respect their manager, leading to consistently fine performances on the pitch.

2. This season has seen striker Wayne Rooney blossom into a full fledge star on the pitch. The England international has finally matured since being given the full mandate by his manager. A hard worker by nature, Rooney used to slog in the shadow of departed star Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, he is clearly the new leader of the team on the field. Leading by example, Rooney has found a more consistent goalscoring streak. What Eric Cantona and Ronaldo used to do, Rooney is now the man in the spotlight. He has changed many a game in Manchester United's favour through sheer determination. Without him, the Red Devils may not be the force they have been this season in particular.

3. Even if Ferguson were to retire as the manager now, there has been little said of the excellent groundwork he has laid at the club for continued future success. Aware that he cannot be at the club managing every detail forever, Ferguson started to delegate and structure the club with a system that would see them become more self-sustainable. This was especially in the playing department, where the academy and player pool had to consistently provide talent that would qualify for future elevation to the first team. This included scouting and buying the best talent from around the world, while developing local British players that would be on par with foreign imports.

4. The cultivation of a mental aptitude in players from the ground up. All the players that have made the grade in the first team are what Ferguson would term as hungry for success. They are players who continue to fight for every trophy every season, even if they have already won them multiple times in the past. It is the same with the coach. Players signed by Ferguson would also speak of interviews during which the Scotsman looked into their eyes to determine if they are of the same calibre. It is this winning mentality that separates the club from the pretenders.

With just these few reasons alone, they are enough to support the belief that Manchester United will continue to be successful for the next decade and possibly many more years after that. Even with the imminent retirement of Ferguson, there will be systems in place that have built the platform to achieve that. The club is also a brand that many players yearn to be associated with. That means a steady line of top players who hope to turn out in the club colours one day. This can only be a good thing while other clubs look on with envy.

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Great FA Cup Finals - Manchester United V Crystal Palace

The 1990 Football Association (FA) Cup Final was played at Wembley Stadium between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, on the 12th May 1990.

Alex Ferguson was still to win a trophy as the Manchester United manager, since his appointment in 1986, while Crystal Palace had never won a major trophy. The Final turned out to be a great game and ultimately a turning point in the history of both football clubs.

Both teams were in the First division at the time, while Manchester United had finished the season in 13th position and Crystal Palace had finished 15th In the preceding league fixtures that season the games had finished in a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park and a 2-1 victory to Crystal Palace at United's Old Trafford stadium.

According to the form of both teams they were very evenly matched, but Manchester United were the favourites to win the Cup, probably due to their more impressive history.

It wasn't long before the game came to life when Gary O'Reilly scored for Crystal Palace after 17 minutes, when he scored with a header that just beat the United goalkeeper Jim Leighton.

Manchester United equalised after 35 minutes, when captain Bryan Robson's header was deflected into the Crystal Palace goal, the first half finished at 1-1.

United looked more likely to score during the second half of the game as they pressed forward, and the goal duly came when Mark Hughes scored a great goal to give United a 2-1 lead.

Palace weren't out of the game, as Ian Wright, who had missed much of the season through injury, came on as a substitute and scored a great equalising goal after 73 minutes.

With the 90 minutes finished the score was 2-2, which signalled an extra 30 minutes of play to decide the winner. Within two minutes of extra time Ian Wright had scored his second goal and Crystal Palace were leading 3-2. Lee Martin had already been substituted for United and then Gary Pallister was injured for United as well.

With time ticking away and a Crystal Palace victory edging ever closer, Mark Hughes scored his second goal of the match to level the score at 3-3, the game had ended in a draw and the teams would be forced to meet again five days later in a replay.

The following day the Manchester United team paraded through Manchester in an open top bus, in a pre-arranged parade, which many would think was very presumptuous, however they had no trophy to display to their fans.

On Thursday 17th May both teams were at Wembley stadium again for the FA Cup Final replay. This game was an entirely different encounter, gone was the open, attacking and exciting play of the first the match, this game was very scrappy, with numerous fouls, player bookings and limited goal scoring opportunities.

In the second half of the game United began to dominate and Lee Martin scored his first and only goal for the club as went onto Manchester United to win the FA Cup 1-0.

The game was a pivotal point in the history of both clubs as Manchester United went onto qualify for the European Cup Winners Cup and it was the first of now many trophies they have won under manager Alex Ferguson. If Crystal Palace had won the cup, it would have been their first major trophy in their history and would have given them the opportunity to compete in European football, until this day however, they have not won a major trophy.

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Gary Neville - A Living Legend of Manchester United

Born 18 February 1975, Gary Neville left school at the age of 16 when he joined Manchester United to play for their highly successful youth team. Making his first appearance for United against Russian side Torpedo Moscow in 1992, he has always been loyal to the club he has supported since his childhood days.

Replacing the injured Paul Parker, Gary Neville made his league debut for United two years later on 8 May 1994 in a 0-0 draw against Coventry City at Old Trafford. He quickly became a regular member of what would prove to be the most talented team Sir Alex Ferguson ever built. As a right full back, the loyal skirmisher has made over 500 appearances for Manchester United during his 18 years at the club, winning eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and one European Cup. Neville has scored a total of seven goals throughout his United career, the first coming against Middlesbrough on May 5, 1997.

In December 2005, Gary Neville was made Manchester United captain following the departure of midfielder Roy Keane and he became the club's fifth captain to lift the Premier League title the following season. Rated as one of the best full backs ever to play for the Old Trafford club, the vastly experienced stalwart is fifth on the most exclusive United all time appearances list. Never even considering a move elsewhere, the United cornerstone is one of a rare breed of footballers who has spent his entire playing career at the same club.

Serving his native country for many years, Gary Neville has won a total of 85 caps during a long career as an England international which started in 1995 when he was called up for a friendly against Japan. His younger brother Phil Neville also played for Manchester United and the two brothers were team mates at both club and international level until Phil decided to move on to Everton in 2005.

Gary Neville also has a long standing relationship with the Mediterranean island of Malta. He has described Malta as his second home and he has been an official tourism ambassador for the island since 2001. In return for his services the Malta Tourism Authority support the Gary Neville Soccer School on the island. Not suprisingly, the Reds have a large following on the island and the Manchester United Supporters' Club Malta is in fact officially recognised by Manchester United Football Club as the oldest Manchester United supporters club world wide.

"Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager Manchester United have ever had. It is ridiculous for people to suggest he leaves. Who do they want to replace him? Ron Atkinson, Tommy Docherty?"

Gary Neville

United Blog Articles is a website dedicated to Manchester United Football Club. Soccer is undoubtedly the most accepted sport in the world. And it is most likely no more than fair to say that the Man Utd is the most popular club world wide. Read supplementary articles on Gary Neville at UnitedBlogArticles.com.

Manchester United V Liverpool - The World's Biggest Football Rivalry

For many years Liverpool FC have held the title as the most successful club in England thanks to their record breaking 18 First Division/Premier League titles. However in recent years Manchester United have had a long run of constant success and now tie with Liverpool's record of 18 League titles thanks to their Premier League title for the 2008/09 season.

Manchester and Liverpool are both in the North West of England and are situated approximately 34 miles apart, with the M62 motorway the easiest way to get between the two cities.

The rivalry between inhabitants of both cities transcends Football and is part of the culture, and originally stems from the Industrial revolution period of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Liverpool's port was large and brought in huge amounts of ships and cargo providing jobs and wealth to the area. As Manchester floundered they decided to build the Manchester ship canal that linked the city of Manchester with the Irish sea. Whilst this brought prosperity and jobs to Manchester it caused unemployment in Liverpool and much resentment.

On the footballing side Manchester United were the first team to lift the European Cup in 1968 under the stewardship of the legendary Scottish manager Sir Matt Busby. Liverpool did not win the European Cup until the 1970's but have now won the trophy 5 times to United's 3 times.

Whilst the 1970's and 1980's were most definitely Liverpools glory period of success, the 1990's and 2000's were Man Utd's glory period of success. Liverpool have now gone 19 years without winning the League title in England.

During the 2008/09 Premier League season Liverpool did the double over Man Utd, beating them 2-1 at Anfield and 4-1 at Old Trafford, it was Liverpool's best league campaign in years but they still came up short as United won the league by four points.

Games between the sides are fiercely fought occasions and tickets for these games are very hard to get hold of due to the extremely high demand, if you are not a season ticket holder the only way to get one is to use a reputable ticket agent.

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Eric Cantona - Manchester United Legend

Eric Cantona is considered to be one of Manchester United's greatest ever players. Born in France in 1966, he began his professional football career with Auxerre, making his first team debut in 1983. After establishing himself in the first team and gaining his first French international caps, Cantona transferred to Marseille in 1988 for a then French record transfer fee of 22 Million Francs.

Cantona was instrumental as Marseille went on to win the French Cup and First division title, but while he was excelling at football, his disciplinary record on and off the field was poor. He was banned from the team on several occasions, and ultimately this resulted in his transfer to N?mes.

Unfortunately things didn't improve at Nimes, and Cantona was banned for a month In December 1991 when he threw the ball at a referee, and during a disciplinary hearing the ban was extended to three months, after he insulted the members of the committee, in response to this Eric Cantona announced his retirement from football.

After much persuasion Cantona decided to re-commence is football career in England, and he joined Leeds United in a ?900,000 transfer from Nimes. His effect on the team was immediate, as Leeds went onto win the First Division title, although he made only 15 appearances and scored three goals in the 1992 title winning team, Cantona's contribution was decisive to Leeds winning the league.

Cantona scored a hat-trick for Leeds against Liverpool in the 1992 Charity Shield match at Wembley and then scored another hat-trick against Tottenham in the Premier League a few weeks later, which was the first hat-trick ever to be scored in the newly formed Premier League. Cantona then signed for Manchester United in November 1992 in a ?1.2m transfer deal.

Cantona settled quickly into the United team, and he transformed United's season as they went onto win the inaugural Premier league by ten clear points. He also became the first player to win consecutive titles with different teams. It was not only his goal scoring that attracted so much attention, but his creative play that presented so many other goal scoring opportunities for the team. This was Manchester United's first League Title since 1967.

During the 1993-94 season United retained the Premier league, and they also beat Chelsea in the FA Cup Final, with Cantona scoring two penalties in an emphatic 4-0 win, he was also awarded the FA Player of the year Award. United missed out on an amazing treble when they lost in the final of the League Cup to Aston Villa.

During the 1994-95 season Cantona continued his impressive form as United pushed for their third consecutive Premier League title. In January, however, he was involved in one of the worlds most controversial moments when following his sending off in an away game at Crystal Palace, he became involved in an altercation with a supporter, launching a 'kung-fu' kick and a series of punches towards the fan. This resulted in Cantona being banned from football for a total of eight months and a fine of ?30,000. United lost the title to Blackburn Rovers this season.

Despite much speculation that Cantona would leave English football, he decided to stay and made his comeback in a game against Liverpool in October 2005, where he scored one goal and set up another. In a dramatic second half of the season Manchester United clawed back a huge gap at the top of the Premier League to beat Newcastle to the title, which was inspired by a 10 match winning run into the new year. United also won the FA Cup, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final thanks to a great goal from Cantona with five minutes of the game remaining.

Cantona was made the Manchester United captain at the beginning of the 1996-97 season, which saw United again claim the Premier League title, he had now won four titles in five years with United, and two FA Cups.

To the surprise of the football world he announced his retirement from football at the end of the season, at the age of 30 after making 185 appearances and scoring 82 goals for the club, despite some controversial moments in his career, he was a true Manchester United legend.

Steve Goodwin is an expert author, football fan and retailer of Manchester United football gifts which are available from the man united shop all items are available to ship worldwide