5 Things A Beginner Should Know About Manchester United

There are some essential facts any Manchester United fan must know to be considered a true supporter. From their glorious history to where they play, the best ever player and their greatest manager. 

Here are 5 things a beginner should know about Manchester United.

They Weren’t Always Called Manchester United

Manchester United were once called Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) 

The club was founded in 1878 and originally played its home games at North Road Football and Cricket Ground in Manchester. In 1902 they were renamed Manchester United by new club owners and nicknamed “the Red Devils.” However United continued to wear their yellow and green kit for another twenty seven years before eventually switching to their famous red strip in 1929.

Old Trafford

Manchester United moved to Old Trafford in 1910 at a cost of £60,000. That’s the equivalent of over £7 million pounds in today’s money! 

It’s name comes from an ancient crossing point. The stadium held 82,000 fans when it was first built. United played their first game at Old Trafford on February 19th 1910 against Liverpool which they lost 4-3. 

Today the ground has a capacity of 74,000 and is often referred to as the ‘Theatre Of Dreams.’ Unlike many of its rival’s grounds, Old Trafford isn’t situated amongst housing and instead sits within an open area industrial estate, which gives it the potential to expand in the future.

Busby Babes

Manchester United has a rich history. The United Way, which is based around trusting youth to play adventurous football, was first seen under the management of Sir Matt Busby and his famous 1950’s team. 

The side that included Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards won two league titles and got their name because of the squad’s great success despite having an average age of just 22. 

Tragically eight players died in the Munich Air Disaster on February 6th 1958 when the club’s plane crashed after take-off following European Cup victory against Red Star Belgrade.

Best Was Their Best Ever

George Best is the greatest player to ever play for Manchester United. Spending eleven seasons at the club from 1963 to 1974 - he scored 179 goals in 470 appearances. Known for his incredible dribbling ability and playmaking, Best formed a key part of the 1968 European Cup winning side and is one of the three players that makes up the legendary United Trinity alongside teammates Denis Law and Bobby Chartlon. 

Sir Alex Ferguson

Arguably the finest manager in the history of football, Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed as Manchester United manager in November 1986 and spent 27 years at Old Trafford. During his Manchester United career, Ferguson won an unbelievable 38 trophies; including 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and two Champions League honours.

Following the 1998/99 campaign he still remains the only manager in the history of the English game to win the treble, securing a League Title, FA Cup and European Cup in a single season.