Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United are the most successful club in England and have won 20 league titles, which is more than any other team. They have also won 12 FA Cups and 3 European Cups.

The club started as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878. All of the team worked at Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. After nearly closing in 1902, John Henry Davies took over and changed the club's name to Manchester United F.C.. Manchester United made Matt Busby their manager after World War II. Matt Busby used the youth team to get new players, and this was very successful. The club won the Football League in 1956 and 1957. The success was stopped by the Munich air disaster in 1958, when eight of the club's players died. It was thought that the club might close, but it did not. They won the Football League in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968.

Sir Alex Ferguson era

Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United's home ground Old Trafford

In 1986, manager Ron Atkinson was sacked by the club because they were in danger of being relegated. They brought in Sir Alex Ferguson. He did not win anything for the first couple of years.

The team won their first trophy under Ferguson, the 1990 FA Cup, against Crystal Palace in the replay after a 3-3 draw. The next season, United won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. In 1993, Manchester United won the very first Premier League. In 1999, Manchester United won the treble, made of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. Manchester United won the league 7 times again until Sir Alex Ferguson retired after the 2012–13 season. From the 2006–07 season to the 2008–09 season, Man United won the league 3 times in a row. The club also won its third UEFA Champions League in 2008 against Chelsea F.C., and almost won the next season as well but lost to FC Barcelona in the final. They won their first FIFA Club World Cup in December 2008.

*Bold indicates a place of third or higher.

Old Trafford seen from the South Stand

The Old Trafford became the club's home ground in 1909, and the stadium was constructed to a capacity of 77,000. In the Second World War, bombings damaged the stadium. While the stadium was being fixed, they played "home" games at Manchester City's Maine Road. The stadium was converted to an all-seater stadium in 1993 for safety reasons, but the capacity fell to 44,000. In 1995, expansions in the North Stand raised the capacity to 55,000. In the middle of 1999, the East and West Stands were expanded to give the stadium a capacity of 67,000. Then between 2005 and 2006 8,000 more seats were added to make a capacity of 75,000.

United has many rivalries including Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds United and Arsenal. Their most intense rivalry is with "The Citizens" (Manchester City). This is because both clubs are from Manchester and each time they play against each other it is called the Manchester Derby.

• Record League victory: 10-1 v Wolverhampton, Division 1, 15 October 1892
• Record Premiership victory: 9-0 v Ipswich Town, 4 March 1995
• Record European Cup victory: 10-0 v Anderlecht, European Champion Clubs' Cup, Preliminary Round, 26 September 1956
• Record European Cup (Champions League era) victory: 7-1 v A.S. Roma, 10 April 2007
• Record home win 10-0 v R.S.C. Anderlecht, 26 September 1956
• Record away win: 8-1 v Nottingham Forest, 6 February 1999
• Record League defeat: 0-7 v Blackburn Rovers, Division 1, 10 April 1926 / v Aston Villa, Division 1, 27 December 1930 / v Wolves, Division 2, 26 December 1931
• Record Cup defeat: 1-7 v Burnley, FA Cup, 1st Round, 13 February 2020
• Record 'Home' attendance: 83,250 v Arsenal, Division 1, Maine Road, 7 January 1948
• Record League attendance (at Old Trafford): 76,998 v Arsenal, April 2008
• Longest unbeaten run: 45 (all competitions), 24 December 1998 to 3 October 1999
• Most appearances: 900 - Ryan Giggs
• Most League appearances: 606 - Bobby Charlton
• Most goals scored: 250 - Wayne Rooney
• Most League goals: 199 - Bobby Charlton
• Most League goals in a season: 32 - Dennis Viollet, Division 1, 1959-60
• Most goals in a season in all competitions: 46 - Denis Law, 1963-64
• Most goals scored in a match: 6 - George Best v Northampton Town, 7 February 1970 / Harold Halse v Swindon Town, 25 September 1911
• Most goals scored in European competition: 38 - Ruud van Nistelrooy
• Goals in consecutive league matches: 10 consecutive matches - Ruud van Nistelrooy, 22 March 2003 to 23 August 2003
• Highest transfer fee paid: £59.7 million - Angel Di Maria (from Real Madrid)
• Most League goals in a season (by team): 103 (1956/57, 1958/59)
• Most points in a 42-game season: 92 - 1993/94
• Most points in a 38-game Season: 91 - 1999/2000
• Most capped player: 129 - Peter Schmeichel - Denmark
• Fastest goal: 15 seconds - Ryan Giggs v Southampton, Premiership, 18 November 1995
• Fastest four goals: 13 minutes - Ole Gunnar Solksjær v Nottingham Forest, Premiership, 6 February 1999

• List of Manchester United F.C. players