Manchester United FC
The Red Devils
Founded: 1878, Stadium: Old Trafford, Capacity: 74.879
Originally called Newton Heath LYR Football Club, the club was founded in 1878 by the employees of a regional railroad company. In 1902 it changed its name to Manchester United and moved to its current stadium, Old Trafford in 1910. The first major successes came in the 1950s. Manchester United FC have won more trophies than any other club in English football with a record of 20 League titles, 12 FA Cups, five League Cups and a record of 21 FA Community Shields. United have also won three UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA Europa League, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. In 1998-1999 the club become the first in history of English football to achieve the continental European treble. By winning the UEFA Europa League in 2016-2017, they become one of five clubs to have won all three main UEFA club competitions. Manchester United’s fearsome record on the pitch is built largely on its youth training program, while its economic success owes much to exceptional financial planning. Manchester United FC is one of the most popular clubs in the world and rarely has trouble filling its almost 75.000 capacity home at Old Trafford, nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams, which draws millions of fans in a form of pilgrimage. The Munich disaster. On February 6, 1958, an air crash in Munich ripped a hole in the team, at a time when Manchester United dominated English football and was preparing to conquer Europe. The team were returning form Belgrade, where they had played a match against Red Star that had qualified them for the semi-finals of the European Cup. The Munich air disaster claimed 23 lives including those of eight players. In commemoration of the tragedy, the Munich Clock was installed at Old Trafford, its hands permanently stopped at 3:30, the time of the crash. Manchester United is one of the most widely supported football clubs in the world and has rivalries with Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Leeds United. The club crest is derived from the Manchester City Council coat of arms, although all that remains of it on the current crest is the ship in full sail. The devil stems from the club’s nickname “The Red Devils”; it was included on club programmes and scarves in the 1960s, and incorporated into the club crest in 1970, although the crest was not included on the chest of the shirt until 1971.
