The History of Manchester United (let's take a trip back in time)

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iczster

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I thought this might be a useful source of information for people to have a read through our great clubs history from it's humble beginnings to present day. In completing this thread I have also learned some things for myself so it has been quite an enjoyable piece of research and continues to be so.

Initially I started the thread off in the newbie forum but with the help of the mods (thanks guys) I have managed to move the posts over.

The thread starts with a high level history overview and then a post per season since our great club was formed. I have tried to not bombard people with a "wall of text", so hopefully, everybody will find something of interest and it will be fairly easy on the eye.

This thread is dedicated all Mancheser United fans everywhere.

Hope you enjoy.

Acknowledgements

The history of Manchester United as already been well documented in a variety of official formats. Although, I would hope that I have perhaps made some refreshing new additions here and there. Hopefully, readers will agree, each post is presented in a forum friendly format that is easy to digest. My aspirations are to make this thread the most comprehensive history of Manchester United available. What better place than RedCafe.

Sources

Full list to be included here at the completion of the thread.
 

iczster

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The Early Years: 1878 - 1939

The story of Manchester United begins in 1878 when employees of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's Carriage and Wagon Works requested permission and sponsorship from their employers to start a football team. Permission was given, and Newton Heath LYR (which stood for "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway") was born, playing at a pitch on North Road.

Initially they played against other teams of railway workers, within their own company and against teams from other companies, but in 1885, they entered in the Manchester Cup competition and reached the final. The next year, they won the competition.

The Football Alliance

Although Newton Heath were not good enough to join the Football League, they were quickly outpacing their local competition. Newton Heath spent the first ten months of 1888 unbeaten at their home ground. However, the idea of inter-town football had caught on, and in 1889, a group of twelve clubs, Newton Heath among then, formed the Football Alliance. They finished eighth.

The next year, Newton Heath began to sever their railway ties, dropping "LYR" from their official name. However, strong connections remained intact; although they no longer were sponsored by the company, most of their players were still LYR employees.

1892 proved to be a successful season for the "Heathens", as they finished second to Nottingham Forest, after losing only three times all season. That same year, the Football League enlarged and, with the merger of the Alliance, divided into two divisions. Newton Heath and Nottingham Forest were invited to join the First Division. They finished last and needed a win against Small Heath in the test match against the Second Division champions to preserve their First Division status.

In 1893, the team moved to a new ground in Bank Street, Clayton, next to a chemical plant. It was said that when Newton Heath were losing, the plant would belch out acrid fumes in a bid to affect the visiting team. The 1893-94 campaign, however, was no better, and they once again were in the relegation playoff against Liverpool. This time Newton Heath were defeated 2-0 and gained the dubious honour of being the first team to be relegated to the Second Division.


Near-bankruptcy

The financial situation only worsened, dragging down their on-field play. They managed only a 10th place in the 1901 season and with ticket sales flagging and debts mounting, the club decided to hold a four-day bazaar to raise money. One of the attractions was a St. Bernard dog, which escaped on one of the nights after the bazaar had closed.

It was the escape and recapturing of the dog which led to the meeting between team captain Harry Stafford and John J Davies who would lead a group of businessmen. Together, they came up with £2,000 to save the club from bankruptcy. On April 28th 1902, Newton Heath was replaced by Manchester United Football Club, and John Henry Davies became the club president.

In 1903 the club took another important step by hiring their first real team manager, J Ernest Mangnall a charismatic publicist who knew how to work the media. Under his leadership, the team finished third in the Second Division. The following season, Manchester United set a record when they went 18 games undefeated between September 1904 and February 1905.

Mangnall created United's first successful side with a series of signings, eventually winning promotion in 1906 and reaching the quarterfinals of the F.A Cup.Among these signings was Billy Meredith the legendary winger who was probably the greatest player of that era.

Ernest Mangnall managed to sign star defender Herbert Burgess and Alec "Sandy" Turnbull also Jimmy bannister after a scandal hit Manchester City and forced them to sell off most of their team. It paid off, and Manchester United won their first League Championship in 1908.

The next year, FA Cup success would follow as they beat Bristol City in the final 1-0. Sandy Turnbull scored the only goal and Billy Meredith was named man of the match.


Sandy Turnbull

Billy Meridith​

"The Outcasts"

For years since the formation of the Professional Footballers Union, tensions had mounted as players were unable to get their employers to recognise them as unionists. Things finally came to a head before the 1909-10 season when the League decided to ban, without pay, any player who was a union member.

The move inflamed the players, Manchester United's especially. They refused to give up union membership. Most clubs turned to amateurs to replace their professional players, but United were unable to sign enough. It was during this period that the famous "Outcasts FC" photograph was taken. Finally, the day before the season was due to begin, the League gave in, removing the suspensions and recognising the union.


Old Trafford

1909 was also a milestone for United for another reason. John Henry Davies once again lent financial support by lending £60,000, a huge sum at the time, to finalise the team's move to Old Trafford. They played their first game there on 19 February 1910 as Liverpool spoiled the celebrations with a 4-3 win in a close game.

Ernest Mangnall's leadership brought United to their first successful era. They would be the first winners of the Charity Shield in 1908, win the F.A Cup in 1909 and the League again in 1911. The Charity Shield victory in 1911 would be the end of this era and J Ernest Mangnall would leave the next year for Manchester City.

United would stumble without their charismatic manager, narrowly escaping relegation in 1914, before the Football League was suspended at the outbreak of World War 1during which Sandy Turnbull was killed in France.


Post World War I

The League resumed in 1919, but United only managed 12th place. The worst was yet to come and in 1921/22, they won only eight of 42 games and were relegated. Billy Meredith had also left in 1921, following Ernest Mangnall.

United finally returned to the top flight in 1925, finishing second to Leicester City. But in 1927, one of the great builders of Manchester United died. John Henry Davies, who had saved the club from extinction and brought them to Old Trafford, died and was replaced by G H Lawton as club president.

A new manager, Herbert Bamlet was appointed but his reign was not a successful one as United slowly slipped in the standings, finally finishing bottom of the league in 1931 and being relegated after starting the season losing twelve times in a row. The finances were once again in a mess, and Herbert Bamlett lost his job. The players had gone to collect their wages on Christmas week and told there was no money available. Another financial bailout was needed.

Enter James W Gibson who was approached by a Manchester sportswriter, Stacey Lintott. He met with the board and offered to help on condition that he became chairman and could choose his directors. They had little choice but to agree, and Gibson invested £30,000 into the club. A new manager was found, Scott Duncan, one of the new breed of managers who were retired players, now common, but an innovation in those days.


Scott Duncan

In 1934, United were at the lowest point in their history. On the final day of the season they were placed second-last in the table with their final match away against Millwall who were one point ahead. With destiny in their own hands, they beat Millwall 2-0 and stayed in the Second Division by one point.

The next season saw an improvement. United finished 5th, and they announced their return to the top flight with a shout as they won the Second Division title in 1936 after being unbeaten in the last 19 games of the season.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as they were relegated back to the Second Division the next season. Scott Duncan resigned. United picked themselves up, however, finishing runners-up in 1938 and returning to the First Division. They would stay there for 36 years; after placing 14th the next season, World War II broke out.


Matt Busby

The Second World War saw Old Trafford destroyed by German bombs on March 11,1941.


In 1945,Matt Busby former captain of Manchester City, was appointed manager. He was ahead of his time, and is thought to have been the first manager to go out on the field with his players during training. A series of astute signings added on to the nucleus of the squad, and he began the youth system that would later pay big-time dividends.

League football resumed for the 1946-47 season and United finished second. They would repeat this twice, and though disappointed by this failure, they did deliver the FA Cup in 1948. It was the first of many trophies to come.

League success finally came in 1952, with United, led by Johnny Carey demolishing second-placed Arsenal 6-1 on the final day of the season and finishing four points ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham.


The Busby Babes

The next season saw the introduction of the Busby Babes as the Championship team began to lose steam. David Pegg, Jackie Blanchflower, Dennis Violet, Duncan Edwards, and Bill Foulkes all made their first appearances in the 1952-53 season. They finished 8th in 1954 and fifth in 1955 before finally breaking out and destroying the competition in 1955-56, clinching the title by an 11-point margin. The team's average age was 22. Only two players in the 1956 team, Roger Byrne and Johnny Berry, were also around for the first Championship four years earlier.

One of the stars of the team was Duncan Edwards, who set the record as the youngest player ever to be capped for England when he played against Scotland at the age of 17 and 8 months. The record stood for almost 50 years before being broken in 1998 by Michael Owen. His legendary status, no doubt added to by his tragic death, is best measured by the fact that he placed 6th in a 1999 poll of Manchester United fans, asking them to name the top 50 United players of all time.

The Championship was defended successfully in 1957, though the dream of the League and FA Cup Double was crushed along with goalkeeper Ray Wood's cheekbone after Aston Villa's Peter McParland smashed into him six minutes into the final at Wembley. United lost 2-1.

1956 was also a milestone year, as United defied the League authorities to take part in the European Championship (now the UEFA Champions League). The League had previously successfully pressured Chelsea not to take part out of fear that they would not be able to cope with the schedule, and sent a letter forbidding United to take part. However, The Football Association supported Matt Busby and United became England's first representatives in Europe.

United's first European match was away to Belgian champions Anderlecht, and they pulled off a respectable 2-0 win. However, fans at the return leg in Maine Road - European matches could not be hosted at Old Trafford until the semi-finals of that season as floodlights had not been installed - saw an absolute destruction derby. Anderlecht never knew what hit them as United scored ten goals without reply.

United beat Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao in much closer circumstances, having to come back against Bilbao from two goals behind in the second leg, before falling to Real Madrid in the semifinal.


Munich Air Disaster

The Busby Babes seemed destined to dominate the soccer world for time to come and had captured the imagination of the fans; already they had proved themselves both at home and in Europe. The 1957/58 season opened with talk of a treble - The League, the FA Cup, and the European Cup. But fate had decided it was not to be. On 6 February 1958 the BEA Elizabethan plane carrying them home from Belgrade crashed on takeoff in Munich and the dream was over.

United arrived in Yugoslavia to meet Red Star Belgrade in the second leg of the quarter finals. The first leg in Manchester had ended in a 2-1 win for United. United scored three goals quickly, but by the end Red Star managed to claw back to level it 3-3 after 90 minutes. The Reds went through to the semi-final 5-4 on aggregate.

The plane, a chartered aircraft, left Belgrade and stopped at Munich to refuel. Take off had to be aborted twice because of boost surging, a common problem in the Elizabethan. The problem was caused by too rich a fuel mixture, which causes the engines to over-accelerate. The problem was exacerbated by the altitude of the Munich airport.

The pilots were able to control the surging on the third takeoff attempt, but as they reached the V1 "decision speed" (after which it is unsafe to abort takeoff), the airspeed suddenly dropped. The aircraft left the runway, crashed through a fence and into a house. The left wing and the tail were ripped off and the starboard side of the fuselage hit a fuel tank and exploded.

Officially, the cause of the accident was build-up of snow on the runway which had caused to aircraft to lose speed and crash.


United fans will never forget ...​

Mark Jones, David Pegg, Roger Byrne, Geoff Bent, Eddie Colman, Liam Whelan, and Tommy Taylor were killed instantly. Club secretary Walter Crickmar, and coaches Tom Curry and Bert Whalley were also killed. Duncan Edwards, Matt Busby, and Johnny Berry were critically injured, and Duncan Edwards would die three weeks later. Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower survived but never played again. Four other passengers and two of the crew were also killed, as were eight sportswriters travelling with the team, including former England goalkeeper Frank Swift.

 

iczster

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It was the most tragic day English football had ever seen, rivaled in world football only by the Superga air disaster in 1949 which killed the entire Torino team (and later by a 1993 crash that killed the entire Zambian National Team).

The Flowers of Manchester Tribute Song


Rebuilding

Matt Busby eventually recovered after hovering near death and the mammoth task of rebuilding began. One of the survivors of Munich, Bobby Charlton, would play a critical role.

United struggled in the League after Munich, winning only one of their last 14 matches and finishing in 9th place. However, they pulled together for the FA Cup matches and made it to the final, but lost to Bolton. The next season, with some injured players, including Dennis Violet, returning to the line-up and survivors like Bobby Charlton stepping up, United managed to finish in 2nd place without needing to dip into the transfer market. A period of rebuilding followed the next year with several significant signings, including Denis Law, Pat Crerand, and Noel Cantwell. Despite a poor 19th place in the 1962-63 season, United managed to beat Leicester 3-1 at Wembley to win the FA Cup.

1963 saw the debut of George Best, completing the trio of Charlton, Law and Best that would power Manchester United to the triumphant heights of the 1960s. United finished second that season, then won the League in 1964-65 by goal average over Leeds. The rebuilding was complete, Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes were the only Munich survivors in that team.

That season was significant in other ways too, as England were hosting the 1966 World Cup and had announced that Old Trafford would be among the stadiums to be upgraded at the government's expense. United won another league title in 1966-67, qualifying them for the European Cup the next season and laying the groundwork for the climatic triumph of that era.


Champions of Europe

The run to the European Cup began easily enough, and the Reds cruised past Malta team Hibernians for a 4-0 win on aggregate. A tough, physical series against Sarajevo was next, followed by Gornik Zabreze from Poland. United won 2-1 on aggregate and then came the semi-final match that was just as, if not more important than the final itself - two matches against the mighty Real Madrid. Real played a defensive game in the first leg at Old Trafford, stifling the offensive magic of the Reds. United managed a 1-0 victory, but it was a very small advantage to take into the Bernabeu.

Denis Law was suffering from a knee injury, so Busby decided instead to call up the veteran defender Bill Foulkes. The game started badly for United as Real Madrid ran circles around them, leading 3-1 at half-time, 3-2 on aggregate. United came back strongly after the break and pounded the Real defence to no avail for half an hour until David Sadler levelled the aggregate score. Then Bill Foulkes played the hero as he buried a pass from George Best into the goal. It was the only goal he ever scored in European competition, though it was probably the most important.

United were through to the final and faced Benfica at Wembley. In many ways it was an emotional day, Matt Busby's journey finally coming full circle after the tragically aborted promise of the Busby Babes. It was also a testament to Busby's skill in judging talent, as only two of the 12 players in the line-up that day had cost transfer fees to acquire.

Bobby Charlton scored, and Jaime Graca equalised. Benfica piled on the pressure in the dying minutes and it took a brilliant reflex save from Alex Stepney to deny Eusebio the winning goal. United managed to hold out until extra time. Then George Best finally broke free of the stifling marking of the Benfica defence and scored. Benfica were reeling and Brian Kidd, celebrating his 19th birthday, put another in the net. Kidd would later be part of another successful United team, this time as Alex Ferguson's assistant manager. Bobby Charlton finished off Benfica with a high shot for a 4-1 victory and United became the first English team to win the European Cup.


Matt Busby would later be Knighted for his accomplishments, as well as being awarded the Freedom of Manchester.

After Busby

With a lukewarm 11th in the League the next season, Matt Busby retired to become the general manager Wilf McGuiness, the reserve team coach, was promoted to take Busby's place, but he quickly faltered in the footsteps of the great man, which wasn't helped by Busby's presence in the background. After just one and a half seasons, with the team floundering, he was fired and replaced with Frank OFarrel.

At this time George Best was also becoming a problem, continually flouting the rules and getting into various disciplinary troubles. Eventually, one day short of his 26th birthday, he announced his retirement, only to resume playing a few days later.

While Best's erratic behaviour didn't help, United continued to struggle, opening the 1972-73 season with a disastrous nine games without a win. The board began making plans to bring in Tommy Docherty as manager and on 19 December, Frank O'Farrell lost his job. In a way it was the end of an era, with Bobby Charlton's testimonial having been held the previous day and George Best retiring on the same day.

Tommy Docherty

Tommy Docherty, the manager of Scotland's national team, took over and immediately began to rebuild the side with a series of signings, most notably Lou Macari from Celtic FC, United recovered and a series of wins brought them to 16th position. At this point, Bobby Charlton announced his retirement. United finished that season in 18th place.

Denis Law left during the close season to sign for Manchester City, which sparked some protests among fans. George Best also came out of retirement once more to sign with the team for the 1973-74 season. United were once more caught in a relegation battle and entered the penultimate game of the season needing to win two games and for Birmingham to lose in order to stay in the First Division. Birmingham won their game and Denis Law sealed United's fate with the only goal of the game. Manchester United were relegated to the Second Division for the first time since 1938.


Revival

Despite relegation, attendances at Old Trafford were as ever, still the best in the country and during their infamous 1974-75 season in the old division two their attendances saw no equal. Manchester United players also responded well, winning the Second Division and returning to the top flight, where they topped the standings in the early stages of the season.

The following in the top division their winning form slipped mid-season and they finished third. A good FA Cup run also ended in disappointment at Wembley with defeat by Southhampton in the final.

Major referee cockups saw United perform poorly in the league in 1976-77 and at one stage being in danger of relegation, but United also managed to book a trip to Wembley [again], this time upsetting Liverpool to win the FA Cup.


The Mary Brown Affair

But just over a month later, news broke of Tommy Docherty's love affair with Mary Brown, the wife of the team's physiotherapist, when he announced that he was leaving his wife to marry her. When Docherty refused to resign, the board dismissed him.


Dave Sexton

Docherty had been popular with the fans, and the new manager, Dave Sexton, needed success to dispel the unfavourable comparisons. With the FA Cup win, United qualified for the Cup Winners Cup, but were nearly expelled because of crowd trouble in Saint-Etienne. Once more United made it to the FA Cup final, but narrowly lost to Arsenal in what was known as the "five-minute final" for the flurry of goals in the last minutes.

The 1979-80 season saw the Reds narrowly miss out on league glory, finishing second to Liverpool. During that season, United fans were blamed for a collapse at Ayrsome Park causing the death of two Middlesborough supporters. Controversy also erupted over allegations that, top football clubs including United, had been making illegal payments to young players.

An injury crisis at the start of 1980-81 caused the team to slump to mid-table and fall in the FA Cup. Despite a rally in which United won seven games in a row, the fans had made up their minds and Dave Sexton lost his job.


Ron Atkinson

Ron Atkinson was hired in June 1981 to take over. He would sign Bryan Robson from West Brom for record £1.5 million. Norman Whiteside also broke through the youth ranks. Success followed as United won the 1983 FA Cup after a replay against Brighton.

Although United crashed out of the FA Cup the next year in a humbling defeat at the hands of Third Division Bournemouth, they managed to beat Barcelona in the Cup Winners Cup and made it to the semi-finals before losing to Juventus. Mark Hughes made his debut the following season and was selected as the Young Footballer of the year. But once again, United were disappointed in their bid for a League championship.

In 1985, Manchester United would beat League champions Everton to win another FA Cup, but not without some drama as Kevin Moran became the first player, albeit controversially, to ever be sent off in an FA Cup final. Down to ten men, Norman Whiteside scored the only goal of the game in extra time to win the Cup.

Once more, however, injuries and a lack of fan support would conspire to bring down a Manchester United manager. United raced to the top of the standings with a run of victories, but then injuries piled up and a slump began. When United lost the top spot and news broke of Mark Hughes's imminent move to Barcelona, the fans were angry, and Atkinson was finally sacked after a 4-1 loss to Southhampton.


Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson was hired from Aberdeen on Nov 6th, 1986, barely hours after Atkinson was sacked. When he took over, United were languishing at second from bottom, but Ferguson managed them to finish the season in 11th place. That summer, Ferguson signed some major players, including Viv Anderson, Brian McClair, Stev Bruce and Jim Leighton.

In 1987-88, United were foiled in their attempts to land silverware, finishing runners-up to the league title, clawing back to 9 points behind from Liverpool's 17-point lead, and exiting the FA Cup at the fifth round stage. At the end of the season, fans celebrated the return of Mark Hughes, who was regarded to have flopped abroad.

Following the ineffectual 1988-89 season (finishing 11th after slipping in the late season), Ferguson began introducing some youth players into the side, and bought footballers such as Gary Pallister, Paul Ince and Danny Wallace. However, he came under fire for several poor performances, including a humiliating 5-1 loss to huge rivals Manchester City, not helped by the media furore over a takeover bid by Michael Knighton. Despite calls in January 1990 (at which point United were sitting 15th out of 20) for him to be sacked, Ferguson guided United to win the that season's FA Cup, silencing the critics and beginning the most successful period in the team's history. A finish in the league at position 13 was disappointing, but confidence was high that the following season would yield a higher place.

The next season, United finished the league in 6th and went out of the FA Cup in the 5th round to Norwich City. However, that season the ban on English teams entering European competition (following the Heysel Stadium disaster was lifted, and the team went on to win the European Cup Winners Cup against Barcelona in Rotterdam. Mark Hughes scored both United's goals in a 2-1 win against his old team. They also finished runners-up in the League Cup, losing 1-0 to Second Division Sheffie. The following season, however, they did manage to capture the trophy, beating Nottingham Forest 1-0. A tremendous season was let down in the final game, meaning United finished runners-up to Leeds and also won the League Cup. The 1991-92 season was also important in that 18-year old winger Ryan Giggs and goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel were brought into the team.

 

iczster

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Cantona Joins

The final piece in the puzzle was finally pushed home in 1992 as forward Eric Cantona was signed for £1.2 million from Leeds, after a slow start to the season. Cantona had previously proved too fiery for many teams but fitted straight in at Manchester United. He formed an impressive partnership with Mark Hughes, scoring and creating many chances which had previously been lacking. As a result, the team's performances boosted them up the table, and after 26 years, Manchester United won the inaugural FA Carling Premiership in 1993, finishing 10 points above Aston Villa.

22-year old midfielder Roy Keane was bought from Nottingham Forest for a then record fee of £3.75m for the 1993-94 season. Despite being marked by the death of United legend Sir Matt Busby on Jan 20th, 1994, United managed to retain the Premiership, also adding the FA Cup after a 4-0 win in the final against Chelsea. Even though they missed out on a domestic treble, losing 3-1 to Aston Villa in the final of the League Cup, United had claimed the first League-Cup double since Liverpool in 1986.

Disappointment followed the next season as both the League and the FA Cup slipped from grasp in the last weeks of the season. Eric Cantona was also involved in the infamous attack on a fan at Selhurst Park which led to him being charged with assault and being banned for 9 months. Andy Cole was signed during the Winter for a record £7m from Newcastle United, but in spite of this, United finished trophyless - losing the Premiership for the first time, to the surprise champions Blackburn, and being beaten by Everton in the FA Cup final. If the Premier League had been decided on the old two points per win system (changed to three points per win in 1981), United would have been Champions again. With the close season transfer controversy of Paul Ince, mark Hughes and Andre Kanchelksis all leaving the team, many pundits expected Ferguson to be sacked at some point during the next season.

Ferguson replaced them with young players from the FA Youth Cup winning team after failing to make a major signing that summer. Defeat in the opening game (3-1 to Aston Villa) prompted the infamous "You'll never win anything with kids" remark by the BBC pundit Alan Hansen. However, the introduction of players such as Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville allowed Ferguson to develop a brilliant young side, which, powered by Cantona's return after his ban, brought a second League and FA Cup double - the first team to achieve the "Double Double". The FA Cup was won with a 1-0 victory, the only goal being scored by Cantona, who that season was voted Football writers Player of the year by the footballing press and made team captain by his club after the departure of Steve Bruce to Birmingham City.

Manchester United then bought several players for the 96-97 season, but the most successful turned out to be Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, who finished the season as top scorer, despite often lacking a starting place; and Ronnie Johnson, who was a key figure in defence. They overcame injuries and a fixture glut this season to retain the Championship. There was disappointment in the UEFA Champions League as they demolished FC Porto 4-0 before falling in the semi-finals to eventual winners Borussia Dortmund. There was, however, shock to follow as Cantona announced his retirement at the end of that season's campaign, sending shock waves around the world. United held on to his contract, but he never played professionally again.


The Treble

Alex Ferguson was making the Champions League his number one priority, but still it eluded them. They fell on away goals to Monaco in 1997-98, also finishing runners-up to Arsenal in the League that season, again winning no major trophies. After buying four major players - Aston Villa's striker Dwight Yorke, PSV's defender Jaap Stam, Parma's winger Jesper Blomqvist and Blacburn's Henning Berg, as well as releasing long serving players Gary Pallister and Brian McClair, finally, the holy grail came in 1999.

The season had started slowly, losing to Arsenal, Southampton and Middlesbrough. However, the Middlesbrough loss in November 1998 was their last of the season - United set up an unbeaten streak going into their FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal in what was the last ever, and is commonly regarded as the greatest ever. United played with only ten men after captain Roy Keane was sent off, Peter Schmeichel brilliantly saved a 90th minute penalty kick, and Ryan Giggs scored the winning goal in extra time with a breathtaking run from the halfway line, followed by a spectacular goal. This victory was followed by a legendary comeback victory against Juventus, inspired by captain Roy Keane, to book their place in the Champions League final. The League was clinched at home to Tottenham, the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Newcastle, before the trip to Barcelona's Nou Camp to face Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League, on the day which would have been Sir Matt Busby's 90th birthday.

Bayern Munich scored from an early Mario Basler free-kick and United fought the rest of the game to no avail. At 90 minutes, with the fourth official signalling 3 minutes of injury time, Manchester United won a corner and pulled out all the stops, with the goalkeeper & captain Peter Schmeichel going up in his last ever appearance for the club. Bayern Munich were in shock as Teddy Sheringham squeezed in the equaliser. Less than a minute later, United won another corner and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer tapped it into the roof of the net to send the United fans into delirium and cap off the most stunning two minutes in the history of the club.


Alex Ferguson would later follow Matt Busby's footsteps, being Knighted for this achievement. The following season after the treble victory, United entered the world club championship where they failed to reach the final. This was at a cost of forfeiting the right to defend the FA cup due to mounting pressure from Lancaster gate. The theory being it would add credence with FIFA for our future World Cup bid ..... what a joke .... we all know how that one turned out!

Three In A Row

The following season was a strong victory in the Premier League, United finishing 18 points clear of runners-up Arsenal, but going out to Real Madrid 3-2 in the quarter finals and not entering the FA Cup - for the first time in living memory, a major team decided not to enter the competition. This was due to the desire to play in the FIFA World Cup Championship, which clashed with the FA Cup fifth round matches. In 2000-01, Alex Ferguson became only the third manager to ever win three League titles in a row. Bayern Munich also exacted revenge by defeating United in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

United finished 2001-02 without a trophy, in a season that also saw the arrival of Ruud Van Nistelroy. They bounced back the following year however, clawing back Arsenal's lead at the head of the table to win their eighth title in eleven seasons. It is probably a commentary on the success that Manchester United have become used to that the 2003-04 season, which saw them finish third in the league but win the FA Cup, was considered a disappointment.

The Malcolm Glazer Takeover

In late 2004, Malcolm Glazer, an American billionaire who also owned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made a bid to take over the club. The bid was extremely controversial due to his plan to saddle the club with millions of pounds in debt. Glazer was also seen as wanting the profit from Manchester United's worldwide popularity, rather than investing out of a sincere love of the club and the sport. Glazer began buying up shares of United and managed to oust three directors from the board in November 2004, but his takeover bid seemed to have stalled as a 28.7% stake held by Irish horse-racing tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus seemed secure.

The football world was thus shocked when, on May 12th, 2005, Magnier and McManus sold their stake to Glazer for £3 a share, giving Glazer the majority shareholding. This immediately sparked angry protests from United fans, who protested angrily that their club was "not for sale" and burned season ticket renewal forms. On May 16th, 2005 Glazer took control of the 75% stake needed to delist the club from the stock exchange, which he has promised to do.

Under the shadow of this controversy, United went to the Millenium Stadium to defend the FA Cup. Despite clearly dominating the game, United were simply unlucky and they lost on penalties to arch-rivals Arsenal. This capped off a disappointing season where they finished third in the league, adrift of the champions, Roman Abramovich-bankrolled Chelsea.

Champions League & World Club Champions

Carrying on the early traditions set by Sir Matt Busby, Uniteds dominance continued in the champions league between 2007-2011 reaching 3 finals in 4 seasons.

The most famous victory coming against premier league rivals Chelsea in 2008 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. After taking the early lead from Ronaldo, Chelsea equalised through Lampard, then came extra time and the penalty shoot out. Probably the most dramatic in Champions League History.

That Penalty shootout

Rio Ferdinand won the toss of the coin, and opted for United to go first in the shootout. Carlos Tévez stepped up first and sent Cech the wrong way. Ballack was next up, shooting powerfully past Van der Sar. Carrick buried his spot-kick, as did Juliano Belletti with his first touch of the game. The first miss of the shootout came from Cristiano Ronaldo, who characteristically stuttered in his run-up in order to put Cech off, but the goalkeeper dived to his right to save. Lampard then put Chelsea 3–2 ahead. Owen Hargreaves levelled things up with a shot into the top corner. Ashley Cole was the next up, and Van der Sar got a strong hand to the ball but couldn't keep the ball out. Nani then knew that he had to score to keep United in it, and he did it just. Thus, it was all up to John Terry to win the cup for Chelsea. However, Terry lost his footing when planting his standing foot by the ball, and, even though Edwin van der Sar was sent the wrong way, Terry's mis-hit effort hit the outside of the right post and went wide.


Anderson scored the first penalty in sudden death. Salomon Kalou then sent Van der Sar the wrong way to make it 5–5. Giggs was next up and he was also successful. Van der Sar then pulled off the crucial save for United by distracting Nicolas Anelka when he pointed to his left but correctly dived to his right to deny Anelka, securing United European football's top prize for the third time in their history.

The same year UTD also lifted the world club championship versus Liga de Quito.


An Historic 19th

In 1986 Sir Alex Ferguson famously said "I would love nothing more than to knock Liverpool of their fecking perch"

At the end of the 2010-2011 season this dream was finally realised after UTD set premier league history becoming the first club to reach an historic 19 league titles, previously held by Liverpool with 18.

Some pictures from my day at Old Trafford.



My lad wanted me to take pictures of the fireworks and stuff :rolleyes:


Post game celebrations with players and families on the pitch​




The story continues, what will this season and the future bring.
 

iczster

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Update #1: United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1878 - 1893)

So it begins .....

Manchester United football club was formed in Newton Heath, a district in the city of Manchester, by workers of a local railway yard in 1878. At the time, the club was just a way for the workers to participate in their favourite sport and matches were arranged against workers from other departments or companies. At this time, what was to become the greatest football club in the world was known as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Newton Heath LYR) and they played their matches at the North Road Ground.The North Road Ground was said to be a 'muddy bog' and players had to change in a local pub just up the road before and after matches.

It wasn't until the 1886/1887 season that the team had their first competitive match; a 2 - 2 draw against Fleetwood Rangers in the first round of the FA Cup in front of a crowd of 2000. Newton Heath insisted the match should have been replayed but the officials decided extra time should decide the winner. Newton Heath refused and the match was awarded to Fleetwood Rangers.

In 1888, the Football League was formed but several applications later; the team had still not been accepted.

The 1891/1892 season saw Newton Heath progress to the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup where they were beaten by Blackpool 4 – 3. On route to the fourth round, Newton Heath LYR had dished out a 5 - 1 drubbing of local rivals Manchester City :) and the following season were accepted into the Football League.

On 3rd September 1892, in front of 8,000 fans, Newton Heath made their league debut away to Blackburn. Blackburn won the match 4-3. Newton Heath lost four of their opening six games of the season, including a heavy 6 - 0 defeat at the hands of Everton and the remaining two matches were draws. On 15th October 1892, Wolves made the trip to the North Round Ground and Newton Heath served up their first win of the season in a spectacular 10 - 1 victory. The season continued with a number of heavy defeats, and Newton Heath ended the campaign rock bottom with only 6 wins (all at home) out of 30. In the 30 matches, Newton Heath conceded a whopping 85 goals and scored 50.




This is the first known picture of the Newton Heath team. They were eventually to play in green and gold .... see the connection to today?


Newton Heath Football Club initiall played at the North Road ground. North Road was a football stadium and cricket field in Newton Heath, Manchester, England. It was the first home of Manchester United Football Club – then known as Newton Heath Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Football Club – from its foundation in 1878 until 1893, when the club moved to a new ground at Bank Street, Clayton.


Aerial view of the original ground taken from land registry records

Initially the ground consisted only of the pitch, around which an estimated 12,000 spectators could congregate. The addition of stands in 1891 increased the capacity to about 15,000. The football club signed its first professional players in 1886 and began to break from its sponsoring railway company, but without the company's financial support it was unable to afford the rent on the ground and was evicted.

Following the foundation of Newton Heath LYR F.C., at the request of the employees of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) company's Carriage and Wagon Works, the club needed a pitch to play on. The chosen site was owned by the Manchester Cathedral authorities, but although conveniently sited next to the wagon works it was a "bumpy, stony patch in summer, [and] a muddy, heavy swamp in the rainy months". The railway company agreed to pay a nominal rent to the authorities and to lease the ground to the football club. As it was next to the railway line operated by the LYR, the ground was often clouded in a thick mist of steam from passing trains. Players had to get changed in The Three Crowns public house, a few hundred yards away on Oldham Road, as there were no facilities nearby.


The Three Crowns (C 1970) Used as an unofficial headquarters and changing facilities for Newton Heath L&YR FC in the late 1800s.


There may have been some kind of refreshment offered to supporters at the eastern end of the site (this is unconfirmed)

The first recorded matches at the ground took place in 1880, two years after the club's formation, most of them friendlies. The first competitive match held at North Road was a Lancashire Cup first round match against Blackburn Olympic's reserve team, played on 27 October 1883, which Newton Heath lost 7–2. Details of the attendance have been lost, but it is assumed that the ground must have been enclosed by then, as an entry fee of 3d (about £1 as of 2012) was charged for the match. Football became a professional sport in England in 1885, and Newton Heath signed their first professional players in the summer of 1886. The club's income was insufficient to cover its wage bill, and so the 3d admission charge was extended to all matches played at North Road, later rising to 6d.



This is the original programme for the Manchester Senior Cup Final played at Ardwick's Hyde Road Grounds versus Bolton Wanderers. Ardwick later became known as Manchester City. This original programme has the date written in as 1890, but it was 1892 when this game was played[on the same date]

The ground originally had a capacity of about 12,000, but club officials decided that was not enough to give them any hope of joining the Football League. Some expansion took place in 1887, but in 1891 Newton Heath used what little financial reserves they had to purchase two grandstands, each able to hold 1,000 spectators. However, this transaction put the club at odds with the railway company, who refused to contribute any finance to the deal. The two organisations began to drift apart from then onwards, and in 1892 the club attempted to raise £2,000 in share capital to pay off the debts incurred by the expansion of the ground. The split also led the railway company to stop paying the rent due on the ground to the Manchester Cathedral authorities, who at about the same time decided to increase the rent. Under increasing financial pressure, especially as the Manchester Deans and Canons felt it inappropriate for the club to charge admission to the ground, an eviction notice was served on the club in June 1893. The club's management had been searching for a new stadium since the first eviction attempt in May the previous year, and they were able to move to a new ground on Bank Street, three miles away in Clayton. It proved impossible though to take the two grandstands to the new ground, and they were sold for £100.

The stadium no longer exists, and North Road has been renamed Northampton Road. After a spell serving as playing fields for locals, Moston Brook High School was opened on the site. A red plaque was attached to one of the school's walls, marking the location of the old stadium, but it was stolen and not replaced. Following the school's closure in August 2000, the site was chosen by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) as the location of the North Manchester Business Park in 2002



The Fujitsu offices that occupy the location of Manchester United's former ground, North Road, in Newton Heath

To be continued ....​
 

iczster

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In addition to Update #1

The goalposts were still there behind the Sharp building on Thorpe/Northampton Road up until around 10-15 years ago.

The 3 Crowns pub mentioned above was on Oldham Road literally around 300-400 yards away from the ground. Today I believe it is this block that is now a converted nursery / dentist block.

I've attempted to create a google street view map link, below:

northampton road manchester - Google Maps

Another history update coming soon
 

decorativeed

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In addition to Update #1

The goalposts were still there behind the Sharp building on Thorpe/Northampton Road up until around 10-15 years ago.

The 3 Crowns pub mentioned above was on Oldham Road literally around 300-400 yards away from the ground. Today I believe it is this block that is now a converted nursery / dentist block.

I've attempted to create a google street view map link, below:

northampton road manchester - Google Maps

Another history update coming soon
No it isn't. It was on the opposite side of the road. That whole area was leveled in the 70s. Oldham Road was widened and slightly straightened. It's a bit of grass and pavement now.

Also, when you copy and paste loads of stuff, it'd be great if you could list the original sources and perhaps put a link in. I've seen most of the stuff I have spent ages writing repeated verbatim on other sites without any kind of credit being given and it has been passed on as though the poster did it all themselves. Winds me up no end.
 

iczster

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No it isn't. It was on the opposite side of the road. That whole area was leveled in the 70s. Oldham Road was widened and slightly straightened. It's a bit of grass and pavement now.

Also, when you copy and paste loads of stuff, it'd be great if you could list the original sources and perhaps put a link in. I've seen most of the stuff I have spent ages writing repeated verbatim on other sites without any kind of credit being given and it has been passed on as though the poster did it all themselves. Winds me up no end.
Thanks for that you are entitled to your opinion, not after any credit. How about posting a street view link of where you think the 3 crowns was located?
 
Last edited:

iczster

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Update #2 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1894 - 1895)

The 1894–95 season was Newton Heath's third season in the Football League and their first outside the top flight. They finished third in the Second Division, earning the right to play in a Test match against Stoke City in order to regain their top-flight status. They lost the match, which was played at Vale Park, Burslem, 3–0 and remained in the Second Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out in the First Round after losing 3–2 to Stoke City.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1894–95, but were knocked out in the first round of both competitions. As in the previous season, a Newton Heath team also competed in the Lancashire Palatine League, along with Bury and Liverpool. They beat Liverpool at home, but drew at Anfield and lost both matches against Bury. It was to be Newton Heath's last entry in the Palatine League.


A Change of Home Ground

Newton Heath moved from the North Road ground in 1893 to Bank Street (or lane). Located on Bank Street in the Manchester suburb of Clayton, opposite the junction with Ravensbury Street and between the railway line and the Albion Chemical works, the ground was locally known as the Bradford and Clayton athletic ground and owned by the Bradford and Clayton Athletic Company. After Newton Heath F.C. were evicted from their old ground at North Road by the Manchester Deans and Canons, who believed it to be inappropriate for the club to charge an entry fee to the ground, secretary A. H. Albut (pictured above) procured the use of the Bank Street ground in June 1893.

The site was let to the club for eight months of the year, with pre-season training permitted on occasional nights in the summer. The ground was without stands, but, by the start of the 1893–94 season, two stands had been built; one spanning the full length of the pitch on one side and the other behind the goal at the "Bradford end". At the opposite end, the "Clayton end", the ground had been "built up, thousands thus being provided for".

Newton Heath's first Football League match at Bank Street was played against Burnley on 1 September 1893, when 10,000 people saw Alf Farman score a hat-trick, Newton Heath's only goals in a 3–2 win. The remaining stands were completed for the following league game against Nottingham Forest three weeks later. However, Newton Heath did not fare well in their first season at the new ground and were unable to retain their First Division status at the end of the season, finishing bottom of the 16-team division. At the time, the condition of the Bank Street pitch was well documented. On one occasion during the 1894–95 season, Walsall Town Swifts turned up at the ground and were greeted by what they regarded as a "toxic waste dump".

After lodging an official complaint about the pitch to the referee, they were finally persuaded to take to the field, only to be beaten 14–0 (unofficially, the biggest win in the history of Manchester United). However, the Football League ruled in favour of Walsall and the match was ordered to be replayed, though the result was not much better for the visitors the second time round, this time losing 9–0.

The season was a little more successful than the previous, but although they spent much of the year in second place they did not gain promotion, because by the end of the year they stood in third position in division two.


Aerial view of the Bank Street site taken from land registry records

In October 1895, before the visit of Manchester City to Bank Street, the club purchased a 2,000-capacity stand from Broughton Rangers Rugby League Club, and put up another stand on the "reserved side" (as distinct from the "popular side"). However, weather restricted the attendance for the Manchester City match to just 12,000. Improvements to the ground were restricted by the running track that encompassed the pitch, which, by the request of the Bradford and Clayton Athletic Company, could not be removed. However, the ground came into the possession of the club's ex-president, Mr. W. Crompton, in 1898, allowing them to make whatever improvements to it they desired. One report in the Manchester Courier predicted the addition of a 25-foot (7.6 m) tall stand on the side adjacent to Bank Street itself, with a refreshment stand underneath, while the opposite stand would be moved back 6 yards (5.5 m) and raised up on brickwork by around 16 feet (4.9 m), with the space underneath to be used as changing rooms for the players and referee and various rooms for the club committee.

These improvements would cost a lot of money, however, and this, in combination with the players' ever-increasing wages, sent the club into a period of financial turmoil. The club was presented with a winding up order in January 1902, and Bank Street was on the brink of being repossessed until they were saved at the eleventh hour by a wealthy local brewer, John Henry Davies. He and four other men, among them club captain Harry Stafford, invested a total of £2,000 in the club, now renamed Manchester United F.C., and Davies himself paid £500 for the erection of a new 1,000-seat stand at Bank Street. Within four years, the stadium had cover on all four sides, as well as the ability to hold approximately 50,000 spectators, some of whom could watch from the viewing gallery atop the Main Stand. The stadium was even deemed worthy enough to host a match between Football League and Scottish Football League representative sides in April 1904, hosting 25,000 spectators as the Football League side won 2–1.

Around the turn of the 20th century, Newton Heath pulled off a significant coup by persuading the Manchester Evening News to set up an office at Bank Street. In response to Manchester City's relationship with the Manchester Evening Chronicle, the Heathens' believed that their partnership with the Evening News would cultivate interest in the club, while the newspaper would benefit from increased coverage of football.

The site had various industrial uses for the next 80 years, until it was cleared for inclusion in the new Manchester Velodrome in the early 1990s. The actual site occupied by the stadium now serves as the Velodrome car park


The car park for the Manchester Velodrome is located on the site where Bank Street used to be.

.... while a red plaque attached to a house opposite marks the site as part of United's history.


A plaque marking the former location of the ground

To be continued ...​
 

decorativeed

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Thanks for that you are entitled to your opinion, not after any credit. How about posting a street view link of where you think the 3 crowns was located?
I know you are not after any credit, but the people who wrote the stuff you are copying (even if it's from Wikipedia) deserve the credit and links to their blogs or websites or whatever. Same with the photos.

I did a whole Google Earth file with all these kinds of locations and posted it here: https://www.redcafe.net/f6/united-landmarks-google-earth-284395/

Also, the land where Bank Street was isn't a car park any more, it's had the national BMX centre built over it.
 

iczster

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Good stuff icz. Love reading about the history of the club. I just know Mr Tom Clare will approve of this thread.
Tom Clares a great writer just finished reading his latest book "Forever a Babe"

I know you are not after any credit, but the people who wrote the stuff you are copying (even if it's from Wikipedia) deserve the credit and links to their blogs or websites or whatever. Same with the photos.

I did a whole Google Earth file with all these kinds of locations and posted it here: https://www.redcafe.net/f6/united-landmarks-google-earth-284395/

Also, the land where Bank Street was isn't a car park any more, it's had the national BMX centre built over it.
Believe it or not I wasnt around in the 1870s so its all research from a variety of sources. I am trying to convey all this information in a single place and easy to read format.

Eventually when I have finished this little project I'll put together a list of sources (books, sites etc) which will take a full post up on its own.

Interesting link mate I'll have a read of that.
 

Steev

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The same year UTD also lifted the world club championship versus Liga de Quito. This was at a cost of forfeiting the right to defend the FA cup due to mounting pressure from Lancaster gate. The theory being it would add credence with FIFA for our future World Cup bid ..... what a joke .... we all know how that one turned out!
That was in 2000, not 2008.
 

decorativeed

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Believe it or not I wasnt around in the 1870s so its all research from a variety of sources. I am trying to convey all this information in a single place and easy to read format.

Eventually when I have finished this little project I'll put together a list of sources (books, sites etc) which will take a full post up on its own.

Interesting link mate I'll have a read of that.
Well me neither, coincidentally.

I'm not trying to be pissy with you, but asking you to try and see it from other people's point of view. Imagine doing all that writing and getting no credit.
 

iczster

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Well me neither, coincidentally.

I'm not trying to be pissy with you, but asking you to try and see it from other people's point of view. Imagine doing all that writing and getting no credit.
No offence taken mate, you are entitled to your opinion. The updates are what I've put together using sources and information I have access to and tried to convey them in a readable manner. I will continue to do this and hopefully some people will learn something about our history. If thats the case its a worthwhile cause.

Just tried that link you posted getting "Invalid or Deleted file" :(
 

decorativeed

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No offence taken mate, you are entitled to your opinion. The updates are what I've put together using sources and information I have access to and tried to convey them in a readable manner. I will continue to do this and hopefully some people will learn something about our history. If thats the case its a worthwhile cause.

Just tried that link you posted getting "Invalid or Deleted file" :(
That's odd, it's only a couple of months old. Updated it now. It's here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ncfj5fxlzb094p8
 

rcoobc

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Enjoying it so far! As Steev says we did indeed play in the FA Cup in 2008, I think that sentence might have been meant for a different section.

Anyway terrific read. Taking a break before the first update.
 

iczster

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Enjoying it so far! As Steev says we did indeed play in the FA Cup in 2008, I think that sentence might have been meant for a different section.

Anyway terrific read. Taking a break before the first update.
Your right I fecked up, I'll correct the post now thanks for pointing it out guys. I was obviously getting my wires crossed when writing it.
 

iczster

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Update #3 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1895 - 1896)

The season 1895/96 wasn't much better than their first season in the second division. The Heathens couldn't adopt their style of playing to the second division. And by the end of the season they were a long way off the promotion places, they finished sixth with 15 wins and 12 defeats out of 30 games played.

In the FA cup they reached the second round, one round further than last year. 1895 was the year that Newton Heath changed their club's colours. Till this time the club colours had been green and gold, but it now changed to white shirts and blue shorts.


The 1895-1896 team was identical to the year before bar a couple of new players

The 1895–96 season was Newton Heath's fourth season in the Football League and their second in the Second Division. They finished sixth in the league, which was not enough to earn a chance for promotion back to the First Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out in the Second Round, losing 5–1 in a replay against Derby County after vanquishing Kettering Town in the First Round.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1895–96. They were knocked out of the Lancashire Cup in the first round, losing 2–1 at home to Bury. In the Manchester Cup, they received a bye to the third round, but were immediately knocked out by Fairfield, losing 5–2.

Season Statistics 1895 - 1896

Secretary A. H. Albut
Second Division 6th
FA Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Joe Cassidy (16)
All: Joe Cassidy (16)
Highest home attendance 20,000 vs Derby County (15 February 1896)
Lowest home attendance 1,000 vs Leicester Fosse (3 February 1896), 1,000 vs Burton Wanderers (29 February 1896), 1,000 vs Darwen (3 April 1896)
Average home attendance 6529

Joe Cassidy top scorer​

Caesar Augustus Jenkyns a new signing during the season (rare press clipping below) was born in Builth Wells, Wales on 24th August 1866. He played football for Walsall Swifts before joining Small Heath in 1892. In his first season he helped the club win the Second Division title. Jenkyns, a centre-half, scored 11 goals in 75 games before joining Woolwich Arsenal in 1895. The following season Jenkyns became the club's first international player when he was selected to play for Wales against Scotland. After only playing 35 games for Woolwich Arsenal Jenkyns was transferred to Newton Heath in May 1896. Jenkyns won eight international caps for Wales. He also helped Newton Heath win promotion to the First Division of the Football League in 1898 after scoring 5 goals in 35 games.


A rare press clipping from the time of Jenkins' move to Newton Heath​

To give you an idea of match day at Bank Street, Clayton I have unearthed the photograph below. It is not great quality as you can imagine for the time.


A typical match day at the Bank Street Ground (C Late 1890s)

To be continued ...​
 

The Don

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iczster, well done my man. Was really looking forward to this, can't wait to get through it all. Being of an average level of intelligence, I realise that you didn't write the history of the club yourself and will have used various sources to compile the information, yet it's still a great thread because you put it all together in one place and have layed it out very well.

Keep up the good work. Tbf, it probably would be a good idea to credit sources wherever possible. Nevertheless, your efforts are appreciated.

Thanks for the dedication btw, personally I think more threads on the caf should be dedicated to me but they'd most likely just end up with a barrage of insults. :wenger:
 

Art

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very tempted to post a 'did not read lol' gif :lol: But that is some seriously nice stuff icz. Thanks!
 

iczster

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"Unearthed" = taken from my Flickr stream without a link back.
Sent you a PM mate, I do have other sources for that picture unless you was at the game with your Polaroid that day ;) Anyway, I would be interested in your thoughts on my message.

@ TDon always my intention to credit sources which I will do when complete. There will be a full post for this and there are many!

very tempted to post a 'did not read lol' gif :lol: But that is some seriously nice stuff icz. Thanks!
:lol: Fully understand if they did, it isn't everyone's cup of tea, although I would hope they simply wouldn't read the thread rather than posting a shit gif. Personally I find the subject fascinating.
 

iczster

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Update #4 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1896 - 1897)

So it continues, quite a short post in comparison to other updates.

After their best season in years Newton Heath finished in 2nd place in the 2nd division and in the play-offs with Burnley and Sunderland, who had finished at the bottom of Division 1, and Notts County, who had won the 2nd Division Championship. After beating Burnley 2-0 at home they lost by the same score in the return match and then faced Sunderland at Bank Street. The Sunderland team had been having much success prior to the season having taken the division 1 Championships in 92, 93 and 95, but they had fallen on hard times that year (although that was not to last very long). More than 18,000 fans turned out for the game which finished in a 1-1 draw and sent the Heathens to Roker Park and Notts County only needing a draw to secure a 1st division place, alas this was not to happen as they lost both games and had to settle for another season in division 2 :(

Newton Heath 1896-1897 team (not a great photograph, but you can make the players out)​

Team: Walter Cartwright, Jimmy Collinson, Fred Erentz, James Peters, George Perrins, John Whitney, John Clarkin, William Kennedy, Bob Donaldson, James Vance, Dick Smith

Secretary: A. H. Albut
Stadium: Bank Street
Second Division: 2nd
FA Cup: Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Joe Cassidy (17)
All: Joe Cassidy (25)
Highest home attendance: 18,000 vs Manchester City (25 December 1896)
Lowest home attendance: 3,000 vs Burton Swifts (9 January 1897),3,000 vs Darwen (2 March 1897),3,000 vs Woolwich Arsenal (22 March 1897)
Average home attendance: 6,636

Joe Cassidy again top scorer 2nd season running​

The workers of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway formed the Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club in 1878. This is a 55 page booklet only issued by the Lancashire and Yorkshire to workers for the period 20th-27th March 1897 and contained all time tables and excursions that certain members of the Railway needed to know. A very scarce item from the Victorian period from the founders of the worlds greatest football club as it is known today.


Rare document with signatures by the Lancashire and Yorkshire workers 1897

The early Newton Heath players were working class, but they had enough leisure time to play games on a Saturday afternoon and were prosperous to the extent that they did not have to spend every waking hour earning money to live. It is a well known fact that the men who formed Newton Heath would have mostly been from a comparatively affluent section of the working class as, unlike many others, they where skilled and had regular work.

It was a time when working class people were starting to enjoy what we would understand to be "leisure time". At the time the weekend began on a Saturday dinnertime, so Saturday afternoon was the only time they had the opportunity to follow pursuits that they enjoyed. Sunday was meant for church and little else. This is why you find football clubs and other sporting bodies sprouting up all over the country at this time. Quite simply, working people in the towns and cities were starting to have the time and money to play and watch sport.

Clubs like Newton Heath were founded and supported by the elite of the working class, because they had the resources to indulge in organised sport. If you look at very early photographs of football games you will see most of the specators wearing hats or caps (there are many examples of this in the next few updates). This is a clear marker of the status as the poor working class tended not to wear them. A hat was a symbol that showed you were better off than the poor unskilled labourer.

David McFetteridge played for Newton Heath from 1894-96, but is pictured here in a shirt seen on the players in the 1891/92 season team photograph. He was a Scottish striker who made his debut for Newton Heath on the 13th April 1895 versus Newcastle United (Away) which we lost 3-0.


David McFetteridge (C 1896)

Uniteds FA Cup performances were hardly spectacular. In the seven seasons they had entered the competition they had never progressed beyond the second round. Although 1896 proved no exception, at least they were eliminated by one of the finest sides to grace the era. The prospect of Derby County visiting Clayotn was keenly awaited but few gave second division Newton Heath much chance against the first division giants who ended that season as runners-up. But a big gate would at least help save some of the Heathens financial problems. In the event 18,000 turned up and £500 they paid went some distance in keeping the bailiffs away.

The Athletic News (article below) waxed lyrically about Uniteds performance calling it "a great and glorious contribution to Manchesters football history", yet the replay the following Wednesday at the Baseball Ground turned out to be a mere formality as Derby romped home 5-1. But United did have excuses (yes injuries even plagued us in these days). Ridgeway broke a finger and had to leave the field for a time while Carlin was also injured, so at one point United were down to nine men. But they had fought bravely and could count their draw against Derby as one of their best cup performances to date.

Athletic news article 17th February 1896​

At the end of this season and for the fourth time in five years Newton Heath found themselves facing the end of season play offs. Their record was miserable; only on the first occasion had they been successful. Along with them in the play-offs were Sunderland and Burnley, the bottom two clubs in the first division, and Notts County, champions of the second division.

Newton Heath had ended the season in second spot, three points behind Notts County, and had wound up their campaign in fine style. They may have lost their final fixture at Loughbourough but it had been their first defeat since New Years day and they remained undefeated at Clayton, having conceded only 10 goals. Newton Heath may not have entered the play-offs as favourites but there was every hope that they might make it back to the upper division. However, it was to be another dissapointment. Newton Heath finished in 3rd place and had to face yet another season in the lower division.



Clarkin (above left) and Peters (above right) were two of the Heathens battling heroes in the cup against Derby. Sorry for the poor quality of these images but they are old.​

To be continued ...​
 

iczster

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Update #5 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1897 - 1898)

Here's the next history update ......

As the 1898 season drew to a close Newton Heath and across town rivals Man City were the top two teams in the 2nd division, with a team called "New Brighton Tower" in third. On Boxing day the two teams faced each other, the Heathens coming off a 9-0 thrashing of Darwen while City were also coming off a big win against Blackpool (4-2). Confidence was high but it was City who came out the victors making short work of their neighbours in a 4-0 win. Newton never recovered from this and finished the season in 3rd place, 3 points behind Glossop North End and 6 points behind City who won the title and promotion to the first. Once more they had challenged for promotion only to fall by the wayside. In five seasons in the second they had never finished lower than sixth.


Newton Heath Team 1897-1898

The 1897–98 season was Newton Heath's sixth season in the Football League and their fourth in the Second Division. They finished fourth in the league, which was not enough to earn them a chance for promotion back to the First Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out by Liverpool in the Second Round, after beating Walsall in the First Round.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1897–98. They reached the semi-finals of the Manchester Senior Cup before being beaten 2–1 by Manchester City in a replay, but they went two better in the Lancashire Senior Cup, beating Blackburn Rovers 2–1 in the final.



Sadly, City knocked Newton Heath down the stairs in their Boxing Day match

The Heathens battled until the end finishing their season with a run of seven games undefeated. Boyd was the clubs top scorer (below) breaking up streaks by Cassidy and he did not miss a match all season. Bryant was the only other player to reach double figures. It is he who achieved the rare feat of scoring a hat-trick against Spurs in the FA cup and still ending up on the losing side.

Indeed, the season was a frustrating one for the club. Once more they had challenged for promotion only to fall by the wayside. In five seasons in the second division they had never finished lower than sixth place.

Season Statistics 1897 - 1898

Secretary: A. H. Albut
Second Division: 4th
FA Cup: Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Henry Boyd (22)
All: Henry Boyd (22)
Highest home attendance: 20,000 vs Manchester City (16 October 1897)
Lowest home attendance: 2,000 vs Loughborough (29 March 1898)
Average home attendance: 6,647
Henry Boyd was born in Pollokshaws, near Glasgow, but spent most of his career in England. He started out at Sunderland Albion and Burnley before joining West Bromwich Albion in 1892. After two years of sparing appearances for the Baggies he moved south to join Second Division Woolwich Arsenal in 1894. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Grimsby Town on 10 September 1894, and scoring another seven goals in the next four matches.


Top Goal Scorer 1897-1898 Henry Boyd

Newton Heath signed him for £45 in January 1897; Boyd spent two and a half years with Newton Heath, scoring three hat-tricks in the 1897–98 season that he spent with the club, as he racked up 22 goals in total. However the following season, 1898–99, he only played five times (but still scored five goals), and in August 1899 he left Newton Heath for Falkirk. In all he scored 35 goals in 62 games for the Bank Street club, which makes him one of their most prolific forwards in terms of goals per game.

Chairman Davies kicks off at Bank Street Grounds at Clayton probably vs Notts County first home league match in Division 1. Drew 0-0 Attendance estimated around 20,000. Players nearest to the camera are Peddie, Sagar and Blackstock.​


Below is a letter from the office of the superintendent of the carriage works, Frederick Attock. Attock is generally regarded to be the founder of Newton Heath LYR Football Club, latterly Manchester United.


Newton Heath Carriage and Wagon Works - Form front

To be continued ....​
 

BD

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Thanks icz. I never actually got around to reading this in the newbs, but I'll definitely read it this time. I have it saved on 'read it later' on my iPod for when I don't have internet connection!:)
 

decorativeed

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That original 1894 letter from Fred Attock is now owned by me. I paid the staggering fee of £2.60 for it.
 

iczster

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Thanks icz. I never actually got around to reading this in the newbs, but I'll definitely read it this time. I have it saved on 'read it later' on my iPod for when I don't have internet connection!:)
Nice one BD, you know it makes sense :D

That original 1894 letter from Fred Attock is now owned by me. I paid the staggering fee of £2.60 for it.
Quality where did you get it from mate, auctions? I have in my possession some old match day programmes from the late 50's/early 60s. Believe it or not I found them in the attic recently, part of my late grandads stuff he left me (loved him to bits, grandads are the best). I will scan them in when I get to the relevant years.
 

iczster

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Update #6 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1898 - 1899)

Here we go again.

1899 was to be known for the infamous riots between Celtic and Rangers. After a Scottish Cup final replay the fans tried to burn down the ground and trouble continued for several hours in the streets of Glasgow with 81 policemen having to be treated in hospital. There was also trouble at Everton's Goodison Park after the ref had abandoned a game.

Newton Heath had their own problems with a "scandal" behind the scenes when two players (Boyd and Cunnigham) were suspended by the club for their extracurricular activities. The two players were have said to have been drinking, the Athletic News reported: "If men who are paid good wages don't think it worth their while to keep themselves in condition they are better off out of the team." The week following these suspensions it was the fans turn. After the Heathens took a 2-1 defeat at New Brighton Tower a group of supporters took action by surrounding the referee as he walked off the field, jeering and booing him. The situation could have been worse if it hadn't been for several Club officials and Policemen who escorted the poor referee to dressing room safety. By all reports the referee had been very poor and the youths had been provoked by several dubious decisions. The result of the game seriously dented any hopes of Newton Heath's promotion chances for that year.

The 1898–99 season was Newton Heath's seventh season in the Football League and their fifth in the Second Division. They finished fourth in the league, which was not enough to earn promotion back to the First Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens managed to take Tottenham Hotspur to a replay back at Bank Street after a 1–1 draw at Northumberland Park, before losing 5–3 in the replay.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1898–99, but little progress was made in either competition. The club received a bye to the third round of the Manchester Senior Cup, but lost 4–1 to Bury. It was a similar story in the Lancashire Cup, as they beat Darwen 5–0 in the first round before losing 6–1 to Blackburn Rovers in the second round.

Season Statistics 1898-1899

Secretary: A. H. Albut
Second Division: 4th
FA Cup:First Round
Top goalscorer League: Joe Cassidy (19)
All: Joe Cassidy (20)
Highest home attendance: 20,000 vs Manchester City (10 September 1898),20,000 vs New Brighton Tower (18 March 1899)
Lowest home attendance: 2,000 vs Loughborough (22 October 1898), 2,000 vs Darwen (24 December 1898),2,000 vs Gainsborough Trinity (31 December 1898)
Average home attendance: 7,389

Joe Cassidy top scorer again 3 out of the last 4 seasons

In March 1899 the Athletic News reported that the club had placed two players on the transfer list and suspended a third following an investigation into their extracurricular activities (orginal press article below). Quite what these were was never explained but there were enough hints to summise that the three had been drinking (the original Robbo, Whiteside and McGrath). 'If men who are paid good wages dont think it worth their while to keep themselves in condition they are better out of the team.' roared the Athletic News. 'The directors are to be congratulated for dealing with offenders in a firm manner.'

The two players suspended and placed on the transfer list where Boyd, who the paper described as a 'most capricious individual', and Cunningham. Little is known about either except Boyd was something of a prolific goalscorer, hitting 35 goals in only 62 appearances for the club. Cunningham, an inside forward, had joined the Heathens in 1898 and was a regular choice, having made his debut on 5th November that year. The other player involved was Gillespie, also an inside forward, but he apologied for 'certain indiscretions' and was forgiven by the club, though not before serving a suspension. Gillespie and made his league debut for the Heathens in November 1896 and remained a first teamer until the 1900 close season, making 89 appearancesin all and scoring 21 goals.


Athletic News article 13th March 1899

A week after this incident the Athletic News reported yet more trouble at Clayton. This time it was the fans who were causing problems. Following a 2-1 defeat by New Brighton Tower in front of a huge gate of 20,000, which seriously dented Newton Heaths hopes of promotion, a group of supporters took unilateral action against the referee. By all accounts the game had been badly handled, with the referee ignoring his linesman on at least one vital occassion and making a number of other questionnable decisions. As the referee walked of the field 'a crowd of hot-headed youths got round him and jeered and booed him', reported the Athletic News. But help, fortunatel, was at hand as 'officials of the club together with several policemaen prevented anything approaching mobbing'. Nevertheless the whole incident was severely frowned upon by the newspaper., even though it was prepared to admit that the youths had been provoked by some dubious refereeing. At the end of the season the two points hardly mattered, although arguably a win might judt have spurred them on to sustain a serious challenge.


Above Boyd and Gillespie in happier times. In front of them is the Lancashire Senior Cup, which the Heathens won for the first time in 1897/1898 beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 in the final. Boyd, a scorer on that day, was soon on his way.

Quite a short update for the 1898-1899 season, unfortunately there are no recorded team photographs for this season. However, the squad players for that season are listed below:

Francis Barrett Goalkeeper
Henry Boyd Centre forward
William Henry Brooks Forward
Willie Bryant Outside right
James Cairns Inside right
Walter Cartwright Wing half
Joseph Cassidy Forward
James Collinson Full back/Inside Forward
James Connachan Forward
John Cunningham Forward
Levi William Draycott Wing half
Fred Charles Erentz Full back
Matthew Gillespie Inside left
John Gourlay Centre half
William Griffiths Centre half
James Hopkins Inside right
Owen Jones Forward
Edwin Lee Centre forward
William Morgan Right Half/Centre forward
W Owen Outside right
Francis Pepper Centre half
George Radcliffe Outside right
WA 'Bogie' Roberts Outside left
Harry Stafford Full back
John Turner Half back
Robert Turner Defender
Robert Walker Centre half
James Coupar Forward
David Fitzsimmons Wing half
Richard Smith Inside left
John Henry Whitney Wing half
To be continued ...​
 

iczster

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Update #7 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1899 - 1900)

The start to the 20th century held little relief for the Heathens who had acheived little in recent years and were languishing in the shadow of their rivals Man City who had been recently promoted to the 1st division. The team at that time did see a few changes with Frank Barrett in goal, Harry Stafford and Fred Erentz at the fullback positions, Morgan Griffiths and Carwright were regular choices as centre back, while up front Bryant, Jackson and Cassidy were the regulars. The club had forged strong links Wales at the time and boasted seven Welsh internationals in the line-up, many of them arriving in Manchester looking for work on the railroad. Although rich in Welsh international talent the Club had not a single English International on the books (Billy Bryant was picked to represent the Football League). But even with a solid team and a lot of Welsh internationals Newton Heath could not get the promotion they so desperately needed. For the third time in a row they finished fourth in the second division.

The players are: back, left to right: Stafford, Whitehouse (gk), Erentz. Middle: Billy Morgan, Griffiths, Cartwright. Front: Alf Schofield, Hugh Morgan, Leigh, Jackson, Fisher.​

The 1899–1900 season was Newton Heath's eighth season in the Football League and their sixth in the Second Division. They finished fourth in the league, which was not enough to earn promotion back to the First Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out in the First Round Qualifying by South Shore.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1899–1900, but little progress was made in either competition. The club received a bye to the third round of the Manchester Senior Cup, but lost 5–0 to Bury. It was a similar story in the Lancashire Cup, as they beat Bolton Wanderers 3–2 in the first round before losing 1–0 to Southport Central in the second round.

Season Statistics 1899-1900

Secretary: A. H. Albut
Second Division: 4th
FA Cup: First Round Qualifying
Top goalscorer League: Joe Cassidy (16)
All: Joe Cassidy (16)
Highest home attendance: 12,000 vs Small Heath (17 February 1900), 12,000 vs Grimsby Town (3 March 1900)
Lowest home attendance: 5,000 vs eight different opponents
Average home attendance: 6,059

It must come as no surprise that our man Joe Cassidy is once again top scorer in this season

Newton Heath kicked off the 20th Century with a league fixture at Clayton against Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers. But it was not a portentious initiation to the new age as they lost 2-1. Bolton were later promoted, while the Heathens once more finished in fourth place and again missed out on promotion :(


Above the Sunday Chronicle write up of the game versus Bolton Wanderers 7th January 1900 (you will need to concentrate to make out the text)

After eight years in the football league they had achieved little and were languishing in the shadow of their close neighbours Manchester City, recently promoted to the first division. It would eventually improve, but, unfortunately, not before it got worse. There were a few notable changes in the line-up. Frank Barret remained in goal with Harry Stafford and Fred Erentz shielding him. Morgan, Griffiths and Cartwright were automatic choices for the half-back line up while up front Bryant (below), Jackson and Cassidy (below) were the regulars. The closing years of the 19th century had seen Newton Heath wave goodbye to two fine players in James McNaught and John Peden, later dubbed the first George Best, and was said to delight in weaving his way down the wing and, by all accounts, was just as tempermental and awkward as his successor. There were no England players prior to 1900, but Billy Bryant did play for the Football League against the Irish League inh 1897. One signing in 1900 proved to be inspired, Liverpudlian Alf Schofield, who came from Everton where he had played only a handful of games. He remained with United until 1907, when, after 179 games, he was succeeded on the right wing by Billy Meredith. More about him in future updates.​

Above (not a great picture) Billy Bryant and Joe Cassidy started the 20th Century by causing the Bolton goalkeeper 'further trouble', but failed to score and the game was lost when Barret conceded a soft goal.​

Now we have seen out the 19th Century see below for a poster made by decorativeed which sums up the 19th century honours list.


Below is another treat which is an original Newton Heath Baines Card. The one below is of Jack Powell who played for Newton Heath between 1886-1891. This is an original Sharpe's Card c 1890 depicting him as captain of Newton Heath. Powell is reputed to be the first ever Welshman to play for an English club at a professional level. At the turn of the 19th century these cards stopped being produced.


Jack Powell Newton Heath & Wales

To be continued ....​
 

decorativeed

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Hate to break it to you, but that rare poster from Newton Heath's inception was made by me last year!
 

iczster

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Update #8 : United Teams through the ages (Newton Heath 1900 - 1901)

Here's the next installment of the history thread.

The season 1900/01 was the worst season for Newton Heath in seven years of second division football. They started the season with hopes of promotion to the first division, but finished a long way off their target. They ended the season at the tenth place, with 16 defeats out of 34 matches played. Their goal average was just positive with +6 (38-32). This was the sign for the directors to fire their secretary Mr A.H. Albutt and appoint a new one. The new secretary was Mr James West.

West oversaw Newton Heath's financial collapse and near bankruptcy, followed by the club's re-birth as Manchester United on 28 April 1902.



The players are: back, left to right: Stafford, Whitehouse (gk), Erentz. Middle: Billy Morgan, Griffiths, Cartwright. Front: Alf Schofield, Hugh Morgan, Leigh, Jackson, Fisher.

The 1900–01 season was Newton Heath's ninth season in the Football League and their seventh in the Second Division. They finished tenth in the league, some way off from the promotion places. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out by Burnley after a replay in the First Round, having beaten Portsmouth in the Intermediate Round.

The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1900–01. Although they were knocked out by Manchester City in the second round of the Lancashire Cup, the Heathens managed to reach the final of the Manchester Senior Cup for the first time since 1893 before being beaten by the same opposition.

James West the new secretary is middle of the back row (black hat). James West was appointed Secretary on August 27th 1900. He had earned a reputation for astute financial management in three years as Secretary at Lincoln. By January the club were able to announce a small increase in gate receipts and lower wages. After a brief spell in the bottom four, the team were now in a safe mid table position (they would eventually finish 10th). Perhaps West would prove the savior was the hope of many Heathen fans that year. The 1901-1902 season will reveal all in the next installment.

The other two officials on the back row are Mr T Taylor (Director), Mr F Palmer (Director)

A clipping from the Manchester Evening News (previously Athletic News) 17th February 1901 advertising the bazaar at St James's Hall. A pivotal moment, more about this in the next update.​

Newton Heath at the turn of the century were little more than an average second division side. After almost a decade in the Football League they had little to show for their endeavours, two years in the first division and on both of those years finishing in bottom place. Since then they had shuffled along fairly comfortably in the second division, initially challenging for promotion but at the end of 1900/1901 season they finished 10th, their worst ever position.

But, just as their fortunes seemed at their lowest ebb, a fairy godmother turned up and with the wave of a magic wand (or in this case a bundle of cash) their luck began to change. The fairy godmother was John Henry Davies, the managing director of Manchester Breweries. His involvement with United arose out of a chance meeting at a bazaar organised by the club to raise funds. The clubs lowly position was causing alarm among its members and their only solution was to raise £1,000 in order to buy new players. And so they hit upn the idea of the bazaar to raise money. It was held from Wednesday 27th February for four days at St James Hall. 'Judging by the programme it should be one of the best bazaars ever held'. reported the Manchester Evening News, announcing that the Northern Military and the Besses-o'th-Barn brass band would be playing. The bazaar was formally opened by Sir James Fergusson, the conservative MP for Manchester North East who told those assembled that 'the members of the club have come to the conclusion that they must collect a handsome sum to enable them to engage a team which will be capable of securing and holding a place in the first league'.

Secretary James West moved a vote of thanks and the audience was left to wander around the various exhibits which included scenes depicting the splendours of India, Italy and the Meditarranean. The bazaar ended on the Saturday evening, but the proceeds turned out to be far less than expected. When the cost of hiring the hall had been deducted there was barely any profit. But a fortuitous meeting as a result of the bazaar reaped larger dividends.

Strangely, it was a dog which was to play a part in setting up that meeting. The dog was a St Bernard which belonged to the Netwon Heath captain Harry Stafford. Stafford had loaned loaned the dog to the bazaar and each day it wandered about the hall with a collecting box hung around its neck. But one evening the dog escaped and was later found roaming the streets by the licensee of a pub owned by Manchester Breweries who also happened to be a friend of John Henry Davies. He showed the dog to Davies who took a fancy to it and bought it from him. Feeling guilty, Davies decided to trace the dogs owner and soon discovered that it belonged to Harry Stafford. The two men met, whereupon, Stafford told Davies how the dog had disappeared from the hall and how the bazaar had been organised to raise funds for the club. Davies seemed genuinely concerned at their difficulties, and, as a gesture of goodwill, made a contribution, also promising to help in the future.

Stafford did not forget that promise. Within a year results had gone from bad to worse and the financial plight of the club had hit rock bottom. It would be time soon to call upon Davies again soon.

Season Statistics 1900-1901

Secretary: James West
Second Division: 10th
FA Cup: First Round
Top goalscorer League: Tom Leigh (14)
All: Tom Leigh (14)
Highest home attendance: 10,000 vs Blackpool (26 December 1900), 10,000 vs Burnley (12 January 1901), 10,000 vs Burnley (9 February 1901)
Lowest home attendance: 1,000 vs Chesterfield (27 April 1901)
Average home attendance: 5,658
Top goalscorer all competitions Tom Leigh​

The shirt below is in display in the united museum, this shirt is tagged as "Thought to have been worn by George Stacey". Stacey joined United in late 1907 but the only photographs showing players (such as Harry Moger) in similar shirts come from 1903/04. It is believed that this shirt however was being worn around the 1900-1901 season initially. However, this is unsubstantiated by any evidence. In fact the only known evidence suggest this was not the case. Should any come to light I will be sure to update this post.


To be continued ....​
 

iczster

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Sorry to be an arse again, but that's wrong. United were wearing white jerseys in 1900-01.
I know you have a lot of knowledge on the shirt front decorativ. The caption tag in the museum even says circa 1900-1912? I have read they changed their kit a few times in 1900-1901 season. One of them being white as you say. Are you 100% sure they didnt play in any other colours that season mate?
 
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decorativeed

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We only have two known photos from that season and they both show them in white. I took the photo of the shirt in the museum a couple of years ago and I don't think it's there anymore.
 
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