Manchester United History

Manchester United History

If the sport of soccer is defined by the impossible thrills and romantic tragedies that a bouncing ball can provide on the pitch and the spirit to keep moving despite tragedies off it and pioneer groundbreaking movements, then Manchester United is the alpha club of that sport.

Followed worldwide more than any other club thanks in no small part to an international interest of the Munich air disaster in 1958, this interest snowballed as the son of a shipbuilder from Govan lifted United out of the wilderness to fittingly complete the vision of the coach of the side from the 50's.

NEWTON HEATH

The origins of Manchester United can be traced back to the working mans team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway at the Newton Heath Depot that was founded in 1878. Their initial "base" was on North Road and they remained there for 15 years, at which point they relocated to Bank Street in Clayton.

It was the last of those years at North Road when the club began to establish itself as more of a project in its own kind rather than a railway WMC. The club had entered the Football League and had dropped the Railway links from their name. Ironically the "re-birth" of the club almost ended quicker than it's first run, as in 1902 the club was close to bankruptcy. Bank Street was closed and the writing was on the wall - until a transaction that would have not-so-outlandish similarities with one 90 years later changed the face of the club forever.

Club captain Harry Stafford was at a fundraiser for the club and local businessman John Henry Davies was in attendance - Stafford had a St. Bernard that he was showing off and Davies wanted to buy it. Stafford declined but managed to persuade Davies to invest in the club and so save it from closing.

Davies had an active input into the regeneration of the club and after deciding to change the strip colours from green and gold halves to red and white, arranged a meeting on 26th April 1902 with the clubs directors, fans and other parties to agree on a new name for the club. It was Louis Rocca, who had been a teaboy for the club at Bank Street (and had even played for the reserves!) who suggested the name "Manchester United" in favour of "Manchester Celtic" and "Manchester Central".

The birth of Manchester United

James West was the first manager of the new Manchester United but he resigned on 28 September 1902 - replaced by "club secretary" Ernest Magnall. United were in the Second Division but had designs on promotion - a feat achieved in 1906. An 8th place finish in 1907 was followed by the first ever league championship win a year later.

The feat had much to do with neighbours Manchester City - they were found to have paid an amount not allowed by FA regulations to their players, and 18 of those players were banned from ever playing for the club again. United were quick to act and signed, amongst others, a future club legend in Billy Meredith. The 1908 title was won in some style, with a nine point gap over second placed Aston Villa.

The championship sparked an early spell of "glory years" for the new club who went on to win the first ever Charity Shield later in 1908 with a 4-0 win over QPR. In 1909 the club won their first ever FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Bristol City at Crystal Palace. Sandy Turnbull, signed from Manchester City at the same time as Meredith, scored the winner and was seen as largely instrumental during the run.

The following season saw United's first "brush" with authority when the League threatened to not only suspend players who were members of the Professional Footballers Union but do it without pay, too. Most of the league were incensed but Manchester United players refused flat out to give up membership. Most clubs affected were able to get enough amateurs to replace those players who wouldn't give up membership but the FA Cup holders couldn't - and it was this fact that lead to the infamous "Outcasts FC" photograph being taken.

The league eventually caved and removed all suspensions, recognising the Union on the eve of the 09-10 season.

By the time United next saw silverware they had found a new home - Old Trafford. John Henry Davies was again the financial fairy gadfather lending £60,000 (a staggering amount, in those times) to the club so it could secure the move. The first game at the new abode was ruined by visitors Liverpool, who overturned a 3-0 lead to take the points on 19th February 1910. The first full season at Old Trafford had better memories, however, as the team won their second league title.

Ernest Magnall left the club after the 1912 season and joined Manchester City and this marked a spell of over 40 years without a league championship and almost the same length of time without a major trophy of any kind.

During the 1914-15 campaign Manchester United and Liverpool were involved in what is now known as the "1915 British football betting scandal" - United were battling relegation when Liverpool visited Old Trafford in the Good Friday fixture on 2nd April. Players from both sides made substantial bets on the game finishing 2-0 - though there were players on either side who refused to take part (ironically, one of those was George Anderson who scored both goals for United in that 2-0 win). There were 3 players from United (including Turnbull) and 4 from Liverpool who were found guilty of match fixing and they were banned for life - neither club was punished as it was recognised that both clubs' officials were unaware of the ruse.

The lifetime bans were in the main essentially meaningless - by the time the bans were handed out the League had been suspended due to the First World War and almost all the players were re-instated in recognition of their national service. The two notable absentees were Sandy Turnbull who was sadly killed in war (but was re-instated posthumously) and Enoch West of United. His ban was finally lifted at the grand old age of 59, in 1945.

The club declined into eventual relative obscurity with two top flight relegations in 1922 (perhaps due in part to the sale of Meredith back to City the year before) and 1931 punctuated by a promotion in 1925. Their short return to the top flight was marred with controversy, too, when in the 1926/27 campaign manager John Chapman was suspended by the FA (for reasons that never became public knowledge), and wing half Clarence Hilditch took over as player manager. One of the stars of the side, Hilditch was modest and would not pick himself - the consolidation process that had been working suddenly was undermined and the club began to struggle again, their demotion in '31 was an inevitability.

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