DRY - MANCHESTER UNITED - HISTORY...
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Newton Heath are not really known in the world of European football: it is however the name under which Manchester United plays its first matches at the end of the years 1870.
Create in 1878 by a rail-bound company of transport, Heath joined Football Alliance in 1888 but must wait until 1892 to be allowed to join the First Division and plays its first official match on September 3, 1892 verse Blackburn Rovers.
Relegated in the Second Division and near bankruptcy at the beginning of the century, the club is bought in 1902 by a rich brewer of Manchester, J.H. Davies, which gives it the name of Manchester United like its glorious red and white colors.
Gone up in First Division in 1907, Manchester United celebrates its first title of champion of England during the season 1907-08 preceding Aston Villa of 9 points.
The year 1909 sees two new trophies joining for the first time the home of Man Utd: Charity Shield won verse Queen Park Rangers and especially the F.A Cup obtained verse Bristol City with a 1-O game.
After having played, first, in North Road, then in Bank Street, Manchester United plays for the first time at Old Trafford on February 19, 1910. This match shows a defeat 4-3 verse in Liverpool in front of more than 45.000 people.
Between 1920 and 1937, Manchester United will spend as much seasons in First Division than in the Second one , proof of a sporting instability symbolized by the financial crisis avoided of little in 1931. Very close to Third Division in 1934, Man Utd joined First Division four years later for the last season before war: League will be indeed suspended until in 1946.
A new manager arrives then to Manchester United: Matt Busby. Red Devils win their second F.A Cup in 1948 but fail by twice in the League (1947 & 1948). The Fifties see the domination of Manchester United continuing on English football since three titles of champions - 1952, 56 & 57- (twice seconds in 1950 & 58); three Charity Shields and two FA Cups final are added to the prize list of the "Busby Babes".
Leader in England, Manchester United wants to also become it on the continental scene. In 1957, its first European crusade is completed in half finale verse Real Madrid, just like in 1958, at the same stage of the competition, this time verse Milan AC.
Unfortunately, the year 1958 is deadly marked by the airplane crash of Munich (February 6) which dismays the whole world: after a quarterfinal of the European Cup played in Belgrade, the plane which transports the team of Manchester United is crushed on Munich's airport after a fuelling: seven players, three managers of the club and eight journalists perish in the tragedy from where Matt Busby will be one of the only survivors.
In spite of the drama, Manchester United finishes second of the championship the following year under the control of Bobby Charlton. During the Sixties, Red Devils win two titles of champions (1965 & 67), the F.A Cup in 1963 and must share two Charity Shields with Liverpool (1965) and Tottenham (1967).
In 1968, Manchester United enters legend of English football being the first British club to win a European Cup, that of the Champions.
The victory 4-1 is obtained verse Benfica Lisbon on May 29 in Wembley: Bobby Charlton, George Best and the Red Devils then write one of the most beautiful pages of Manchester United's history.
In the Seventies, Man Utd must eclipse in front of the supremacy of Liverpool and spends the season 1974-75 in the Second Division, whereas the team had not known relegation since 1937. Champion the first year, Manchester United comes back in First Division in 1975 and finishes second of League of 1976.
In 1979, Red Devils celebrate their 100th birthday sadly by losing the final of the F.A Cup verse Arsenal 3-2. Three of the five goals are scored in the five last minutes of the finale.
Cependant, Manchester United bat le Réal Madrid 4-0 lors d'un match amical commémorant l'anniversaire du club devant 50.000 personnes à Old Trafford.
Souvent bien classé en championnat dans les années 80 (six fois dans le quarté de tête), Manchester United n'a plus remporté la League depuis plus de vingt ans, en 1967.
But the victory smiles again to Alex Ferguson's men, new manager of the Red Devils arrived from Aberdeen in 1987. Indeed, at the end of the season 1990-1991, Manchester United wins the European Cup of Cups verse Barcelona 2-1 in Rotterdam.
Next season, Manchester United finishes second of League behind Leeds United but wins for the first time League Cup verse Nottingham Forrest, 1 0 in Wembley. A new trophy also joined the prize list of Old Trafford during the year 1991: it is the Eurpean Supercup won verse Belgrade 1 to 0.
In 1993 and after twenty six years of waiting, Manchester is again champion of England with 10 more than Aston Villa. the crowd present for the arrival of Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford at the beginning of May 1993 testifies to the passion caused by the title of Reds.
Only 40.000 privileged is allowed in the enclosure of the new champion but a thousands of others acclaim it at outside.
Manchester United thus gains first FA Premier League, replacing of First Division.
Lastly, 1994 are one of the most successful years of the history of Manchester United. The team taken along by Cantona, lnce, Schmeichel, Hughes and Giggs wins League again (with 8 points in advance on Blackburn Rovers), the F.A Cup (4 to 0 verse Chelsea), the Charity Shield (verse Arsenal) but fails in the final of the League Cup 3 goals 1 verse Aston Villa.
The beginning of the year is however sad because of Sir Matt Busby's death, January 20, 1994. It was one of few men coming out alive from the aircrash from Munich 1958 and had brillantly led Reds to their first victory in European Cup in 1968.
Although failing the feet of a triplet who would have been historical, Manchester United carries out a true exploit by signing his first doubled FA Cup-League: only four teams achieved it during this century.
The year 1995 will see the loss of the title verse Blackburn Rovers of K. Dalglish. The end of the season will be marked by the exclusion of Eric " The King " Cantona, following the incidents occurred in Crystal Palace.
Back on October 1, 1995 verse in Liverpool, Cantona will bring its partners to new doubled FA Cup-League thanks to an exceptional end of season, going up 13 points of delay on Newcastle. The team built by A. Ferguson around Cantona and of young players like Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers thus gain the tenth title of the history of Manchester United.
Near the end of the season 1996-1997, United is close to its eleventh title, with some points more than Arsenal and Liverpool. Manchester is champion again before last game. But the season is marked by the announce of the early retirement of Eric Cantona, May the 18th.
This season 1997-1998, Eric Cantona was replaced by 3 men: Sheringham for its undeniable technical contribution, Beckham which took athe King's fetish number 7, Roy Keane the new captain and leader. But obviously, nobody in the team today can claim to have the aura and the influence cantona had...
In 1998, Man Utd does not gain anything, indeed it is Arsenal, taken along by the french Arsène Wenger, who wins championship and FA Cup. But United will return more stronger the next year.
Sir Alex Ferguson buys Dwight Yorke and the most expensive defender in the world, Dutch Jaap Stam. And once again Sir Fergie made the good choice since it propels the " red devils " of Manchester to the gate of the paradise, the red wave carries all on its way: the championship, a victory 2 goals with 1 verse Tottenham; FA Cup, 2-0 verse Newcastle, and the cherry on the cake, teh European Champions League, 2 goals with 1 verse German of Bayern Munich, after a absolutely crazy game.
Indeed Man Utd was led to the score during 84 minutes (Basler on a free kick scored for German), but did not give away, Teddy Sheringham then Ole Gunnar Solskjear, entered during the second half, mark in the extra time and allows the richest club, and more supported in the world to gain a historical triplet.
But Manchester does not stop there since they will gain the Final of the Intercontinental Cup, verse Palmeiras 1-0, thanks to a goal of its captain fetish Roy Keane. Only distorts note in this season, defeats 1-0 verse the SS Lazio in the final of the European Super Cup and 3-0 verse the Arsenal Gunners in Charity Shield. After this triplet Alex Ferguson will be sacred by Queen Elizabeth II.
The year 1999-2000 has just finished and Manchester gained its 6th England's Champion title in 8 years. Unfortunately Manchester was eliminate too early from Champions' League, beaten 3-2 in Old Trafford by Real Madrid, after a good match game away in Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, 0-0. FA Cup will be gained by Chelsea 1-0 verse Aston Villa. Manchester did not want to play it, the mancunians preferring playing the Clubs World Cup in Brazil.
Manchester was not really brillant, kick off in the first round by finishing 3rd of its group (in which there were Vasco da Gama, Necaxa and South Melbourne) with only one victory verse this last 2-0. Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that its team was stronger than the last season. Indeed, Man United finished with 18 points more than Arsenal, second, and crowned champion at 4 days of the end, never seen in Angleterre.
(thanks to Nicolas Thorpe...)
