Old Trafford History

"The most handsomest, the most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen. As a football ground it is unrivalled in the world, it is an honour to Manchester and the home of a team who can do wonders when they are so disposed"


Sporting Chronicle: Saturday 19th February 1910 The above words were written on Old Trafford's opening day in 1910. Manchester United had just moved from their old stadium of Bank Street, Clayton, to a new stadium in the Old Trafford area of west Manchester. Built in 1909, for the then huge sum of £60,000, it was terraced on three sides with a seated main south stand under cover. The stadium had a maximum capacity of 80,000 and was designed by famous Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, who also designed stands at Hampden Park, Ibrox Stadium and White Hart Lane. In 1911 and 1915 it held the FA Cup final and in 1920 it had it's largest ever attendance of 70,504 for a league game against Aston Villa. The 1939 FA Cup Semi-Final of Wolves vs Grimsby would top that with 76,962, a figure which stands to the present day. The original Leitch south stand roof was replaced in the 1930's. The south stand corners were also covered and a partial roof was added on the north side. The stadium was heavily damaged in World War II and for a while United played at local rival, Manchester City's Maine Road from 1946-1949 whilst rebuilding work took place. In 1949 when it reopened, Old Trafford had been rebuilt exactly as it had been before the war. A roof was later added to the Stretford End in the 1950's, however all the stands suffered from obstructed views because of old fashioned roof-post design. In the mid 1960s development of modern cantilever stands began on the north and east of the ground in time for the World Cup. The new design had terracing at the front and a larger seated section behind. The master plan of club owners, the Edward's family, was to eventually have cantilever stands on all four sides of the ground. Old Trafford was a venue for the 1966 World Cup hosting three matches and also held the 1970 FA Cup Final replay between Chelsea and Leeds. It also became the first stadium to erect perimeter fencing in the 1970's to combat crowd disturbances. Gradually the entire ground was redeveloped with cantilever roofing over the decades, culminating in 1994 with the Stretford End. The west side of the ground for many fans, will always be the legendary Stretford End. Crammed behind the goal was a heaving mass of almost 20,000 standing United fans who were amongst the loudest in Britain. It was once measured that the roar from the crowd was louder than a Jumbo Jet taking off. The last game played in front of the famous old terrace was a 3-1 win over Spurs on 2nd May 1992. The new £10 million all-seater cantilever stand was completed for the start of the 1993-94 season and had a family seating area. Beneath the corner is the players dressing rooms/tunnel and lounge.


In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, over 58,000 could pack into Old Trafford. However in the early 1990s after the Hillsbrough disaster, the Taylor Report required England's top teams to have all-seater stadiums. The Old Trafford design master plan of the 1960's was now complete and the stadium was a perfect bowl, but with United more popular than ever the reduced 44,000 capacity was totally inadequate.


This led to further expansion in 1995-6 with the construction of the giantantic three-tiered North Stand, holding 26,000 and bringing capacity to nearly 56,000. The North Stand, reaching around 200 feet in height has four stairwell towers, several lifts and the largest single cantilever roof in Europe.


This massive, brooding structure towers over the pitch, intimidating opposing teams. Costing £19 million to build (plus £9 million to buy the land) it also houses the excellent Manchester United Museum on three floors (open on non-match days) and glittering trophy room. There is also the Red Cafe restaurant and two layers of executive "Sky" boxes. The stand sits over the top of United Road, which runs through a tunnel underneath.


The South Stand is the smallest stand at Old Trafford but contains the managers bench area, the directors/ television/ police control boxes and luxury restaurants and executive suites. It is rarely seen on television as it contains the TV gantry, which looks North. The players tunnel used to be at the centre of this stand but in 1993 it was moved to the South-west corner. The old tunnel still remains and is opened for special occasions and stadium tours. The seating slopes at a different angle to the rest of the stadium, making it slightly lower than the other stands. The first 20 or so rows of seats around all four sides of the ground are below street level.


The East Stand was home to the diehard K-Stand United fans (many of whom have relocated to the Stretford End) as well as the away fans enclosure in the South-East corner and disabled section. It was formerly known as the Scoreboard End, so called because of the large scoreboard that resided until the late 60s, when an electronic one was installed. This scoreboard was recently replaced by four modern electronic scoreboards situated around the stadium.


As part of a £30 million redevelopment to put a second tier at each end, in January 2000, the East Stand upper deck was opened creating a 61,000 capacity. On its outside is a large tinted glass front, similar to a modern office block. Below is the location of the huge Manchester United Megastore where every conceivable type of club merchandise is available. On top of the Megastore entrance is the Sir Matt Busby statue. Unveiled in May 1996 he gazes proudly over the forecourt adjacent to the road that bears his name, Sir Matt Busby Way. Off to the left side is the Munich Memorial plaque and the famous Munich clock commemorating the air crash on 6th February 1958 is at the South-East corner.


In August 2000 the second tier of seating was added to the Stretford End / West Stand bringing a total capacity of 68,217. You can also see many banners draped over the upper deck, created by United fans to celebrate past history and taunt rivals. A statue of 60's striker Denis Law in the upper concourse was placed there in 2002 - Law was known as "The King of The Stretford End".


Many claim the atmosphere at Old Trafford is not as good as it once was. Ironically it is the legend of the Old Trafford atmosphere that has brought the tourists yet they are partly responsible for its decline. Sir Alex Ferguson has often complained about the lack of singing and low noise levels but a designated singing area in the West Stand upper tier has made it the loudest part of the ground.


Old Trafford was a Euro 96 venue hosting five games including a Semi-final. It's also been an annual venue for one of the FA Cup Semi-final's and regular home for the England international team home matches. On 28th May 2003 the stadium had the honour of hosting the Champions League Final between AC Milan and Juventus, which Milan won 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. In 2005 a £45 million development began to fill in the corners at the North-West and North-East Quadrants, creating a 76,211 capacity by May 2006 and restoring the "bowl" effect on two thirds of the ground. Expansion work on the South side is not planned in the immediate future because of restricted space and cost. The nearby railway track could be built over, but the club would have to buy up to fifty nearby houses at great expense and disruption to local residents.


A total of £114 million has been spent by the club in the last 14 years on stadium redevelopment but the total cost for a new South Stand would almost equal that sum again with estimates in the region of £90-100 million. However, the long-term goal for the club must remain to rebuild the South stand in a similar style to the North and with filled SW/SE corners would make a whopping 96,000 all seater capacity - larger than the new 90,000 Wembley. Old Trafford is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most famous sporting arena's in the world. In an era where many clubs are moving from their traditional homes and although down the years it has changed beyond all recognition, the magic of Old Trafford will always remain. On a big match day or European night the atmosphere is as good as any venue in world football. The Theatre of Dreams (as Bobby Charlton named it) is the biggest club ground in Britain and a fitting home for the world's most famous football club.


Old Trafford total capacity: 76,212

(capacity numbers of each stand are not exact figures)

North Stand: 25,500 = 102 rows of seats
Lower: 4,250 = 17 rows
Upper: 8,000 = 32 rows
2nd tier: 8,250 = 34 rows
3rd tier: 5,000 = 19 rows

East Stand: 11,500 = 89 rows
East Stand lower: 1,500 = 17 rows (disabled section)
East Stand upper: 4,000 = 32 rows
East 2nd Tier: 6000 = 40 rows

West Stand: 12,000 = 89 rows
West Stand lower: 2,000 = 17 rows
West Stand upper: 4,000 = 32 rows
West 2nd Tier: 6000 = 40 rows

South Stand: 11,500 = 48 rows
Lower: 2,500 = 11 rows
Upper: 8,500 = 37 rows

Lower corners: 1,500 = 48 rows x 4

Upper North East Quadrant: 4,000 = 33 rows (maximum)

Upper North West Quadrant: 4,000 = 33 rows (maximum)

Executive boxes: 1,000



(Determined by highest attendance of the period)

1910-1939: Capacity: 80,000

1945-1960: Capacity: 67,000

1960-1974: Capacity: 65,000

1975-1980: Capacity: 60,000

1980-1988: Capacity: 58,000

1988-1990: Capacity: 48,000

1990-1994: Capacity: 45,000

1994-1996: Capacity: 43,000

1996-1999 Capacity: 55,000

2000-2001 Capacity: 61,000

2001-2005 Capacity: 68,000

2006 Capacity: 76,212

Cristiano Ronaldo History

Biography

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and the José Dinis Aveiro (1954 – 5 September 2005). He has one older brother, Hugo (b. 1975), and two elder sisters, Elma (b. 1974) and Liliana Cátia (b. Madeira, 5 October 1976). Liliana Cátia works as a singer by the stage name "Ronalda" in Portugal. Cristiano's second given name, "Ronaldo," is relatively rare in Portugal. His parents named him after Ronald Reagan due to his late father's admiration for the former president.

Player profile

Ronaldo is a two-footed player, allowing him to play anywhere up front: right, left or through the middle. This has enabled Ronaldo and left winger Ryan Giggs to switch wings occasionally, helping Manchester United further confuse their opponents. Besides his trademark stepovers, he also developed a wide array of flicks and skills, making him one of the most feared wingers in the Premier League. Ronaldo is currently Manchester United's first-choice penalty taker.

Career

Early career

He began kicking a football when he was three, and when he started primary school at age six, his passion for the sport was obvious. His favourite boyhood team was SL Benfica even though he would later join their rival, Sporting. He first played for an amateur team, Andorinha, where his father was the kit man, when he was just eight years old. By 1995, at just ten years of age, Cristiano Ronaldo's reputation was growing in Portugal. Madeira's top two teams, CS Marítimo and CD Nacional were both interested in signing him. Marítimo, the bigger team, missed a crucial meeting with Rui Santos, Ronaldo's manager at Andorinha, and as a result, Ronaldo signed for Nacional. After a title-winning campaign at Nacional, Ronaldo went on a three day trial with Sporting who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's "football factory," where he received first-class instruction. In his first few months in Lisbon, he had to defend himself from the rest of the local players as they had taunted him over his Madeiran accent. A growth spurt had also obstructed his progress at the club. However, Ronaldo eventually went on to become the only player in Sporting’s history to play for the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, B team and first-team within a season. Sporting realised that Ronaldo needed more support and arranged for his mother to join him. He scored two goals on his Sporting debut against Moreirense. He also featured for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships. His performances at the UEFA Under 17 championship drew him to the attention of the wider football world. He was first spotted by former Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier at the age of 16. However, Liverpool later declined him because he was too young and needed some time to develop into a top footballer. However, he came to the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting beat Manchester United 3-1 in the inauguration of the Alvalade XXI stadium in Lisbon. Ronaldo demonstrated his ability to play on both wings. His performance in the match impressed the Manchester United players, who spoke to their manager about a possible transfer bid for Ronaldo.

Manchester United

Ferguson decided that he wanted Ronaldo for his team, who were in the market for a right-sided midfielder with the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid; Ronaldo was signed for a fee of £12.24 million, becoming the club's first ever Portuguese player. Ronaldo was handed the number 7 shirt on his arrival, a shirt number that has belonged to some of the greatest Manchester United legends, such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Ronaldo initially asked for the number 28 which he wore at Sporting, as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'no, you're going to have No. 7' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour".

Ronaldo playing for Manchester United Ronaldo made his debut for Manchester United as a 60th minute substitute against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford, a 4-0 Manchester United win. On 29 October 2005, Ronaldo scored Manchester United's 1000th Premier League goal, in a 4-1 loss at the hands of Middlesbrough. He bagged a double double in February, with two goals at home to Fulham and another pair at Fratton Park, and also scored in the following Premier League game against Wigan taking his tally to 8 Premier League goals. On 26 February 2006, Ronaldo played in the Carling Cup Final against Wigan in the Millennium Stadium at Cardiff, and scored a goal - taking his season's tally to 10 goals.

He was named FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year 2005, the only award to be voted for by fans. He received the same accolade the following year in 2006. He was also ranked 20th in the FIFA Player of the Year 2005 standings. In 2006, a row between him and Ruud van Nistelrooy at the Carrington training ground intensified speculation about their roles at the club. However, Ronaldo signed a new deal with United that would last until 2010. Ronaldo said of the deal, "United have stood by me and been there for me and I want to repay that". Despite the World Cup incident, Ronaldo remained popular with the Manchester United faithful when he played (and scored) in his first Premier League match since the 2006 World Cup.

Manchester United fans could clearly be heard chanting "there's only one Ronaldo" at various points in the game, in a 5-1 win over Fulham F.C.. He won the Barclays Player of the Month for November 2006. By December 2006, Ronaldo had become one of United's most influential players, scoring six goals in three league games to bring his overall tally up to 12 goals. He came on at half-time as a substitute against Wigan Athletic and immediately stamped his influence on the match with 2 goals in the space of a few minutes. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson concedes he would lose his wager with the Portuguese in his current form after setting a target of 15 goals for the season. The Scot remarked that he was "pleased for him because he works hard at his game. He's still learning the game. His ability to pass the ball has helped him this season. His passing has been very good. That just shows he is maturing. He's been fantastic, and he's getting better all the time".

In December, he was awarded the Barclays Player of the Month Award for the second successive month, becoming the third ever player in the Premier League to do so (after Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996). Ronaldo scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in the game against arch-rivals Manchester City which turned out to be the decisive goal which helped Manchester United claim the Premier League title for the first time in 4 years. As the end of each season approached, particularly in 2006 and 2007, it became traditional for rumours to start floating that Ronaldo was unsettled at Manchester United and wanted to play for Real Madrid - the rumours frequently originating from the board of Real Madrid who were reported in April 2007 to be willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo.

At the beginning of March 2007, however, Ronaldo, as well as Manchester United, confirmed that they would be negotiating an extension to his current contract. On 13 April 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week deal with United, making him the highest-paid player in United's history. He said, "I am very happy at the club and I want to win trophies and hopefully we will do that this season".

Rooney and Ronaldo (Right) depicted at Old Trafford

During the 2006-07 season, Ronaldo won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards. He received the two awards during a ceremony on the 22nd of April, 2007. In addition to winning the two awards (an accomplishment that has only been matched once - in 1977 by Andy Gray), Ronaldo was also named a member of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, alongside seven of his fellow Manchester United teammates. On 24 April 2007, Ronaldo completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, an award which is given by winning the most votes from fans all over the Unit ed Kingdom. In addition, he was awarded the 2007 Portuguese Footballer of the Year, and at the beginning of May 2007 Ronaldo was also awarded the Football Writers' Association Award. He also received two awards from the club itself, the Player of the Year award, and the Fans' Player of the Year award.

The 2006-07 was tainted with several diving incidents. During a match with Middlesbrough F.C., he was criticised for diving by rival manager Gareth Southgate. On 4 February 2007, in a match against Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Ronaldo was caught in yet another diving controversy, after winning United a controversial penalty despite seeming to receive little or no contact from Tottenham's Steed Malbranque.

Ronaldo has occasionally had problems with his temper during games. He was sent off in a game against Manchester City and received a one-match ban imposed by UEFA for a "one-fingered gesture" towards Benfica fans in a UEFA Champions League match in December 2005. While playing for Portugal in a friendly against Luxembourg he was given a yellow card for pushing Jeff Strasser in the throat in retaliation after Strasser tackled him. Felipe Scolari warned Ronaldo to keep his temper in check during the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for an alleged headbutt of Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the 2007-08 season, and was therefore banned for the subsequent three games. After the match, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that Ronaldo had "fallen into the trap". Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in future.

Ronaldo's 2007-08 season started badly with the sending off at Portsmouth. However, in his first game following the ban Ronaldo scored the only goal in the 60th minute of a Champions League away game against Sporting Lisbon on return to his old club. He was given a standing ovation by the Sporting supporters for his muted celebrations following the goal. Following this match, Ronaldo has kept his goalscoring boots on in the away fixture against Birmingham City F.C. The goalscoring continued with a brace against Wigan Athletic F.C. Ronaldo contributed three goals in both the home and away fixtures against Dynamo Kiev, a goal against Arsenal F.C. and another brace against Blackburn Rovers. An injury time winner, coming from a free-kick in the home fixture against Sporting Lisbon led Manchester United to the top of the group in the UEFA Champions League. On December 2, 2007, Ronaldo was officially announced as the runner up in the European Footballer of the Year standings, finishing behind the winner, Kaka, with 277 points. Ronaldo scored a match-winning double against Fulham F.C., one of which included a memorable volley. He had also been booked for diving by referee Rob Styles when he went down under a challenge from Fulham's goalkeeper, Antti Niemi. Sir Alex Ferguson had claimed that it "His reputation from years ago is still playing on the minds of referees. It was a ridiculous decision." In addition to his two late penalties in the home fixtures against Derby County F.C. and Everton F.C. , he scored a free-kick just before half-time against Sunderland A.F.C.. On December 17 2007, it was officially announced that Ronaldo came in third in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards, finishing behind Kaká and Lionel Messi. A 2-1 defeat in the away fixture against West Ham United F.C., Ronaldo scored in the match but missed a penalty.

Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United, in the 6-0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of English Premier League table. He scored with a free kick in the 49th minute and went on to score twice more in the 70th and 88th minutes of the match. The very next game, he scored the second goal in the 2-0 win against Reading on 19 January 2008, bringing his goal tally to 23, equalling his tally for the whole of the 2006/2007 season. UEFA have been urged to investigate an incident before and during the 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Champions League on February 20, 2008 where Ronaldo and United team mate Nani were targeted by opposition fans shining potentially hazardous lasers at the players during the warm up and the match itself.

On March 19, 2008, Ronaldo eclipsed George Best's 40-year-old United record of the most goals scored by a midfielder in one season. Best had scored 32 times in the 1967-68 season. In a Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford, Ronaldo was captain for Manchester United for the first time in his career in England; while donning the captain's arm band, Ronaldo scored both goals in a 2-0 win for United. On April 9, 2008, it was reported that Real Madrid have decided to offer Manchester United a world-record £100million for Cristiano Ronaldo, a fee which was later turned down by the club. On May 3, 2008, Ronaldo scored 2 goals and assisted Carlos Tevez's goal in United's 4-1 victory at home to West Ham United. It brought Ronaldo's season tally to 40 goals and 30 in the Premierleague. To date, Ronaldo is now 4 goals away to equaling Ruud Van Nistelrooy's tally of 44 goals in a season which he did back in 2002/2003.

Ronaldo is the current leader in the standings for the European Golden Shoe, the award for the European top goal scorer, with a six-point lead ahead of second-placed Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

International career

Ronaldo had previously played for Portugal at the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and at the U18 and U21 level. He eventually made his full international debut in August 2003, coming on in the second half of a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan. Ronaldo scored Portugal's only goal in their 2-1 loss to Greece in the opening match of Euro 2004 and the first goal of the semi final against the Netherlands, which Portugal won 2-1. The final saw a rematch of the opening game of the tournament, with Greece once again emerging victorious. Even though Ronaldo could not add to his two goals, his performances at the tournament earned him a place in the team of the tournament.

Ronaldo subsequently represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and was the second highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with 7 goals.

Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick. In the Round of 16, he left Portugal's 1-0 win over Netherlands injured after a high tackle by Khalid Boulahrouz. However, he returned in the next match in the quarter - final against England.

Ronaldo was named the national team captain for the first time in a friendly match against Brazil on February 6, 2007, a day after his 22nd birthday. This move was in honour of the Portuguese Football Federation president, Carlos Silva, who had died two days before. Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make him captain as a gesture. He thought the English fans would give him a difficult time and this was a response. He is too young to be captain but Mr. Silva asked me and now he is no longer with us.

Ronaldo scored a total of 8 goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

World Cup incident

On 8 July 2006, after the sending off of United team-mate Wayne Rooney for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho in the Quarter Final of the 2006 World Cup between England and Portugal, there was much speculation in the English media that he had influenced Rooney's red card by complaining aggressively to the referee. He was also seen in replays winking to the Portuguese bench after Rooney's dismissal. Ronaldo has said that Rooney was a friend, and that he was not trying to get Rooney a red card. Rooney said, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not team-mates. However, on 4 July, Elizondo told The Times that the red card was due to the stamp on Carvalho, and not the scuffle afterwards. He said "It was violent play and therefore he got a red card. People can say what they want (about Ronaldo) but this had absolutely no influence. For me it was a clear red card, so I didn't react to the Portuguese players.

The Sun published a dart board with a picture of Ronaldo as the bull's-eye in a similar fashion to the one made after the 1998 World Cup for David Beckham by The Daily Mirror, another English tabloid. The angry reaction in England forced Ronaldo to consider leaving United. After the incident, he told reporters that he thought he "should get out of Manchester as the circumstances are not right to keep playing there". He allegedly told the Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.

In response to the speculation, Sir Alex Ferguson sent his assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in Portugal, hoping to change the young player's mind, whilst Rooney pleaded with Ronaldo not to leave the team. Ronaldo chose to stay on at United and signed a new five-year contract months later.

Ronaldo was booed by some French and English fans during Portugal's semi-final defeat against France, and missed out on the tournament's Best Young Player award, partly due to an e-mail campaign against him by England fans. Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA Technical Study Group awarded the honours to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor.

Mancester United History

This is Mancester united short history, maybe too short for looking all about Manchester united, and this page for all The red Devils Fans.


Manchester United are probably England's most famous club. The seeds for their future success were sown when workers with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway decided to form a team of their own in 1878.

It was run by the Dining Room Committee of the Carriage and Wagon Works, and was known as the Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Cricket and Football Club.

Paddy Crerand, George Best and Matt Busby parade the European Cup at Euston Station in May 1968.

Only after Newton Heath went bankrupt did Manchester United emerge from the ashes in 1902. Having joined the Football League in 1892, the club has played in one or other of the top two divisions ever since.

With winger Billy Meredith a powerful influence, and Ernest Mangnall as manager, Manchester United earned their first major honour in 1908 when the club won the championship. It followed up its league success the next year with an FA Cup victory. Although it won the league again in 1911, there followed a notably barren spell lasting until after the Second World War.

During the war, heavy bomb damage meant Manchester United had to temporarily abandon its Old Trafford ground and play matches at their Manchester rivals' Maine Road stadium.

With the end of hositilities, Matt Busby took over as manager and - with the help of captain Johnny Carey - set the club on the path to phenomenal post-war success.

While players such Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson helped them to win the 1948 FA Cup and the 1952 league championship, the club increasingly became renowned for nurturing youthful talent. And so were born the 'Busby Babes': Roger Byrne, Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor, and many more.

Quickly dominating English football, the new team won the First Division in successive seasons before the 1958 Munich air crash claimed the lives of eight players.

From the wreckage, Busby set about building another magnificent team, using the skills of Charlton and Denis Law, and harnessing the teenage talents of George Best. At the height of its power in the mid-Sixties, every Manchester United player was an international.

FA Cup winners in 1963, First Division champions in 1965 and 1967, the pinnacle of the team's achievements was the 4-1 win over Benfica at Wembley in the 1968 European Cup Final.

Managers found it difficult to emulate Busby's success, despite the efforts of men such as Tommy Docherty, Dave Sexton and Ron Atkinson. Only under Alex Ferguson, have star players managed to combine to live up to the memory of their heroic predecessors.

Scot Alex Ferguson was appointed in 1986 and to begin with, it looked as though he would go the same way as his predecessors. However, the FA Cup win of 1990 heralded the start of good times which were continued with

Brian Kidd and Alex Ferguson with the Premier League Champinoship Cup

the European Cup Winners Cup success a year later, with a 2-1 win over Barcelona. In 1992, Utd grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory as their late slip-up handed Leeds Utd the title but the advent of the Premier League finally saw them triumph 26 years after their previous title win.

The following season saw United better this by winning the double (beating Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final). Since then United won two more championships, including a second unprecedented double in 1996.








Thanks for geocities for giving me articles about Manchester United