49 Fun Facts About Manchester United

Under what name were Manchester United founded?

Newton Heath LYR was formed by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway workers, and the club only became Manchester United after a 1902 winding-up order.

Which brewer took over United after the 1902 rescue?

John Henry Davies went on to bankroll the club's next big step, the move to Old Trafford in 1910.

What colours did Manchester United wear in their earliest railway-team days?

Green and gold were the railway team's colours, and in 2010 fans revived them to protest against the club's owners.

Which United forward campaigned for free school meals in 2020?

Marcus Rashford's campaign led to a government U-turn, so children in England could claim free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays.

Which pundit said 'you can't win anything with kids' after United lost on the opening day of 1995–96?

Alan Hansen said it on Match of the Day, and that young United side went on to win the league and FA Cup Double.

Which club spoiled Old Trafford's opening match in 1910 by winning 4–3?

Liverpool won that first game, but United won the league title the following year.

Which United star was cut above the eye when Alex Ferguson sent a boot flying in the dressing room in 2003?

David Beckham was hit after a 2–0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal had left Ferguson furious.

Which Busby Babe died 15 days after the 1958 air crash, aged 21?

Duncan Edwards had asked from his hospital bed what time the kick-off against Wolves was, desperate not to miss the game.

Against which club did United record their biggest ever win, 10–0, in 1956?

Anderlecht were beaten 10–0 in United's first home European tie, played away from Old Trafford because it had no floodlights.

Manchester United's plane crashed in 1958 on the way home from a European Cup tie against which club?

Red Star Belgrade held United 3–3 to send them into the semi-finals, and the plane crashed on its third take-off attempt after refuelling.

Who managed United's makeshift side to the 1958 FA Cup final while Busby recovered?

Jimmy Murphy had missed the fatal trip because he was managing Wales in a World Cup qualifier against Israel in Cardiff.

Which United defender did Ferguson sell to Lazio in 2001, soon after the player published a critical autobiography?

Ferguson later admitted selling Jaap Stam was a mistake, saying he had wrongly thought the defender was declining after an Achilles injury.

Who did United beat 4–1 in the 1968 European Cup final?

Benfica equalised late to force extra time, where United scored three times, ten years after the air crash that killed eight of Busby's team.

Which nickname is given to the three 1960s Old Trafford forwards who each won the Ballon d'Or?

The United Trinity helped United win the 1968 European Cup, though Denis Law missed that final injured and watched it from a hospital bed.

Which Argentine club beat United in the 1968 Intercontinental Cup?

Estudiantes won 1–0 in Buenos Aires, and the bad-tempered 1–1 return at Old Trafford ended with a player from each side sent off.

Who replaced Matt Busby as manager in 1969?

Wilf McGuinness was sacked in December 1970, and Busby came back to take temporary charge of the team he had left.

Which manager saw United relegated in 1974 and then win the 1977 FA Cup?

Tommy Docherty won promotion at the first attempt, but was sacked shortly after the 1977 final over an affair with the physio's wife.

Which player did Ron Atkinson sign for a British record fee from West Bromwich Albion?

Atkinson had managed him at the Hawthorns.

From which Scottish club did Alex Ferguson arrive in November 1986?

Aberdeen under Ferguson broke Celtic and Rangers' grip on Scottish football, winning three league titles.

Victory over which club in the 1990 FA Cup final reportedly saved Ferguson's job?

Crystal Palace drew 3–3 in the first match, and Ferguson dropped goalkeeper Jim Leighton for the replay, which United won 1–0.

Which November 1992 signing helped end United's 26-year wait for a league title?

Eric Cantona's move began when his club rang about buying Denis Irwin, and Ferguson asked about Cantona instead.

Who did United beat with two injury-time goals in the 1999 Champions League final?

Bayern Munich led from the sixth minute until stoppage time, when two substitutes scored to complete United's Treble.

Which Brazilian club did United beat in Tokyo to win the 1999 Intercontinental Cup?

Palmeiras lost 1–0 as United's goalkeeper made save after save to protect a first-half lead.

In which city did United beat Chelsea on penalties in the 2008 Champions League final?

In Moscow, Cristiano Ronaldo missed his penalty in the shoot-out, yet United still won it 6–5.

Which club did United beat to become the first British winners of the FIFA Club World Cup?

LDU Quito were beaten by a late Wayne Rooney goal in Yokohama, after Nemanja Vidić had been sent off.

Which player did United sign from Wigan the summer they sold Ronaldo?

Antonio Valencia later took the No. 7 shirt Ronaldo had worn, but switched back to his old No. 25 after an indifferent season.

Who succeeded Alex Ferguson as manager in 2013?

David Moyes was given a six-year contract but was sacked only ten months into it.

Which manager won United's 12th FA Cup before being sacked in 2016?

Louis van Gaal was sacked days after lifting the cup, the only trophy of his time in charge.

Whose record did Wayne Rooney pass with his 250th United goal in January 2017?

Charlton's record had stood since the 1970s.

United equalled the Premier League's record win with a 9–0 over whom in February 2021?

Southampton had Alexandre Jankewitz sent off after two minutes, ended with nine men, and had also lost 9–0 to Leicester in 2019.

Erik ten Hag's first trophy, the 2023 EFL Cup, came against which club?

Newcastle United gave Loris Karius his club debut in goal because Nick Pope was suspended, and lost 2–0 at Wembley.

Who did United beat 2–1 in the 2024 FA Cup final for their 13th win in the competition?

Manchester City fell to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, a year after beating United 2–1 in the 2023 final.

Ruben Amorim was hired in November 2024 from which club?

Sporting CP were Ruben Amorim's last club before United; as a teenager he had been released by his boyhood club and rebuilt his career at Belenenses.

From which rugby club's nickname did 'the Red Devils' come?

Salford's rugby league side were dubbed 'Les Diables Rouges' on a 1934 tour of France, and Busby borrowed the name in the 1960s.

Which part of Manchester United's crest comes from Manchester's civic coat of arms?

The ship in full sail stands for Manchester's trade, yet it was on the city's arms half a century before the Ship Canal opened.

Why was the all-grey 1995–96 away kit dropped after just five games?

Players said they couldn't pick out teammates, and United changed kits at half-time but still lost the game.

Which architect, who also worked on Anfield, Highbury and Ibrox, designed Old Trafford?

Archibald Leitch's Old Trafford was planned for 100,000 fans, but costs forced him to scale it down to about 80,000.

Where did United play home games while Old Trafford was rebuilt after wartime bombing?

Maine Road hosted United again in 1956 for their first home European tie, because Old Trafford still had no floodlights.

Which United captain left the club in 2005 after an explosive MUTV interview criticising his teammates?

Roy Keane's interview, recorded after a 4–1 defeat at Middlesbrough, was never shown, and he left within weeks.

Which company became Manchester United's first shirt sponsor in 1982?

Sharp's logo stayed on the shirt until 2000, but its successor Vodafone later ended its deal as it switched to sponsoring the Champions League.

Whose 2005 leveraged takeover loaded Manchester United with debt?

Malcolm Glazer's takeover so angered some fans that they founded a breakaway club, F.C. United of Manchester.

Which body's decision led the UK government to block BSkyB's takeover of Manchester United in 1999?

The Monopolies and Mergers Commission's ruling came even though United's board had already accepted BSkyB's £623 million offer.

A dispute over which racehorse set Ferguson against shareholders Magnier and McManus?

Rock of Gibraltar's stud fees led Ferguson to take legal action against Magnier, then one of the club's largest shareholders.

Which billionaire agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United in December 2023?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority stake still handed his company Ineos control of United's football operations.

The 'Roses Rivalry' pits United against which club?

Leeds, then in League One, knocked United out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford in 2010 with a Jermaine Beckford goal.

Which United player was nicknamed the 'Fifth Beatle'?

George Best earned the name after scoring twice early in a 5–1 European Cup away win in 1966.

Which goalkeeper captained United in the 1999 Champions League final, his last game for the club?

Peter Schmeichel wore the armband only because the regular captain was suspended.

Which Chelsea player slipped taking the penalty that would have won the 2008 Champions League final?

John Terry's kick hit the post, and Edwin van der Sar later saved Nicolas Anelka's penalty to win the shoot-out.

Which kit maker signed a record 10-year deal with Manchester United worth at least £750 million from 2015?

Adidas replaced Nike, which declined to renew because the terms United wanted did not represent good value for its shareholders.