50 Fun Facts About Manchester United

Under what name was the club founded in 1878?

The 'LYR' stood for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, whose carriage and wagon workers formed the team.

In which year did the club officially become Manchester United?

Four local businessmen, including John Henry Davies, each put in £500 to save it from a winding-up order.

What colours did the club wear in its earliest railway-team days?

Fans revived the colours in 2010 as a protest against the Glazer ownership.

In which year did the club win its first league title?

Ernest Mangnall's side followed it with the first ever Charity Shield and a first FA Cup.

Which club did title-winning manager Ernest Mangnall leave to join in 1912?

He had been a driving force behind the move to Old Trafford two years earlier.

In what year did the club move into Old Trafford?

Land was bought for around £60,000 and architect Archibald Leitch was given £30,000 to build it.

Who saved the club from likely bankruptcy with a £2,000 investment in December 1931?

His family kept control until the Edwards era began in 1964.

What was the average age of the Busby Babes side that won back-to-back titles?

The nickname was coined by the media as a tribute to Busby's faith in youth.

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

It came on the way to a European Cup semi-final against Real Madrid.

The team was flying home from a tie against which club when disaster struck at Munich?

The crash on 6 February 1958 claimed 23 lives, including eight players.

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

They lost the final to Bolton Wanderers.

Who became the first Black player to represent United, debuting in May 1963?

Busby rested key players before the FA Cup final, handing him a debut against Nottingham Forest.

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

It made them the first English club to win the trophy.

Charlton, Law and Best are known collectively by what name?

All three had won the European Footballer of the Year award.

Which Argentine club beat United in the 1968 Intercontinental Cup?

A first-leg defeat in Buenos Aires made the 1–1 draw at Old Trafford insufficient.

Who replaced Matt Busby as manager in 1969?

The former player and reserve coach lasted until Busby was persuaded to step back in.

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

Best, Law and Charlton had all left by the time the club went down.

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?

He brought assistant Archie Knox with him and finished 11th that season.

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

A Cup Winners' Cup and a first League Cup followed within two years.

The 1993 Premier League title was the club's first league title since which year?

A year later they added the FA Cup for the first Double in club history.

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

Sheringham and Solskjær completed the Treble, and Ferguson was knighted that summer.

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

United remain the only British team to have won the competition.

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

Ryan Giggs made a record 759th appearance that night, passing Bobby Charlton.

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

The 1–0 win came in December 2008.

For what then-world-record fee was Cristiano Ronaldo sold to Real Madrid in 2009?

He had just helped United to a third successive Premier League title.

Who succeeded Alex Ferguson as manager in 2013?

The former Everton boss signed a six-year contract and was sacked after ten months.

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

The Dutchman had arrived on a three-year deal with Giggs as his assistant.

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

Charlton's record had stood since the 1970s.

How long after announcing it did United withdraw from the European Super League in 2021?

The backlash also cost executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward his job.

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

It matched their own 9–0 from 1995, also against the Saints.

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

It ended the club's longest drought since 1977–83.

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

They had finished eighth in the league, their lowest since 1989–90.

Ruben Amorim was hired in November 2024 from which club?

United finished 15th that season, their worst campaign since relegation in 1973–74.

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

The devil was added to the crest in 1970 and to the shirt in 1971.

Which element of the club crest survives from Manchester City Council's coat of arms?

The red devil itself was granted as a heraldic badge by the College of Arms in 1975.

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

Ferguson had the team change into the third kit at half-time at Southampton.

Which architect designed Old Trafford on a £30,000 budget?

Plans for 100,000 seats were trimmed to 77,000 by budget constraints.

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

Manchester City charged £5,000 a year plus a cut of the gate.

Old Trafford's 76,962 record crowd in 1939 saw an FA Cup semi-final between which sides?

The ground's original design had called for 100,000 seats.

Which company became the club's first shirt sponsor in 1982?

The initial five-year deal was worth £500,000 and lasted until 2000.

Whose 2005 leveraged takeover left the club with debts of around £540 million?

The club was taken off the stock exchange and fans later formed F.C. United of Manchester.

Who blocked BSkyB's £623 million takeover of the club in 1999?

The campaign against it became today's Manchester United Supporters' Trust.

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

The Irishmen later sold their 28.7% stake to Malcolm Glazer.

Which Ineos owner bought a 25 per cent stake in the club in December 2023?

His stake rose to 28.94% a year later, with the Glazers still majority owners.

The 'Roses Rivalry' pits United against which club?

It echoes the Wars of the Roses between Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Which United player was nicknamed the 'Fifth Beatle'?

He was the first footballer to build a serious off-the-field media profile.

Which district of Manchester housed the club's Bank Street ground from 1893 to 1910?

The club was evicted from North Road for charging an entry fee.

Which stand of Old Trafford is the 'Stretford End'?

It was the last stand to get a cantilevered roof, in time for 1993–94.

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

Nike had declined to renew, citing rising costs.