Manchester United’s club history cements them as one of the most iconic football teams on the planet. Founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club, the club has a rich and storied history. The club now plays in the Premier League and are the division’s most-successful team with 20 top-flight titles won.
Club name
The club’s original name was a nod to the humble origins as a team for railway workers in the Newton Heath area. But the club later changed their name to better reflect their status in 1902. While fans took inspiration from their red shirts for their nickname, the Red Devils.
Since 1910, Manchester United have called Old Trafford home. The ground has undergone a number of renovations and expansions over the years to become one of the largest football stadia in the UK. The club also played at North Road and Bank Street over their earlier years.
Manchester United badge
The club’s crest has also evolved over the years with the Red Devils using seven designs thus far in their history. Manchester United have kept with their current badge since 1998, while the Red Devil made its debut in the 1970s after its rise under the legendary Sir Matt Busby.
Kit history
Manchester United’s iconic red kit is one of the most recognisable sporting strips anywhere in the world. The club have experimented with the shade of the jersey over the years, along with white and blue away strips. In the early years, the club also used green and yellow tops.
League history
Manchester United have played in almost every division of English football throughout their history. The team first stepped foot into the First Division in 1906/07 after lifting the Second Division title. They often remained a regular before the Premier League was formed in 1992.
Since then, Manchester United have been a dominant force in the English game with a high of 13 Premier League titles. No team has won more league crowns all in than the Red Devils with 20, as well. While the club has also won the FA Cup 12 times and six EFL Cup trophies.
Manchester United trophies
Manchester United have won multiple trophies not least three European Cups, including an iconic treble-winning season in 1998/99. The Red Devils became the first, and only, side to lift a top-flight title, European Cup and FA Cup in one year under their legendary coach, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Players and managers
Manchester United’s history is filled with a raft of talented players and managers over the years. Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson are two of the most iconic coaches to ever grace a touchline, with team’s success under the former leading to the nickname of the Busby Babes.
The Busby Babes earned their name after helping Manchester United rise from the ashes of World War II. Busby oversaw the club’s first trophy in almost 40 years with the 1948 FA Cup before adding a league crown in 1952. It sparked a dominant era in the Red Devils’ history.
Ferguson later oversaw another dominant era in Manchester United’s history from 1986 to 2013. The Scot led the Red Devils to two European cups, 13 Premier League titles and five FA Cup crowns. They even won the top-flight three seasons in a row twice under his watch.
Iconic players like Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and Ryan Giggs have also left their mark on Manchester United’s history. No player has yet featured for the Red Devils more often than Giggs with 949 appearances. While Wayne Rooney is the club’s record goalscorer with 253.