Manchester United FC is probably one of the most successful professional football clubs on the planet. Also known as The Red Devils, the club is based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Here are some interesting facts about Manchester United you probably have never heard before.
Fact #1 – Manchester United was not the first choice for the football club’s name.
When founded in 1878, the club was named Newton Heath LYR Football
Club after the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. The name was changed to
Manchester United Football Club on 24 April 1902 due to change in
ownership.
Fact #2 – The Red Devils is the first English team to compete in The European Cup.
Despite the fact that the Football League objected the participation
of English football teams in the European Cup, Manchester United took
part in the 1957 European Cup as the first English football team to do
so. Before they were beaten by Real Madrid on the way to semi-finals,
the club beat Anderlecht FC from Belgium with a score of 10-0. This is
remains their biggest win to date.
Fact #3 – The 1958 Munich air disaster claimed 8 players’ lives.
The plane crash that happened on 6 January 1958 cost 8 of The Red
Devils players their lives. They are Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, Geoff
Bent, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, and Billy
Whelan. After winning a match against the Red Star Belgrade FC, the
plane carrying the team players, officials, and journalists crashed in
Munich, Germany. A total of 23 passengers were killed in that accident
and several others were injured.
Fact #4 – The club holds many title records.
This football club holds the record for most top-division titles (19
times), most Premier League titles (12 titles), most FA Cups (11 cups),
and the most FA Cup Final appearances (18). The Red Devils is also
known as the first English football team to win the European Cup in
1968.
Fact #5 – The Red Devils lacks of UEFA European Cup.
Despite the fact that the Manchester United managed to get into the
quarter-finals in 1984-1985, the team has never succeeded in winning any
UEFA European Cup.
Fact #6 – The team is now under the most successful manager of the English football history.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson started managing club in November 1986,
Manchester United has successfully won 27 major honors. This Scottish
football manager received the honorary title Officer of the Order of the
British Empire (OBE) from the Queen of England in 1983 and upgraded
into the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1995.