| 1878 | Founded as Newton Heath LYR |
|---|---|
| 1902 | Renamed Manchester United on 24 April |
| 1908 | First league title |
| 1910 | Move to Old Trafford |
| 1945 | Matt Busby appointed |
| 1958 | Munich air disaster, 6 February |
| 1968 | First European Cup |
| 1986 | Alex Ferguson arrives |
| 1999 | The Treble |
| 2013 | Ferguson retires; 20th league title |
| 2024 | Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos takes a minority stake |
| 2026 | Michael Carrick confirmed as head coach |
Newton Heath to Manchester United
The club was formed in 1878 by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Its first recorded match was on 20 November 1880, a 6-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers reserves. A January 1902 winding-up order was lifted after four local businessmen invested, and the club was renamed Manchester United on 24 April 1902. The first league title came in 1907-08.
The Busby years
Matt Busby was appointed in October 1945 and won the 1952 league title, then back-to-back titles in 1956 and 1957 with a young side nicknamed the Busby Babes. On 6 February 1958 the aircraft carrying the team home from a European Cup tie in Belgrade crashed in Munich. 23 people died, including eight players. Busby rebuilt, and United won the European Cup in 1968.
The Ferguson years
Alex Ferguson arrived from Aberdeen on 6 November 1986. He won 38 trophies at United, including 13 league titles, and the 1998-99 Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. United beat Bayern Munich in the 1999 final with two goals in injury time. Ferguson retired in 2013 after a 20th league title.
Since 2013
United have had several managers since Ferguson. Erik ten Hag won the 2022-23 EFL Cup. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover in 2024 brought Ineos in as a minority owner. Michael Carrick took over as interim head coach in January 2026 and was confirmed on a deal to 2028 after a third-place finish in 2025-26.
Sources
Manchester United F.C. (Wikipedia); Michael Carrick (Wikipedia).
