In January 1902, with debts of £2,670 – equivalent to £280,000 in 2020 – the club was served with a winding-up order. Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen, including John Henry Davies (who became club president), each willing to invest £500 in return for a direct interest in running the club and who subsequently changed the name; on 24 April 1902, Manchester United was officially born.
Manager Matt Busby led squad of average age 22 famously nicknamed The Busby Babes. In 1952, the club won the First Division, its first league title for 41 years. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1 in the final with a team that contained three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.
In June 1971, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as manager, but lasted less than 18 months before being replaced by Tommy Docherty in December 1972. Docherty saved Manchester United from relegation that season, only to see them relegated in 1974. Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977, who was repolaced by Ron Atkinson in 1981. Under Atkinson, Manchester United won the FA Cup twice in three years – in 1983 and 1985.
In 1993, the club won its first league title since 1967, and a year later, for the first time since 1957, it won a second consecutive title – alongside the FA Cup – to complete the first "Double" in the club's history. United then became the first English club to do the Double twice when they won both competitions again in 1995–96, before retaining the league title once more in 1996–97 with a game to spare. In the 1998–99 season, Manchester United became the first team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League – "The Treble" – in the same season. By the time Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the club had 20 Premier League titles, more than any club in history.
United have won the English top flight league 20 times. Since 1992, Manchester United have won the most competitive league in the world, a whopping 13 times.
Manchester United have the most number of consecutive Premier League titles since the inception of the league. They have accomplished this feat - a hat-trick of PL titles - not once, but twice.
The 1998–99 season was the most successful season in the history of Manchester United. United won the treble of trophies (the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League), the first side (and still the only) in English football to achieve such a feat.
Since 1937, Manchester United have fielded at least one player from their Academy in the squad for any match. The streak is now over 4000 matches! The list of famous names—Duncan Edwards, Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Ryan Giggs, Garry Neville, David Beckham, and Paul Scholes, among many others—speaks for itself.
Back Row L-R: Physio Richard Merron, Coach Charlie Owen, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Marcos Rojo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Greenwood, Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Axel Tuanzebe, Coach Richard Hawkins, Coach Paul Brand.
Middle Row L-R: Dr Steve McNally, Coach Michael Carrick, Coach Kieran McKenna, Tahith Chong, James Garner, Victor Lindelof, Sergio Romero, David de Gea, Lee Grant, Phil Jones, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly, Goalkeeping Coach Richard Hartis, Coach Emilio Alvarez, Kit Manager Alec Wylie.
Front Row L-R: Alexis Sanchez, Angel Gomes, Daniel James, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ashley Young, Assistant manager Mike Phelan, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Brandon Williams
