An attacker
and later midfielder of great flair, Lou (Luigi) Macari
turned down Liverpool for a move from Celtic to Manchester
United in January 1973. He scored two goals in his debut match for United. At Old Trafford he soon became a firm favourite
with the United fans as the creative force in Tommy
Docherty's exciting and unpredictable team.
Only five feet six, Macari was a brave, stylish and skilful player. Bristling full of energy, he thrilled the OId Trafford crowds.
His best moment came when he scored the winner against Liverpool
in the 1977 FA Cup final. Leaving
United in 1984 he turned to management with mixed success
at Swindon, Celtic and Huddersfield.
Macari owns a fish and chip shop right beside Old Trafford on Chester Road
and today he works mainly on TV for MUTV and Sky as well as radio commentary for Talksport.
Nationality
Scotland
Date of Birth
4/6/1959
Appearances
373
(27)
Goals Scored
97
Manchester,
City of
The City of Manchester began in AD70
when the Roman's founded the wooden fortress of Mancunium. As
the years progressed a settlement grew steadily around it, until
the industrial revolution when the city expanded rapidly. Today,
Greater Manchester has a population of around 1.5 million and
because of its cultural and economic importance is widely recognised
as the UK's second city after London.
Manchester United's stadium is named after the area it which
it is located, Old Trafford, in the borough of Trafford in the
west of the city. Manchester City's Maine Road used to be located
in the Moss Side, south of the city centre but now the club
have moved to the east.
Ironically, United originally came from
Newton Heath which is in east Manchester not far from City's
new home. The most famous United players born in the city must
be Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Wes Brown, Brian Kidd, Nobby Stiles
and Roger Byrne, while the Neville brothers are from the nearby
town of Bury.
However, Manchester isn't just home to the world's greatest, most famous football team. Other famous Mancunian phenomenon are: Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Inspiral Carpets, The Happy Mondays, The Smiths/Morrissey, Simply Red, Take That, Coronation Street, Daphne from Frasier, Steve Coogan, The Royle Family, Bernard Manning, Boddingtons Beer, guns, gangs, The Arndale and Trafford Shopping Centres,
the Manchester Ship Canal, the Lowry Gallery, the Urbis, Piccadilly, Deansgate, Cotton Mills, huge factories, railways, starting the Industrial Revolution, the 2002 Commonwealth Games and of course, heavy rainfall.
Once a highlight of British football,
the rivalry of Manchester's two teams in the 1990s became ludicrously one-sided
as United won everything in sight and City plummeted to the old Second Division. United
made a mockery of the phrase "Anything can happen in a derby game", with the consistent
stuffing of City on every occasion the teams met. City's return to the top flight has not altered the fact they are still MASSIVE underdogs when the two teams meet.
It's always a good occasion for Manchester on derby day but it's nothing like the occasion it once was in previous decades. It may surprise you to know that from the 1920's to late 1950's many people in Manchester would often support both clubs and attend games at both Old Trafford and Maine Road. Travel to away games was too expensive so fans made up for it by watching both!!!
City weren't always total rubbish though. In the 1930's City won the League and FA Cup whilst United were relegated. However the 1937 League triumph is notable for the fact that City became the only team in football history to be Champions
one season and get relegated the following season, in 1938!!!
In the 1970's the sky blues were sometimes title challengers while United plumbed the murky depths of under-achievement. In 1968 on the final day of the season City pipped United to the League title - but the television and media virtually ignored it as
United's European Cup final was the next week. The City fans bitterness at being overlooked by the press forms
a long history of being overshadowed, thus they are known by United fans as "The bitter blues". No matter what City did everybody was always
more interested in the more exciting, glamorous rivals in red.
Man City are Manchester's second team by a long way, in fact Bolton could claim to be United's biggest Mancunian rivals. In countries like Italy, France and Spain, United are usually
referred to as simply "Manchester", they are the only team foreigners recognise
who come from the city. If you asked them about Man City they wouldn't have a
monkeys. Contrary to their fans belief City are not a massive club, I mean, if they're massive what does that make United, Barcelona and co?
City fans always go on about how they are Manchester's true team and no United
fans come from Manchester, however the one million+ people that filled the city's
streets to see United's treble winners homecoming, shoots that argument down. Truth is, most people you ever meet who come from Manchester support UNITED not City.
City fans slag United off by calling us the "rags" - an ever so slightly outdated term from the 1930's when United had no money and were in financial trouble. Manchester United fans have their own slang term for City fan's - "Bertie Magoo, Bitter Blue".
Their old stadium, Maine Road was just like the team - a badly thought out mess. It was known by United fans as "Theatre of Comedy". City fans used to boast it had the tallest floodlights in Britain!!! This obsession with height meant the daft Kippax Stand built in 1996 was also the tallest stand in the UK (for a while) yet it somehow held only 11,000 seats - less than half the Old Trafford North Stand.
Fittingly City's last ever game at Maine Road was a 1-0 defeat to Southampton with Michael Svensson scoring the stadium's last goal. In 2003 Reds were quick to christen the City of Manchester Stadium with the title "The Council house" given that City are renting it off Manchester City Council in a long term hire purchase agreement.
It also features a stand named after their most cherished hero Colin Bell (Who? Exactly!!!!) and has since been declared as "The Bell-End". Many bluenose's still to this day genuinely, in all honesty, believe "King of the Kippax" Bell was a better player than......George Best!!!!!
But even in this brand new home the problems of old have followed the club like a bad smell as Kevin Keegan led the club into debt ridden underachievement and Stuart Pearce has done even worse. It's now a massive 31 years since City's last trophy, the 1976 League Cup - here's a toast to another glorious 31 years!!!!
It must be hard to cope being a City fan, most live in denial, cursing the mighty Red's exploits at every opportunity and never missing a chance to sing songs about the Munich Air Disaster (even though the crash also claimed the life of ex-City hero Frank Swift). United fans don't hate City as much as they used to, we're bigger than that and have bigger fish to fry. Manchester City are a joke, and lets face it, who doesn't enjoy a good laugh?
Mangnall,
Ernest: 1903-1912
Ernest Mangnall was Manchester United's first ever manager during a very successful period in the club's history often overlooked
by many. Bolton born Mangnall was manager of Burnley before being appointed United boss in 1903 by John Henry Davies. In only two seasons he had taken them into the First Division, ending a 13
year battle for promotion.
In only their second season of top flight football, Mangnall's
United won the Championship in 1908. He was a shrewd operator in the transfer market and brought in quality players like goalkeeper Harry Moger, Alex Bell, Dick Duckworth and defender Charlie Roberts.
1902 United team: Mangnall (far left) JH Davies (centre): click to enlarge
In a move resembling Alex Ferguson signing Cantona in 1992, Mangnall brought controversial Welsh wing genius Billy
Meredith across from Man City. He also took on Man City exiles from the 1905 "bung scandal", Herbert Burgess, Sandy Turnbull, and Jimmy Bannister. The next year after the title triumph in 1909, the Reds beat Bristol City
1-0 to win the club's first ever FA Cup. In season 1910-11 United won the First Division Championship
again. He also became the first ever football manager to win the Charity Shield in 1908 and again in
1911.
However it would be another 41 years before the Championship returned to Old
Trafford. Mangnall was enticed across Manchester in 1912, to Man City of all
places, where he spent 13 years. However he was unable to replicate the glory
he had at United.
The club went into a spiral of decline when Mangnall left as
lesser managers were unable to fill the void left in his absence. It is a measure
of Mangnall's talent and influence on the club that it was not until Matt Busby
took over that Manchester United began to re-emerge as a force in English football.
Martin, Lee: 1988-1994
Lee Martin came through the Manchester United youth system and was regular in the left back position during the late 1980's. He will always be remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 1990 FA Cup final replay against Crystal Palace. Given he only scored one other goal in his United career he was an unlikely hero to bring Alex Ferguson his first United silverware.
After bad luck with injury, Martin left Old Trafford in 1994 and played for Celtic, Bristol Rovers Huddersfield Town. He still plays semi-professional for NEWI Cefn Druids and does hospitality work at Old Trafford.
Nationality
England
Date of Birth
5/2/1968
Appearances
83 (25)
Goals Scored
2
McClair,
Brian
United Legend - in depth profile and pictures
May, David: 1994-2003
Signed from
Blackburn in the summer of 1994 for £1.2 million, David
May was a composed and reliable central defender, whose
United career was wrecked by injury problems. In his
first season at Old Trafford he was played out of position
for much of the time but the following year May fought
hard to win a regular place in the centre of United's
defence. By the end of the 1995-96 the centre-half position
had become his.
It was in the 1996/97 season when May showed just why
Alex Ferguson had bought him and he became a popular
player amongst the fans. May won two League Championship
medals in 1996 and 1997 and an FA Cup winners' medal
in 1996.
His 1998-99 season was ruined by injury but although he missed out on a League title medal his appearance in late April and May meant he got FA Cup winner and European Champions cup winner medals - as well as the best position on the podium for the photographs in Barcelona! Since then, the injury-jinxed defender made few appearances and was eventually released on a free transfer in May 2003.
Nationality
England
Date of Birth
24/6/1970
Appearances
96 (19)
Goals Scored
8
McClaren,
Steve: 1998-2001
Steve McClaren was United's assistant
manager from 1998-2001. The role involves supervising the players
training sessions, such as practice matches and skill / fitness
training. After being in a similar post at Derby County he joined
the club in 1998 after the departure of Ferguson's long-time
assistant Brian Kidd. McClaren was
there for the Treble and quickly impressed by introducing numerous
innovative training schemes such as the use of computers and
multiple video camera's to analyse each players performance
in incredible depth.
Fergie was content to let McClaren do the organising of team
training and recreational activities and McClaren was in charge
for United games against Watford and Man City when Sir Alex
was absent. When he found out he was low down on the board of
directors list of successors to Ferguson, McClaren decided to
take up an offer at Middlesbrough to succeed Bryan
Robson as manager in June 2001.
He won Boro the League Cup in 2004 - their first ever major honour and reached the UEFA Cup final in 2006. After the World Cup in Germany he was the suprise successor to Sven Goran Eriksson as England manager but was sacked only 16 months later after failing to qualify for Euro 2008.
McGrath,
Paul: 1982-1989
Born in London to an Irish mother and Nigerian father, Paul McGrath endured a traumatic upbringing in a number of orphanages in Dublin and mental illness in his teenage years. Yet he still went on to become one of the greatest defenders of his time. Ultimately however his career was blighted with an indiscipline linking back to his childhood problems and also through sheer bad luck with numerous injury problems meant he suffered eight knee operations.
A commanding and powerful defender, he joined the Reds from St Patricks Athletic in 1982. To the Old Trafford fans he was known as the "The Black Pearl of Inchicore". His greatest moment for United was in the 1985 FA Cup Final, when he almost
single-handedly kept Everton at bay for 10-man United in the 1-0 win. However, when Sir
Alex Ferguson took charge in 1986 he soon lost patience with McGrath's serious alcohol problem and
sold him to Aston Villa in 1989.
At Villa, again under Ron Atkinson, McGrath recovered his form and became a defensive
bedrock of the Republic of Ireland's international success in both 1990 and 94
World Cups. He also became the Republic's first black captain. He retired in 1998 after a spell at Sheffield United.
Nationality
Republic of
Ireland
Date of Birth
4/12/1959
Appearances
191 (7)
Goals Scored
16
McGuinness,
Wilf: 1953-1971
Although starting as a youth player with United and playing from
1953-59 Wilf McGuinness is mainly remembered for his coaching and brief manager
spell at United. After coaching with England and United's reserve teams, on 1st June 1969, aged only 31 he succeeded Sir Matt Busby as "team manager".
It seemed a good choice to hand over power to someone schooled in the Busby philosophy. However, Sir Matt still held a "general manager" position and had an office just down the corridor from McGuinness. Busby had not really retired, just changed his role and his presence cast a long shadow. The players still saw Busby as the "gaffer" and Wilf as the coach and he was said to be too close to the players to have the necessary authority and leadership.To make matters worse, legends such as Law, Crerand Charlton and Stiles were fading while George Best's behavior was increasingly out of control.
With increasingly poor team results, McGuinness was demoted to reserve team coach in December 1970.
Busby took the reigns again for the remainder of the season. Wilf was so mentally wrecked by stress of the episode, that all his hair fell out in a matter
of weeks, rendering him totally bald. He resigned in February 1971 to take up a
coaching appointment in Greece. Today McGuinness is an after dinner speaker and works for United's commercial department on a match day. His son Paul works today as one of United's youth team coaches.
McILroy,
Sammy: 1971-1982
Just like George Best, Sammy McILroy grew up on the streets of East Belfast in Northern Ireland. McILroy was an exciting forward for United from 1971-1982. He was the last youth player signed by Sir Matt Busby, so for many he was the "last Busby Babe". Sammy made his debut at 17 scoring against Man City at Maine Road and went on to win the
Second Division in 1974 and FA Cup in 1977.
He'll also be remembered for also scoring a wonderful equalising goal in the 1979 FA Cup Final defeat by Arsenal. A player with great skill, ball control and all round ability,
he could play equally effective up front or in midfield.
McILroy was a totally committed player who always gave
100%.
His career saw him playing for both Manchester United
and Manchester City as well as being an important player
in Northern Ireland's successful World Cup teams of
1982 and in 1986 - where he captained the side. As manager at Macclesfield he took them
up into Division 2 but then left to became manager of
Northern Ireland in January 2000 and now manages Conference side Morecambe.
Nationality
Northern Ireland
Date of Birth
2/8/1958
Appearances
390 (28)
Goals Scored
70
McQueen
Gordon: 1978-1985
Gordon McQueen was a quick central defender
who had excellent aerial ability, which made him an useful asset in attack. He had won a championship medal in 1974 at Leeds and in 1978 became the first in a long of line of players (Jordan, Cantona, Ferdinand, Smith) to cross the Pennines divide when Manchester United paid out £450,000 for
McQueen's services.
He played in two F.A. Cup Finals: in 1979, when he scored
United's first goal, and in 1983 when he collected a winners' medal in the win over Brighton. Injury problems
in 1985 forced him to leave the club and into retirement aged 33. He went on to become Middlesbrough's reserve
coach under Bryan Robson but now works as a Sky Sports pundit.
Nationality
Scotland
Date of Birth
26/6/1952
Appearances
228
Goals Scored
26
Merchandise
If there is one thing Manchester United truly excel above all others, its the selling of a myriad of products and assorted club memorabilia around the world. Real Madrid aside, no-one beats the marketing men from Manchester at this game. In fact, merchandising makes up 33% of the club's turnover almost as money than from the turnstiles and with modern football being the way it is, without it United could not afford signings like of Wayne Rooney or big contracts for Cristiano Ronaldo. The list of United related products is too many to mention - from clothes and mobile phones to the ludicrously expensive coins and limited edition paintings. Of course, the club does not force anybody to buy the stuff, its merely there if you want to.
Meredith,
Billy
United Legend - in depth profile and pictures
Mitten,
Charlie: 1936-1950
"Cheeky" Charlie Mitten was
an 1948 FA Cup winner with United and played on the left wing. Signed in 1936 he had to wait 10 years for his first professional appearance in 1946 due to World War II. He had pace, was a great crosser of the ball and could shoot with power and accuracy - penalty kicks were his speciality.
Mitten was an important player in Matt Busby's first great side of 1948 but he fell out with the manager over the maximum wage for footballers.
In 1950 he rebelled against FA rules to play in Colombia, South America for club team Bogota Santa Fe, who were offering big money. He was given the nickname "The Bogotá Bandit". When he returned to England he was suspended by the FA for six months and then sold to Fulham. Mitten achieved the unlikely record of being capped by three different countries - Scotland, England, and Colombia
Nationality
England
Date of Birth
7/1/1921
Appearances
161
Goals Scored
61
Moran,
Kevin: 1978-1988
A tough tackling defender
who was noted for his bravery, Moran had so many collisions
with his opponents the press called him 'Captain Blood'
because of his head injuries.
Moran was an acomplished Irish GAA player who won two All-Ireland Championship medals with County Dublin in 1976 and 1977. But he also played football with Dublin amateur side Pegasus which attracted the Old Trafford scouts and a move to United in 1978.
He would go on to win two FA Cup winners medals but in doing so made history when he became the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup
Final in 1985 against Everton. He was not allowed to go up to the Royal Box and recieve his medal though it was presented afterwards.
Moran was also a regular
with the Irish national team in World Cups 1990 and
1994 as well as Euro 88. He left Old Trafford in the summer of 1988 for Sporting Gijon in Spain and later returned to England as part of Blackburn Rovers promotion to the Premiership in 1992. Moran retired from professional football in 1994 and is now a pundit on Irish TV station RTE.
Nationality
Republic
of Ireland
Date
of Birth
28/4/1956
Appearances
283 (5)
Goals
Scored
24
Morgan,
Willie: 1968-1975
Scotsman, Willie Morgan was an exciting player who joined United
in 1968. He would race down the wing skilfully dribbling
the ball, as well as being able to deliver accurate crosses. He played in the
twilight years of the great United side of the 1960's and was twice named supporter's
player of the year for 1970 and 1971. He fell out of favour with Tommy Docherty
in 1975 and was sold to Burnley but continued his career successfully with
Scotland and Bolton.
Nationality
Scotland
Date of Birth
2/10/1944
Appearances
291(3)
Goals Scored
33
Moses,
Remi: 1981-1988
A tough tackling, fiery little midfielder with a superb afro haircut in his youth. In 1981 Manchester born Remi Moses came to Old Trafford from West Brom in the same deal that brought Bryan Robson. His career was dogged by injuries and suspensions - he missed the 1983 FA Cup Final win over Brighton. Ultimately, injury led to his premature exit from football in 1988 due to a persistent ankle problem.
He later coached the Manchester Warriors inline skating team and now works for the Unity in the Community scheme as coach of Old Trafford FC, a team drawn from youngsters from Moss Side.
Nationality
England
Date of Birth
14/11/1960
Appearances
188 (10)
Goals Scored
12
Muhren,
Arnold: 1982-1985
In an time when foreigners
were a rarity in English football, Dutchman Arnold Muhren
joined United from Ipswitch in 1982. A great left foot,
blessed with natural skills, vision and ability, Muhren
was from the Cryuff era of Dutch total football. In
his first season he won the FA Cup with the Reds in
a 4-0 win against Brighton, he scored the 4th goal from
the penalty spot.
By 1985 injury meant he had lost his place in the team
and he moved back to his native Holland and Ajax Amsterdam. At the age of 37 he surprised
eveyone with some brilliant performances for the Netherlands
in the 1988 European Championships, culminating in the
2-0 win over the USSR in the Munich final. Since retiring he has worked as a youth coach with FC Volendam and Ajax Amsterdam.
Nationality
Netherlands
Date of Birth
2/6/1951
Appearances
92 (5)
Goals Scored
18
Munich
The city of
Munich in Germany is synonymous with the site of the air crash on 6th Feburary
1958 which wiped out the great Manchester United Busby
Babes. United's exciting, brilliant young team had won back to back League titles and where returning from a European Cup quarter final 2nd Leg. The Babes had progressed against Red Star Belgrade having reached the semi-finals with a 3-3 draw. The trip required a stop-over for refuelling at Munich-Riem airport on a British European Airways flight.
In difficult wintry conditions the pilot, Captain James Thain aborted the take-off twice then made a third attempt. At 3.04 pm The plane skidded, over-shot the runway hitting a house with its wing before hitting another building and bursting into flames. An investigation said a build-up of slush on the runway caused the crash.
Roger Byrne 28, Mark Jones 24, Eddie Colman 21, Tommy Taylor 26, Billy Whelan 22, David Pegg 22 and Geoff Bent 25 all died instantly. Duncan Edwards would
die 15 days later aged 21. 8 journalists, 3 officials, the co pilot and three others were also killed making total of 23 fatalities.
A further 21 where injured such as Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower who never played again. Sir Matt Busby was critically ill and given the last rites twice but eventually fought back to make a full recovery.
Goalkeeper Harry Gregg was heroic in going back into the wreckage to look for and rescue survivors.
The whole of Manchester was in mourning and a deep sense of shock. Messages of sympathy poured in from millions of people in the UK, Europe and the world.
Two minutes silence at the games on the Saturday following the accident and Red Star Belgrade suggested United be made honorary champions in the 1958 European Cup.
The United team was devastated by losing so many key players yet a makeshift eleven of youth and reserves managed to win an emotional first game after Munich 3-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
The matchday programme showed a blank space where each United player's name would have been. With Jimmy Murphy in temporary charge the team incredibly reached the FA Cup final in May 1958 only to lose 2-0 to Bolton. However it would be five years before Busby's extensive rebuilding process brought the club a trophy with the FA Cup victory of 1963.
The wave of sympathy from Munich and the club's subsequent rebirth gave Manchester United many new fans and admirers as well as fame across the globe. The tragedy pulled the club together, providing an emotional bedrock for players, staff and supporters to stand firm through adversity. With the 1968 European Cup win at Wembley the club pulled off a truly miraculous recovery. From the depths of despair to kings of Europe in just ten years Manchester United became more than just a football club.
At Old Trafford the sadness of Munich is still there with the Munich clock and memorial plaque that commemorate the tragedy, as well as an exhibt in the club museum. There are two memorials in Germany to the disaster, one in the village of Kirchtrudering and another at Munich Airport.
On Monday 7th September 1998 Manchester United confirmed takeover talks with Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB. Fans were instantly opposed to the plan
and formed Shareholders United Against Murdoch The United PLC accepted the £623m BSkyB bid but pressure from SUAM and fans across the country forced the Labour Government to refer it to the Monopolies and Mergers commission.
On April 9 1999, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) blocked the bid on the grounds that it was against the public interest and would adversely affect competition between TV broadcasters. SUAM was credited with having played a major role in the decision and soon became Shareholders United and later the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) in 2006.
Murphy, Jimmy: 1945-1971
In many ways an unsung hero, Welshman Jimmy Murphy was Sir Matt Busby's assistant manager at Manchester United for 26 years. Murphy was the team disciplinarian and a tough no nonsense coach. Originally a player for West Bromwich Albion, he played in the 1935 FA Cup final and with the Welsh national team in the 1930s. Jimmy joined United when Busby took as over manager in 1945. He also managed Wales in 1958 alongside his United role. But as fate would have it, this meant he did not travel to Belgrade and the Munich crash that followed given his involvement with a Wales World Cup Qualifier with Israel on the same date.
He temporarily took over the reins as Busby recuperated following the Munich disaster and miraculously steered a makeshift team of reserves and emergency signings to the 1958 FA Cup final where they sadly lost 2-1 to Bolton. He also took Wales to their only ever World Cup finals were they reached the quarter-finals. Despite many job offers he remained loyal to Sir Matt and turned them all down. When Busby retired in 1971 so did Murphy. He died in 1989 aged 79.
Manchester United were the first British football club to have their own television channel on UK Satellite and Cable (Chelsea TV appeared in 2001). It cannot show live games (but might in the future) however it does a delayed screening of each game in full. They also have all the latest news, pre/post match analysis for every United game, players both past/present interviewed in the studio and full replays of classic games.
Once a highlight of British football,
the rivalry of Manchester's two teams in the 1990s became ludicrously one-sided
as United won everything in sight and City plummeted to the old Second Division. United
made a mockery of the phrase "Anything can happen in a derby game", with the consistent
stuffing of City on every occasion the teams met. City's return to the top flight has not altered the fact they are still MASSIVE underdogs when the two teams meet.
The city of
Munich in Germany is synonymous with the site of the air crash on 6th Feburary
1958 which wiped out the great Manchester United