Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, based at Old Trafford in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and is one of the most popular football clubs in the world. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the exception of the 1974–75 season. Average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in English football for all but six seasons since 1964–65.
Manchester United are the reigning English champions and Club World Cup holders, having won the 2008–09 Premier League and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. The club is one of the most successful in the history of English football and has won 22 major honours since Alex Ferguson became manager in November 1986. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1. They won a second European Cup as part of a Treble in 1999, before winning their third in 2008. The club holds the joint record for the most English league titles with 18 and also holds the record for the most FA Cup wins with 11.
Since the late 1990s, the club has been one of the richest in the world with the highest revenue of any football club and is currently ranked as the richest and most valuable club in any sport, with an estimated value of around £1.136 billion (€1.319 billion / $1.870 billion) as of April 2009. Manchester United was a founding member of the now defunct G-14 group of Europe's leading football clubs and its replacement, the European Club Association.
Alex Ferguson has been manager of the club since 6 November 1986, joining from Aberdeen after the departure of Ron Atkinson. The current club captain is Gary Neville, who succeeded Roy Keane in November 2005.
Players
First-team squad
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Club captains
| Dates[53] | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1878–1882 | Unknown | |
| 1882 |  E. Thomas | First known club captain |
| 1882–1883 | Unknown | |
| c.1883–1887 |  Sam Black | |
| c.1887–1890 |  Jack Powell | |
| 1890–1892 | Unknown | |
| 1892–1893 |  Joe Cassidy | |
| 1893–1894 | Unknown | |
| c.1894 | James McNaught | |
| 1894–1896 | Unknown | |
| c.1896–1903 | Harry Stafford | First captain of Manchester United |
| 1903–1904 | Unknown | |
| c.1904–1905 | Jack Peddie | |
| c.1905–1912 | Charlie Roberts | |
| 1912–1913 | George Stacey | |
| 1913 | Dick Duckworth | |
| 1914 | George Hunter | |
| 1914–1915 | Patrick O'Connell | |
| 1915–1919 | None | No football was played during the First World War |
| 1919–1922 | Unknown | |
| c.1922–1928 | Frank Barson | |
| c.1928–1931 | Jack Wilson | |
| 1931–1932 | George McLachlan | |
| 1932 | Louis Page | |
| 1932–1935 | Unknown | |
| c.1935–1939 | Jimmy Brown | |
| 1939–1945 | None | No football was played during the Second World War |
| 1945–1953 |  Johnny Carey | First post-war captain, and first from outside the United Kingdom |
| 1953–1954 | Stan Pearson | |
| 1954–1955 | Allenby Chilton | |
| 1955–1958 | Roger Byrne | Died in the 1958 Munich air disaster |
| 1958–1959 | Bill Foulkes | |
| 1959–1960 | Dennis Viollet | |
| 1960–1962 | Maurice Setters | |
| 1962–1964 | Noel Cantwell | |
| 1964–1967 | Denis Law | |
| 1967–1973 | Bobby Charlton | |
| 1973 | George Graham | |
| 1973–1975 | Willie Morgan | |
| 1975–1982 | Martin Buchan | |
| 1982 | Ray Wilkins | |
| 1982–1994 | Bryan Robson | Longest-serving captain in United's history |
| 1994–1996 | Steve Bruce | |
| 1996–1997 |  Eric Cantona | First United captain from outside the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland |
| 1997–2005 | Roy Keane | Most trophies won than any other United captain |
| 2005–present | Gary Neville | First club ca |
Most appearances
#  | Name | Career | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Giggs | 1991–present | 814 | 150 |
| 2 | Bobby Charlton | 1956–1973 | 758 | 249 |
| 3 | Bill Foulkes | 1952–1970 | 688 | 9 |
| 4 | Paul Scholes | 1994–present | 611 | 143 |
| 5 | Gary Neville | 1992–present | 574 | 7 |
| 6 | Alex Stepney | 1966–1978 | 539 | 2 |
| 7 | Tony Dunne | 1960–1973 | 535 | 2 |
| 8 | Denis Irwin | 1990–2002 | 529 | 33 |
| 9 | Joe Spence | 1919–1933 | 510 | 168 |
| 10 | Arthur Albiston | 1974–1988 | 485 | 7 |
Most goals
| # | Name | Career | Goals | Appearances | Goals/Game Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Charlton | 1956–1973 | 249 | 758 | 0.328 |
| 2 | Denis Law | 1962–1973 | 237 | 404 | 0.587 |
| 3 | Jack Rowley | 1937–1955 | 211 | 424 | 0.498 |
| 4= | Dennis Viollet | 1953–1962 | 179 | 293 | 0.611 |
| 4= |  George Best | 1963–1974 | 179 | 470 | 0.381 |
| 6 | Joe Spence | 1919–1933 | 168 | 510 | 0.329 |
| 7 | Mark Hughes | 1983–1986 1988–1995 | 163 | 467 | 0.349 |
| 8= |  Ruud van Nistelrooy | 2001–2006 | 150 | 219 | 0.685 |
| 8= | Ryan Giggs | 1991–present | 150 | 814 | 0.184 |
| 10 | Stan Pearson | 1937–1954 | 148 | 343 | 0.431 |
Award winners
- Ballon d'Or
The following players have won the Ballon d'Or whilst playing for Manchester United:
Cristiano Ronaldo – 2008
- European Golden Shoe
The following players have won the European Golden Shoe whilst playing for Manchester United:
- UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
The following players have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award whilst playing for Manchester United:
- FIFA World Player of the Year
The following players have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award whilst playing for Manchester United:
Club officials
- Owner: Malcolm Glazer
- Honorary president: Martin Edwards
Manchester United Limited
- Co-chairmen: Joel Glazer & Avram Glazer
- Chief executive: David Gill
- Chief operating officer: Michael Bolingbroke
- Commercial director: Richard Arnold
- Executive director: Ed Woodward
- Non-executive directors: Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer & Darcie Glazer
Manchester United football club
- Directors: David Gill, Michael Edelson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Maurice Watkins
- Club secretary: Ken Ramsden
- Assistant club secretary: Ken Merrett
- Global ambassador: Bryan Robson
Coaching and Medical Staff
- Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
- Assistant manager: Mike Phelan
- First team coach: René Meulensteen
- Goalkeeping coach: Eric Steele
- Fitness coach: Tony Strudwick
- Strength & conditioning coach: Mick Clegg
- Head of human performance: Dr. Richard Hawkins[56]
- Reserve team manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjær
- Reserve team coach: Warren Joyce
- Chief scout: Jim Lawlor
- Chief European scout: Martin Ferguson
- Director of youth academy: Brian McClair
- Director of youth football: Jimmy Ryan
- Club doctor: Dr. Steve McNally
- Assistant club doctor: Dr. Tony Gill
- First team physiotherapist: Rob Swire
Managerial history
| Dates | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1878–1892 | Unknown | |
| 1892–1900 | A. H. Albut | |
| 1900–1903 | James West | |
| 1903–1912 | Ernest Mangnall | |
| 1912–1914 | John Bentley | |
| 1914–1922 | Jack Robson | |
| 1922–1926 | John Chapman | First manager from outside of England |
| 1926–1927 | Lal Hilditch | |
| 1927–1931 | Herbert Bamlett | |
| 1931–1932 | Walter Crickmer | |
| 1932–1937 | Scott Duncan | |
| 1937–1945 | Walter Crickmer | |
| 1945–1969 | Matt Busby | First post-Second World War manager and longest serving manager in United's history |
| 1969–1970 | Wilf McGuinness | |
| 1970–1971 | Matt Busby | |
| 1971–1972 | Frank O'Farrell | First manager from outside the United Kingdom |
| 1972–1977 | Tommy Docherty | |
| 1977–1981 | Dave Sexton | |
| 1981–1986 | Ron Atkinson | |
| 1986–present | Alex Ferguson | Most successful manager in terms of trophies |
