Football Club Profile: Manchester United F.C
When one thinks about the biggest football clubs in the world, the name Manchester united pops up more than any other. The Manchester United Football Club is arguably the biggest club in the world with the largest fan following all over the globe. As the name suggests, the club is based in Manchester, England.
Manchester United was established in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR F.C. This makes Manchester United one of the oldest football clubs in England, and indeed Europe. The name Newton Heath stayed until 1902 when it was changed to it's current form i.e. Manchester United Football Club. The change of name also resulted in a change of colours for the team. Under the name Newton Heath, the team colours were gold and green. With the change in name, the colours became red and white which, except for slight variations, have stayed the same.
The Red Devil's, as they are known to their supporters, play at Old Trafford, one of the finest stadiums in Europe which has been dubbed the 'Theatre of Dreams'. The stadium can seat around 80,000 supporters and is close to full capacity almost every match-day during the football calendar. This puts in persepctive the kind of follwing Manchester United have in the world.
Moving on to titles and there are few clubs more successful than Manchester United. Having one the domestic league title a joint-record 18 times, the FA Cup a record 11 times, the League Cup 4 times and the European Cup 3 times, the club has established itself among the biggest in the world. Officially, Manchester United is also the wealthiest club, which allows them to invest huge amounts of money in players, coaching staff, academies and other football related matters.
Currently, Manchester United is being managed by Sir Alex Ferguson who has been at the helm for more than 2 decades which makes him the longest serving manager in Europe. In his time at the club, he has managed to create and re-create a number of great teams and won 26 major honours, more than any other manager in the club's history.
The last season was not, perhaps, the best for Manchester United. Losing out in the premier league race to English Champions Chelsea. Eliminations in the FA Cup and Champions League meant that they had to settle for the Carling Cup as their only trophy from this season. Some teams might consider a 2nd place finish and a trophy as a successful season, but given the standards this club sets for itself, it is not nearly enough. Additions to the team include the highly rated forward Xavi Hernandez and a central defender in Chris Smalling from Fulham. While speculation has been rife about the futures of star players like Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, it appears that Sir Alex Ferguson will be keeping a hold of them for now, at least.
Next season will be a big one for Manchester United, as they look to win their 19th league title to overtake Liverpool's record of 18, which they share with their rivals right now. They kick of their season with the Community Shield match against their title rivals Chelsea on the 11th of August. This will be an opportunity for both sides to gain a mental advantage over the other. With star players like Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov playing upfront, and experienced men like Scholes and Giggs in the midfield, Manchester United are a very formidable side and will be looking to challenge Chelsea for the hotly contest Premier League crown.
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