Little Book of Manchester United (7 page)

United’s first foray into the European Cup Winners’ Cup came in 1963-64 when they overcame Willem II and Tottenham Hotspur before beating Sporting Lisbon 4-1 at Old Trafford and then losing 5-0 in Portugal to exit the competition. More than a decade would pass before United once again graced the competition, this time registering a victory over St Etienne. They came away from Porto with a 4-0 deficit that they failed to claw back in the return leg, winning 5-2 with goals from Steve Coppell (2) and Jimmy Nicholl and a brace of own goals.

Juventus halted their progress in 1983-84, with United having disposed of Dukla Prague, Spartak Varna and Barcelona in previous rounds. United finally claimed this trophy on 15 May 1991. Having knocked out Pecsi Munkas, Wrexham, Montpellier and Legia Warsaw on their way to the Final, they now came up against Barcelona in Rotterdam. Mark Hughes scored twice in the 2-1 victory against his former club.

* Gary Pallister raises the trophy aloft after victory in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final against Barcelona in Rotterdam in 1991.

United also went on to compete in the European Super Cup as a result and a Brian McClair goal at Old Trafford against Red Star Belgrade gave Alex Ferguson a second European trophy in six months. United’s attempt to defend their Cup Winners’ Cup title ended with a second-round 4-1 aggregate loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

European Footballer of the Year

That three Manchester United players won the European Footballer of the Year trophy in the space of five years in the 1960s showed that this was no ordinary era for the team and that Law, Charlton and Best were very special talents.

*European Footballer of the Year, George Best, 1968.

Law was the first of the trio to be honoured after scoring 46 goals in 40 League and Cup games during the 1963-64 season; Charlton was given both the domestic and continental accolade in 1965-66 in helping England to World Cup glory; while Best won the award in 1968 after helping to bring the European Cup to Old Trafford.

The latest Red recipient of the Ballon d’Or, as it is commonly called, is Cristiano Ronaldo who won the award in 2008 again, like Best, after helping United win the European Cup.

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FA Cup

Manchester United have won the FA Cup a record 11 times and appeared in 16 Finals (an appearance record they share with Arsenal). Indeed, they are the only club to have appeared in a Final in every decade since the war.

Their debut in the competition ended in a 6-1 first round drubbing at the hands of holders Preston in 1890. Their first taste of success came in 1909 when a Billy Meredith-inspired United emerged victorious with Sandy Turnbull scoring the only goal of the game. It would be almost 40 years before United again graced the Final, this time a 4-2 victory over Blackpool giving Matt Busby his first trophy in 1948.

*Cristiano Ronaldo and Glen Johnson of Portsmouth battle for the ball during the FA Cup quarter-final, 2008.

The late 1950s will be remembered with United finishing twice as runners-up. The first time, in 1957, saw the club hoping to complete the first Double of the century, but a clash with Villa’s Peter McParland left keeper Ray Wood with concussion and a fractured cheekbone. Jackie Blanchflower stood in as his deputy (these were the days before substitutes) but conceded twice as Villa ran out 2-1 winners. The following year, the remnants of the pre-Munich side reached the Final only to lose 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers as Nat Lofthouse bundled Harry Gregg into the net for a controversial goal.

There was only one appearance in the 1960s, a 3-1 win over Leicester City in 1963 before a shock defeat at the hands of Second Division Southampton in 1976. United made amends the following year when they disposed of Liverpool 2-1 with goals from Stuart Pearson and Jimmy Greenhoff. Arsenal won the 1979 Final with a dramatic late Alan Sunderland goal taking the spoils just a minute after Sammy McIlroy had brought United level.

* The team stand on the top deck of a bus surrounded by fans as they parade through Manchester after winning the FA Cup and Premiership Double in May 1996.

Two Finals in three years followed, with United overcoming relegated Brighton 4-0 in the 1983 replay after the two sides had played out a 2-2 thriller and dealing Everton’s Double hopes a fatal blow two years later. Crystal Palace were the opposition in 1990 when, again after a replay, Alex Ferguson claimed his first trophy as Manchester United manager.

A hat-trick of Final appearances began in 1994 with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea and a 1-0 win over Liverpool sandwiching a 1-0 defeat against Everton. The second leg of the Treble was secured in 1999 with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United before two more back-to-back appearances.

The 2004 victory over Millwall provided scant compensation for the surrender of the Premiership title to Arsenal. The following year saw the Old Trafford club finish the season empty-handed with Chelsea taking the title and Arsenal claiming the Cup Final on penalties after United had dominated the match. After a fifth round exit in 2006, United reasserted their Cup pedigree by reaching the first Final at the new Wembley in 2007.

Famous Fans

The list of celebrity fans of Manchester United is endless but they include, from the music world: Victoria Beckham (former Spice Girl and wife of David), Richard Ashcroft (the Verve), Ian Brown (the Stone Roses), Tim Burgess (the Charlatans), Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Kym Marsh and opera singer Russell Watson.

*Victoria Beckham, former Spice Girl and wife of David.

Former England cricket captain Michael Atherton and snooker player John Virgo (Big Break) are two of the many sports stars to follow the Red Devils, as do television personalities Eamonn Holmes (former GMTV presenter), Terry Christian (The Word), comedian Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge), Angus Deayton (the former Have I Got News For You host), Patrick Kielty (the Irish comedian who fronted Fame Academy and Celebrity Love Island), TV chef Gary Rhodes and former weather girl turned presenter Ulrika Jonsson.

*TV news presenter Eamonn Holmes is a famous fan.

They also attract a multitude of soapstars including Emmerdale’s Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle) and Lisa Riley (Mandy Dingle), Coronation Street’s Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster) and Sean Wilson (Martin Platt), EastEnders’ Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) and Dream Team’s Terry Kiely (Fletch) to name a few. Other actors who have proclaimed their loyalty to Old Trafford include James Nesbitt (Cold Feet and the voice of Tractor Tom) and Christopher Eccleston (the former Dr Who).