When Matt Busby picked up the managerial reins at Old Trafford in 1945, Manchester United had not won any silverware for some time - the last title being their promotion from the Second Division in the 1935/36 season. Under Busby the team had their highest placing for 16 years, as they finished second to Liverpool in 1946/47. United then won the FA Cup the following year.
Busby was still in charge 25 years later, in that time he built one of the greatest English club teams of all time - the 'Busby babes,' he rebuilt the side after the Munich air disaster, brought in key players like George Best and Denis Law and added the European Cup to his haul of trophies.
When Busby stepped down in 1969, he was a hard act to follow. Managers came and went, including Wilf McGuinness, Frank O'Farrell, Tommy Docherty, Dave Sexton, and Ron Atkinson. None were as successful as Busby, until the arrival of Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen in 1986.
In 1993 Manchester United's 26-year wait to win a league title was over and the victory heralded the start of years of glory for Sir Alex Ferguson's men. The Old Trafford manager had captured Eric Cantona from Leeds in 1992, a snip at £1.2million, and the Frenchman is widely thought to have been the catalyst for the years of success that followed.
The Red Devils have 19 league titles, ten of them in the Premier League, making them the division's most successful team ever. They can also boast three Champions League trophies, 11 FA Cups, two League Cups, one UEFA Cup Winner's Cup and one European Super Cup.
With the evergreen talents of Ryan Giggs and the dazzling skills of Cristiano Ronaldo on board, Manchester United's dominance looks set to continue...
Full NameManchester United Football Club
Team Formed1878
StadiumOld Trafford, Manchester
Stadium Capacity76212
Major HonoursFirst Division and Premier League:
1907-08, 1910-11, 1951-52, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1964-65, 1966-67, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08
FA Cup:
1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup:
1992, 2006
European Cup and Champions League:
1968, 1999, 2008
Cup Winners Cup:
1991
European Super Cup:
1991
World Club Championship:
1999
All Time GreatsDavid Beckham, George Best, Eric Cantona, Sir Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane, Dennis Law, Gary Neville, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jack Rowley, Paul Scholes, Teddy Sheringham, Peter Schmeichel, Jaap Stam