6 March 1979 - The Dawn of Tim

On 6 March 1979, United States and Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

He started his career in 1997 with the North Jersey Imperials in the United States Independent Soccer Leagues, but moved to Major League Soccer in 1998 with the MetroStars. After making limited appearances in his first few seasons there, he claimed the starting job in 2001. Later that year, he became the  youngest player to receive the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award.

In 2003, Manchester United signed him for $4 million to take over from Fabien Barthez as the club's first-choice keeper. But despite a strong start, winning the Community Shield with a penalty save against Arsenal, he struggled in his next two seasons, leading to his departure to Everton on loan in 2006.

He shined at Everton, making his move permanent in a 2007 deal worth a reported £3 million. In January 2012, he even scored a goal, as a long clearance was pushed along by the wind into the opposing net, making him only the fourth keeper in Premier League history to do so. He remained their starting keeper until 2016, when he returned to the US to play for the Colorado Rapids. 

In addition to his club duties, Howard has been a regular starter for the United States since the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and has, to date, earned 121 caps.

21 February 1974 - Best Arrested

On 21 February 1974, George Best, recently retired from Manchester United, was arrested on charges of burglary and theft.

The superstar winger had last played for United the previous month after a falling out with manager Tommy Docherty and spent the intervening days in a series of flings, including a high-profile outing in London with the newly-crowned Miss World, Marjorie Wallace (pictured, with Best), a few days earlier.

But his relationship with Miss Wallace apparently soured quickly. When a collection of items disappeared from her apartment, including a fur coat, some jewelry, and about £20 worth of alcohol, she called the police, who arrested Best at his Manchester nightclub, Slack Alice, in the early hours of the morning on 21 February. They interviewed him for about five hours, then drove him down to London for formal charges.

He denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped in April when Miss Wallace failed to appear for the trial. In dismissing the charges, the judge noted that, under the circumstances, they left no stain on Best's character.

19 February 1910 - Back When It Was Just "Trafford"

On 19 February 1910, Liverpool spoiled the debut of Manchester United's new stadium, winning there 3-4.

Originally named United Football Ground, the stadium was designed by architect Archibald Leitch and cost approximately £60,000 to complete. It opened with a capacity of 80,000--substantially higher than the 50,000 of their previous Bank Street ground--but only 45,000 people turned out for that opening match.

United's opponents were Liverpool, who had already beaten them at Anfield earlier in the season. They completed their sweep of the Red Devils with a 3-4 win thanks to a brace each from Arthur Goddard and James Stewart (United's scorers were Tom Homer, Sandy Turnbull, and George Wall).

Renamed Old Trafford in 1936, it has remained United's home ever since, except for a brief spell after World War II when bombing damage rendered it temporarily unusable. Its highest attendance, however, did not involve United; that was set at 76,962 for a 1939 FA Cup match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town when Old Trafford was still a terraced stadium. The record after conversion to an all-seater is 76,098, set during a league game between United and Blackburn Rovers in 2007.

4 January 1866 - The Man Who Managed Manchester

On 4 January 1866, Ernest Mangnall, who managed Manchester United to their first two titles, was born in Bolton. He also later managed Manchester City.

After an amateur career as a goalkeeper for Bolton, Mangnall moved into management with Burnley, starting in 1900. The club had been relegated into the Second Division at the end of the previous season and Mangnall narrowly missed out on getting them back into the top flight, delivering a third-place finish in his first season, four points away from the last promotion spot. But two seasons later, they ended dead last in the division and had to be re-elected to the league.

In October 1903, Mangnall left Burnley for Manchester United. They were in the Second Division at the time, but he guided them to a second-place finish in 1906 and promotion to the First Division. He led them to their first league title in 1908, the FA Cup in 1909, then to a second league title in 1911.

He moved to Manchester City in September 1912, after losing to them in his last match in charge of United, and remained there until his retirement in 1924.

30 November 2010 - The Hammers Pound Manchester United

On 30 November 2010, league-leaders Manchester United were dumped out of the League Cup by last-place West Ham, 4-0.

The Red Devils were the cup holders, having won the competition in 2009 and 2010. In fact, they had not lost a League Cup match since September 2007. In 2010, they beat Scunthorpe and Wolverhampton to set up a fifth-round meeting with West Ham, whom they had already beaten in the league back in August en route to their climb to the top of the table.

West Ham, meanwhile, had advanced in the tournament over fellow Premier League teams Sunderland and Stoke City while sinking to the bottom of the league table--they had been in last place since the start of October.

But when they met at Upton Park on 30 November, West Ham were the dominant side, taking a 2-0 lead into the break after a pair of goals from Jonathan Spector (22', 37'). They continued to shine in the second half as Carlton Cole got a brace of his own (56', 66') to stretch the final margin to 4-0.

The win put the Hammers into the semifinals, where they fell to eventual winners Birmingham City. In the league, both Manchester United and West Ham finished in the same respective spots, with the former winning the league and the latter sitting on the bottom.

16 November 1974 - All Hail The Ginger Prince

On 16 November 1974, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes was born in Salford. He went on to make over 700 appearances for the club.

He joined United as a youth player in 1991, then joined the first team for the 1993-94 season, but did not appear in a competitive match until the following season. By September 1995, he had become a regular fixture in the starting XI, helping them to a league and FA Cup Double.

More honors followed, including a staggering nine additional league titles, two more FA Cups, and two Champions League trophies. Along the way, he built a reputation as one of the best midfielders of his generation, earning plaudits from opposing players and coaches such as Barcelona midfielder Xavi, who has called Scholes the best midfielder he's seen in the past 20 years.

Scholes earned his first cap for England in 1997 and made a total of 66 appearances before his international retirement in 2004.

He retired from United in May 2011 and took up a coaching role with the club, but was later convinced to change his mind at the urging of manager Alex Ferguson and returned to the pitch in January 2012. He retired for good in 2013 with a career total of 718 appearances across all competitions.

16 October 1968 - United Gets Taken To School

On 16 October 1968, Estudiantes won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Manchester United over a contentious two-legged final.

By winning the previous season's Copa Libertadores, Estudiantes earned the right to face Manchester United, the reigning European Cup champions. They met for the first leg in Buenos Aires on 25 September, with the hosts eking out a narrow 1-0 victory in a match that saw United midfielder Nobby Stiles get ejected and striker Bobby Charlton receive a blow to the head that required stitches.

Despite that result, United were favorites going into the second leg at Old Trafford three weeks later, where a crowd of 63,500 gathered for the event. But they quickly fell behind when Estudiantes forward Juan Ramón Verón scored in just the seventh minute. The situation grew worse for United when striker Denis Law received an injury and had to come off in the 43rd minute, replaced by Carlo Santori.

Tempers flared in the second half as both teams had a player ejected--George Best for United and José Medina for Estudiantes--in the 88th minute. Willie Morgan drew the home team level in the 89th minute, but they could not find another goal and Estudiantes won on points.

3 September 1892 - They Got Better

On 3 September 1892, Manchester United played their first league match, losing 4-3 to Blackburn Rovers. Although it was an inauspicious start to an inauspicious season, United have since become the league's most decorated team, winning the title a record twenty times.

For the first season, the club still went by their original name of Newton Heath. Founded in 1878, they attempted to join the Football League upon its creation in 1888, but were rejected for four years. Finally admitted for the 1982-93 season, they opened the campaign away at Blackburn where they lost 4-3.

They proceeded to go winless for their next five matches, losing another three and finished the season dead last in twentieth place. But they avoided relegation by beating Small Heath FC (later known as Birmingham City) in a playoff. Their next season, however, did see them drop into the Second Division for several years before finally returning in 1906 and winning their first league title in 1908.

Since then, they have increased their total to 20, with their most recent title coming in 2013.

19 August 1995 - To Be Fair, He Never Claimed To Be A Psychic

On 19 August 1995, pundit Alan Hansen criticized Manchester United's season-opening loss to Aston Villa, stating "you can't win anything with kids." United proved him wrong, however, going on to win a league and FA Cup double.

United had ended the previous season without a trophy, the first time that had happened since 1989. And, before the start of the 1995-96 season, they sold three key players--Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and Andrei Kanchelskis--without bringing in replacements, preferring instead to rely on rising young players like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville, all of whom were just 20 years old when the new season started.

Playing before a crowd of 34,655 at Villa Park, the hosts jumped to a comfortable 3-0 lead with goals from Ian Taylor (14'), Mark Draper (27'), and Dwight Yorke (36') before Beckham scored a consolation goal in the 82nd minute to end the day 3-1 to Villa.

Speaking later on Match of the Day, Hansen made his now-famous pronouncement, adding that "the trick to winning the championship is having strength and depth, and they just haven't got it." But United followed that loss with a ten-game unbeaten streak that included eight wins and pushed them up to second in the table. By March, they claimed the top spot and held it for the remainder of the season, then won the FA Cup final over Liverpool.

6 August 2003 - That's How You Make A First Impression

On 6 August 2003, Manchester United lost to Sporting in a friendly that introduced them to the Portuguese side's dynamic young winger, Cristiano Ronaldo.

United were in Lisbon to help Sporting inaugurate their new home, the Estádio José Alvalade. The Red Devils had just completed a four-game tour of the United States and seemed to be suffering from tired legs as the hosts romped to a 3-1 victory with goals from Luís Felipe (26') and João Pinto (62', 81'). Even United's consolation goal came courtesy of the Portuguese, as defender Hugo put the ball into his own net with two minutes remaining.

The day wasn't a total waste for United, though. Afterward, several players spoke to manager Alex Ferguson, raving about the performance of Sporting's 18-year old midfielder, Ronaldo, and urging their boss to sign him. Although Ronaldo had already attracted the interest of Arsenal and Liverpool, United swooped in and signed him that summer for a fee of £12.24M. 

Ronaldo remained at Old Trafford for six seasons, making a total of 292 appearances in which he scored 118 goals. Along the way, he helped the club to three consecutive Premier League titles from 2007 to 2009 and won the Champions League in 2008.

In the summer of 2009, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for the then world-record transfer fee of £80M, a profit of almost £68M for United.

28 March 2001 - The Magnificent Manchester Seven

On 28 March 2001, England beat Albania in a World Cup qualifier with almost half their team coming from one club--Manchester United.

It was only the fourth qualifier for the two teams, who were both off to a difficult start. England had four points with a win, loss, and draw, while Albania were one point back after two losses and a win. They met at the Qemal Stafa Stadium in the Albanian capital of Tirana where England fielded their Manchester-based squad.

Five members of the starting eleven--Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Andy Cole--were from Manchester United, the defending Premier League champions. Additionally, Red Devils Wes Brown and Teddy Sheringham entered as second-half substitutes, taking the club's total to seven. That matched the previous record for any one club, set by Arsenal in a November 1934 friendly against Italy (though all seven Gunners started that match).

The line-up worked against Albania, with both Scholes (86') and Cole (95') scoring in England's 1-3 win (their other goal came from Liverpool's Michael Owen in the 74th minute, while Altin Rraklli scored for Albania in the 93rd minute).

6 March 1979 - Tim Howard's Happy Birthday

On 6 March 1979, United States and Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

He started his career in 1997 with the North Jersey Imperials in the United States Independent Soccer Leagues, but moved to Major League Soccer in 1998 with the MetroStars. After making limited appearances in his first few seasons there, he claimed the starting job in 2001. Later that year, he became the  youngest player to receive the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award.

In 2003, Manchester United signed him for $4 million to take over from Fabien Barthez as the club's first-choice keeper. But despite a strong start, winning the Community Shield with a penalty save against Arsenal, he struggled in his next two seasons, leading to his departure to Everton on loan in 2006.

He shined at Everton, making his move permanent in a 2007 deal worth a reported £3 million. He went on to make 414 appearances for them, including a run of 212 consecutive Premier League appearances. He even got a goal, as a long clearance was pushed along by the wind into the opposing net, making him only the fourth keeper in Premier League history to score.

In 2016, he left Everton for the Colorado Rapids, his current club.

In addition to his club duties, Howard has been a regular starter for the United States since the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and has, to date, earned 111 caps.

12 February 1949 - Rowley Handles The Glovers

On 12 February 1949, Manchester United got their record FA Cup victory, beating Yeovil Town 8-0, with five of the goals coming from center forward Jack Rowley (pictured).

United were the defending cup holders, then in their fourth season under manager Matt Busby. Non-League side Yeovil Town had done an impressive job just to make it to the Fifth Round meeting against United, having advanced with wins over Romford (4-0), Weymouth (4-0), Division Two side Bury (3-1), and Division One side Sunderland (2-1, aet).

But that's where their good fortune ended, as they ran into a buzzsaw against United. Playing at Maine Road (because Old Trafford was still unusable after being bombed in World War II), the Red Devils destroyed the Glovers with Rowley's five goals, two from Ronnie Burke, and one from Charlie Mitten. The 8-0 margin is United's best in the FA Cup and Yeovil Town's worst across all competitions.

Manchester United went on to beat Hull in the next round, but fell to Wolves, the eventual winners, in the semifinals. Rowley left United in 1955 as the club's leading scorer with 211 goals in all competitions, though that total was later passed by Wayne Rooney (currently at 250), Bobby Charlton (249), and Dennis Law (237).

12 January 1980 - The Ayresome Park Collapse

On 12 January 1980, a portion of Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park collapsed, killing two people. It was the start of a terrible trend in football for the coming decade.

Boro season-ticket holders Irene and Norman Roxby were exiting the ground (pictured) by the South East corner after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United when a brick pillar crumbled, bringing two gates down with it. The Roxbys were crushed by the debris. Some witnesses to the event blamed it on a group of visiting Manchester United supporters, saying they rushed the gates after the match, triggering the collapse. In their defense, however, the United supporters claimed that the rush was sparked by efforts to get away from an over-excited police horse.

Subsequent reports revealed that Middlesborough's safety certificates for the stadium had not been kept up-to-date, though the club claimed that any violation was merely technical and that all safety requirements were either met or exceeded at the time of the incident.

The deaths of the Roxbys were soon dwarfed by larger football-related disasters, including massive losses of life at Moscow's Lenin Stadium in 1982, Bradford City's Valley Parade ground in 1985, Belgium's Heysel Stadium in 1985, and Hillsborough in 1989. The Taylor Report followed the latter in August 1989, recommending the elimination of standing areas in favor of all-seater grounds. That requirement ultimately doomed Ayresome Park, which made way in 1995 for Middlesbrough's new Riverside Stadium.

4 January 2005 - Mendes Denied

On 4 January 2005, Tottenham were denied three points when a Pedro Mendes goal against Manchester United wasn't given, despite the ball being a full meter over the line. The match ended as a scoreless draw.

The two teams met at Old Trafford with Spurs having won six of their previous seven to rise from 15th in the league to 7th. United were on a similar streak, holding down 3rd place after winning eight of the last nine matches. The hosts controlled most of the match, enjoying the better of possession and taking a handful of decent shots, but were repeatedly denied by Spurs keeper Paul Robinson.

Spurs had a few chances of their own, but the day's most memorable moment came in the 89th minute. Mendes, seeing United keeper Roy Carroll off his line, fired a shot from near the midfield line. Carroll raced back and appeared to catch the ball easily, but dropped it. It bounced into the goal, crossing well over the line, as Carroll scrambled to knock it away. Unfortuately for the visitors, neither referee Mark Clattenburg nor linesman Ray Lewis saw the ball clear the line, so neither awarded the goal and the match ended 0-0.

Ultimately, it had little impact on either club, as United finished in 3rd separated by several points on both sides and Spurs ended up in 9th, though the extra two points would have pushed them up to 8th.

25 October 2009 - There's Something To Be Said For Consistency

On 25 October 2009, Manchester United center back Nemanja Vidić received a 90th-minute red card against Liverpool--his third ejection in three consecutive games against the Reds.

In both of the teams' meetings the previous season, Vidić failed to make it to the final whistle and both ended as Liverpool victories. The first, at Anfield in September 2008, saw the defender receive a second yellow card in the 90th minute as the Reds edged to a 2-1 win. In the return fixture in March, he drew a straight red for a 76th-minute foul on Steven Gerrard, who had gotten through on a clear goalscoring opportunity. Liverpool won 1-4.

Things got no better for Vidić in the next meeting. Playing at Anfield, Fernando Torres put the hosts up 1-0 in the 65th minute after fending off pressure from Rio Ferdinand and driving the ball over Edwin Van der Sar into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later, Vidić earned his first yellow card of the day.

His second came in the 90th minute. With Dirk Kuyt about to blow past him to latch onto a deep ball, the Serbian defender delivered a flying challenge that stopped Kuyt cold. Referee Andre Marriner then produced a yellow and a red card in quick succession. (It was the first of two reds on the day, as Javier Mascherano joined Vidić with a stoppage-time exit.) And David N'Gog's strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the 2-0 win for Liverpool.

15 October 1971 - He'll Always Be Andy To Me

On 15 October 1971, striker Andy Cole was born in Nottingham, England. He went on the become the third-highest goalscorer in Premier League history.

Cole began his professional career in 1989 with Arsenal, but played for a total of twelve clubs before his retirement in 2008. He stayed the longest at Manchester United where he scored 93 goals in 195 league appearances between 1995 and 2001. While there, he won five league titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League.

A prolific scorer, his best season was with Newcastle United in 1993-94, when his 34 goals made him the league's Golden Boot winner. 

Cole left Old Trafford in December 2001 for Blackburn and won the League Cup the following season. After spells at a number of other clubs in England, he ended his career with Nottingham Forest in October 2008. Along the way, he tallied 187 Premier League goals, behind only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (194).

In 2000, several press outlets reported that Cole had asked to be called by his full first name, "Andrew," rather than the shortened "Andy," prompting a surprisingly vigorous discussion. He later claimed, however, that he had been misquoted and had instead just answered a reporter's question about what his full name was.


the best of andy cole by Chdoulaaa

6 October 1956 - Charlton Beats Charlton

On 6 October 1956, Bobby Charlton started his record-setting Manchester United career in style, scoring a brace on his debut against Charlton Athletic.

The striker had been with the club since 1953, rising up through the youth ranks before signing a professional contract in 1954. He was just five days shy of his 19th birthday when manager Matt Busby gave him his inaugural start for the first team.

Played before a crowd of 41,439 at Old Trafford, the league contest matched first-place United against Charlton Athletic, who were dead last in the table. So it was a bit shocking when the visitors took the lead midway through the first half. But the lead last only a minute, as forward Johnny Berry quickly equalized for United. Then young Bobby Charlton struck twice before the break (32', 37') to put the hosts up 3-1.

They were the first of his record 249 goals for the club in a career that spanned 17 seasons. His 758 appearances (only 2 of which were as a substitute) also set a club record, though that one was broken by current record holder Ryan Giggs in 2008.

The match ended as a 4-2 United victory, with United's final goal coming from forward Liam Whelan.

1 October 2000 - Henry's Super Strike

On 1 October 2000, Arsenal striker Thierry Henry raised his profile with a stellar goal against Manchester United.

Henry had already established himself as a top class scorer the previous season, his first in England, by providing 26 goals in 47 appearances. But although there were some excellent strikes, nothing compared to the one he launched against Manchester United in October 2000.

United, the defending Premier League champions, were sitting at the top of the table when they visited Highbury, while the Gunners were three points back in fourth place. After half an hour, the match was scoreless when Henry struck. Positioned about 20 yards out with his back to the goal, he received a pass from defender Gilles Grimandi. With United defender Denis Irwin closing in, Henry's first touch flicked the ball into the air. Then, in one motion, he pivoted toward the goal and shot the ball.

It followed a high arc, curling across the goal and falling into the top right corner. United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was caught completely off-guard and was unable even to make a play for the ball. It turned out to be the match winner, though United repeated as champions with Arsenal a distant second.

21 September 2003 - And The Gunners Kept Rolling Along

On 21 September 2003, Arsenal preserved their unbeaten streak by the narrowest of margins, drawing 0-0 after a missed Manchester United penalty.

When the Gunners arrived at Old Trafford, they were enjoying a modest seven-game unbeaten streak that stretched back to the last two matches of the previous season--a season that had ended with United beating Arsenal to the top of the final table after some heated confrontations between the two sides. In February 2003, Arsenal won a heated FA Cup contest over United in a match that saw a slew of yellow cards. Then, in April 2003, the teams played to a draw after Arsenal defender Sol Campbell received a straight red for an elbow to the face of United's Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Campbell missed the match on 21 September, but the emotions still ran high. The day's first yellow card went to United's Roy Keane in the 21st minute, with seven more to follow. Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira was ejected in the 80th minute after receiving a second yellow for a confrontation with United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

In the 91st minute, the referee awarded United a penalty for Martin Keown's challenge on striker Diego Forlan. Van Nistelrooy stepped up to take the kick, despite missing his previous two attempts. True to form, he slammed the ball against the bar, drawing an emotional taunt from Keown.

The match ended as a scoreless draw and Arsenal proceeded to go undefeated for the remainder of the season.