Manchester United FC is one of the biggest football clubs and brands in the world. Having just won the UEFA Europa League 2017, this guarantees them entry into next season's Champions League. It's a far cry from the club's humble beginnings 139 years ago, when the team was formed as part of a local railway companies' league.
Early history
In 1878, the fledgling Manchester United Football Club began - although initially it was called Newton Heath LYR, which stood for Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Employees of Newton Heath railway yard put the team together to play association football against other rail yards.
When the Football League was launched in 1888 with teams such as Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers, Newton Heath didn't think they were good enough and it wasn’t until 1892 that they joined. The club changed its name in 1902, after brewery owner John Davies invested money. Suggestions of Manchester Celtic and Manchester Central were dismissed in favour of Manchester United.
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