When you ask people to name the biggest footballing cities in the world, it won’t be long until somebody mentions Manchester, a city with a rich footballing tradition, and home to football clubs that have made significant impacts both domestically and internationally.
This post will delve into the Manchester football scene, showing what a monumental impact the clubs from this region have had in the world of sports, and how football clubs in Manchester came to be known all over the world, with shirts sold on every continent.
Manchester United
Few clubs in world football can boast the sort of heritage Manchester United can.
The team that is commonly referred to as the Red Devils, is globally recognised for its iconic red home kit. The traditional home kit features a red shirt, white shorts, and black socks. This classic colour scheme has become synonymous with the club's identity and global brand. The away and third kits have varied over the years, often incorporating white, black, and blue themes.
An iconic team needs an iconic stadium, and Manchester United play their home matches at Old Trafford, known as the "Theatre of Dreams." Located in the Old Trafford district of Greater Manchester, this historic stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 74,00, making it one of the largest stadiums in the United Kingdom. Old Trafford has been United's home since 1910 and has witnessed numerous memorable moments, hosting domestic and international fixtures.
Man U is the most valuable club in the whole of the UK, and 2nd most valuable in the world, according to Forbes
Manchester United is one of the most successful football clubs in the world, though recent years have not been as trophy-laden as some spells through the club's past. Many football fans associate the club with Sir Alex Ferguson, whose tenure was one of the most successful of any manager in history, winning pretty much everything it was possible to win!
Some of Manchester United's greatest achievements include:
English Top Division 🇬🇧
Won 20 times with 13 Premier League titles since 1992
FA Cup ⚽️
Won 13 times
The only club to appear in an FA cup final in every decade since WW2
Champion's League 🏆
Won 3 times in 1968,1999 and 2008
Manchester United also added the UEFA Europa League to their trophy cabinet in 2017. Manchester United’s very recent history has involved something of a lull in terms of challenging for the Premier League, but the club did add the FA Cup to its trophy cabinet once more in 2024.
Manchester United Women
One of the biggest women’s clubs out there today is one that has grown over a relatively short space of time. Manchester United Women has two million followers on Instagram, showing just how well-known they are in terms of their current iteration.
We say current iteration because there was a women’s team affiliated with Manchester United in 2001-2005, but it was quickly disbanded and ignored somewhat until 2018. This is when the current Manchester United Women was formed. It is not as old as some of the Scottish football teams in this respect.
They play in the same colours as the male team, but they play at the Leigh Sports Village rather than playing their games at Old Trafford like Manchester United’s men’s team.
In a bit of symmetry with the men’s team, On 12 May 2024, United defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4–0 in the 2024 Women's FA Cup final, and both teams won this year’s edition of the cup.
In only six years of history, it is not too much of a surprise that there is only one major trophy in the cabinet for the women, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more to come. The club has become a lot more competitive in recent years and is finishing in higher positions in the league. Some England products have come out of the academy, too.
Manchester United have had a few attempts to launch women’s teams and were not as fast as some of the London football teams in doing so, but they do have a team now.
Manchester City
Manchester City became the first club in Premier League history to win four titles in a row in 2024.
The club was founded in 1880 and was called St. Mark's before changing their name when they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887. Finally, they took on the name Manchester City in 1894. This is also when they started wearing those iconic Sky Blue kits that they still wear to this day.
They play at the Etihad, formerly called the City of Manchester Stadium, but they played at Maine Road between 1923 and 2003. Toward the end of this time, Manchester City struggled to perform or win many titles and were stuck in the lower leagues of English football.
Manchester City’s global appeal and following has grown since their takeovers in the 2000s. First, a former Thai Prime Minister bought the club, but eventually, the City Football Group took over, a company that effectively represents the Abu Dhabi United Group. Since then, Manchester City have had some serious funds to use in the transfer market.
Start by entering "football training near me" into your preferred search engine to find local options.
Manchester City broke records when they paid £100 million for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish, making him the most expensive English footballer ever.
The Pep Guardiola years have transformed the way Manchester City play football and brought them the most successful spell of their history. He became manager in 2016/17 and is known for his attractive and dominant football. Playing this way, Manchester City have won many trophies and become one of the greatest teams the Premier League has ever seen.
Manchester City’s modern stadium is easy to reach from a lot of locations and fans come from the likes of London and Birmingham football hubs.
Manchester City Women
Manchester City’s women's team has been in existence longer than rivals Manchester United, but they are far from being the oldest team in the country. In London, Birmingham, and other parts of the country there are older women’s teams.
The club was founded in 1988, and they play at the Joie Stadium, which is much smaller than the men's ground but it is still an impressive facility.
Of course, they wear the iconic light blue that their male counterparts also sport on matchdays. Manchester City women are one of the “big four” in the game and though they aren’t in the kind of spell of dominance the men’s team are, they’re one of the more impressive professional outfits in the WSL, a league now watched by a huge number of spectators around the world.
Teams Near Manchester
There are a number of teams that are based near Manchester but not strictly in Manchester. Areas such as Bolton and Bury are often thought of as part of the Manchester football scene. Salford, the nearest city, is owned by members of the Manchester United “class of 1992” and they have overseen a rise through the leagues in recent years.
Sadly, Bury is one location nearby that saw its team go into liquidation and this has led to the club having to start again as a “phoenix club” in the lower tiers of English football.
The success of the teams in Manchester is often compared to that of the Scottish teams, as is the rivalry between City and United, which is similar to the Celtic and Rangers football rivalry in Glasgow.
Learn More About Football With Superprof
Manchester is a football city, often compared to passionate football cities like Edinburgh, north of the border.
Whether your goal is to become a professional or you just want to become a better amateur player, you can learn more about football in the Manchester area here on Superprof. We connect aspiring stars from Bristol's football clubs to Norwich with potential tutors and coaches.
Superprof has tutors to work with all sorts of age groups and ability levels, helping to improve your performance on the pitch and even boost your fitness levels.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
