Founding & Early Years (1894–1905)

Lore & Background

In the late 1890s, Scottish brothers Billy and Matthew Gillespie played on opposite sides in the fixture on three occasions. The first meeting between the clubs to take place at the highest level of English football occurred in December 1906, a 1–1 draw in a First Division match for which the gate receipts exceeded £1,000, a very large figure for the era. At this time City were suffering the after-effects of a financial scandal in which the club were found guilty of making off-balance sheet payments to players. As a result, seventeen players were suspended and banned from ever representing the club again, including the core of the team which had won the 1904 FA Cup. In 1906, four players (Jimmy Bannister, Herbert Burgess, Billy Meredith and Sandy Turnbull) joined United, where they helped United gain their first league title in 1908. In contrast to modern antipathy, the transfers were generally welcomed for helping a fellow Manchester club. Billy Meredith became the first player to be sent off in a derby, receiving his marching orders for City in 1906.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the Hyde Road pitch as the crowd gathered in 1894, unsure of what this reformed team could achieve. Years later, at Crystal Palace, the air was thick with anticipation. The whistle blew for the FA Cup Final against Burnley. There were no fancy kits or roaring stadiums yet, just mud, grit, and determination. When the City player struck the ball past the keeper, a roar erupted from the blue-clad supporters. It wasn't just a goal; it was validation that Manchester City had arrived.

Reader's Guide

Before the Second World War, many football supporters in Manchester watched City one week and United the next. After the war, a stronger rivalry developed and following both teams became uncommon.

Did You Know?

• The first floodlit match between Newton Heath and Ardwick (City's predecessor) was played on 26 February 1889 at the Belle Vue Athletic Ground, with Wells electric lights placed around the ground and a crowd of 10,000 wa
• The first competitive floodlit derby was the 1956 FA Charity Shield match, played at Maine Road because Old Trafford had yet to install lights.
• In the December 1970 derby, a tackle by United's George Best broke the leg of City's Glyn Pardoe; the severity of the injury almost resulted in the City defender losing his leg.
• Denis Law's back-heeled goal for City against United in 1974 was his last appearance in league football, and United supporters invaded the pitch, forcing an abandonment.