Manchester Derby

Lore & Background

The first meeting between the two teams occurred on 12 November 1881, when St. Mark's (West Gorton) – who would later become Manchester City – hosted Newton Heath LYR – who would later become Manchester United. The game finished 3–0 in favour of Newton Heath. Both clubs grew in stature as the 1880s progressed. The pair became the dominant teams in the Manchester area; the winner of the Manchester Cup was either Newton Heath or Ardwick every year between 1888 and 1893.

Both teams joined the Football Alliance. Admission to the Football League finally came in 1892. The first Football League meeting between the teams came in the 1894–95 season. In the late 1890s, Scottish brothers Billy and Matthew Gillespie played on opposite sides in the fixture on three occasions.

The first meeting at the highest level of English football occurred in December 1906. 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.

Reader's Guide

The first floodlit Manchester derby was played on 26 February 1889 at the Belle Vue Athletic Ground. The first competitive floodlit derby was the 1956 FA Charity Shield match. Manchester derbies in the 1970s saw two controversial incidents: in December 1970, a tackle by United's George Best broke the leg of City's Glyn Pardoe; the following season, an entertaining 3–3 draw saw Francis Lee accuse Best of diving. The first derby of the 1973–74 season saw Mike Doyle and Lou Macari each receive a red card. The return fixture at Old Trafford on the penultimate day of the 1973–74 season saw Denis Law back-heel the ball past goalkeeper Alex Stepney for the only goal. In the 1980s, City defeated United 5–1 on 23 September 1989, but this would be their last win over United for 13 years. In the 1990s, United dominated the fixture, going unbeaten in derbies for the full decade.