Manchester United vs Blackburn Rovers Rivalry
Manchester United: 81 derby wins, 68 honours, and a rivalry born in 1881.
The Manchester derby refers to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United, first contested in 1881. City play at the Etihad Stadium in Bradford, east Manchester, while United play at Old Trafford in the borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester; the two grounds are separated by approximately 4 miles (6.4 km). The teams have played 198 matches in all competitions; United winning 81, City 62 and the remaining 55 have been drawn. Amongst the most successful clubs in England, they have won a combined 106 honours: 68 for Manchester United and 38 for Manchester City. They are also the first two English clubs and world's first cross-city rivals to have won a continental treble; United's success came in 1999, while City's occurred 24 years later.
- Peak Era
- Early Premier League (1992-1995)
- Title Conflict
- 1994-95 Premier League Season
- Key Players
- Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane
- Geographic Relation
- Lancashire Neighbors
- Status
- Historical Competition
Verified Timeline
In Their Own Story
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 and was described by the Ashton Reporter as "a pleasant game." At this time, the clubs were just two of many fledgling sides in the Manchester area, and the fixture had no special significance. Both clubs grew in stature as the 1880s progressed, leading to their first meeting of the 1890s being billed as "a meeting of two local clubs, [Ardwick (City)] just rising to the highest standard in the football world whilst [Newton Heath] are nearly in the front rank." 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, a short-lived rival to the Football League. During this period both clubs made unsuccessful attempts to gain election to the League (Newton Heath in 1889, 1890 and 1891; Ardwick in 1891). Admission to the Football League finally came in 1892. Newton Heath joined the First Division, and Ardwick the new Second Division.
Did You Know?
- The first floodlit Manchester derby 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 watching Newton Heath defeat Ardwick 3–2.
- 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 April 1974 was his last appearance in league football, as he announced his retirement soon after.
- Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who played for both United and City, can claim an unbeaten record in derby games – United were unbeaten during his 10 matches keeping goal for them against City.
- The first Manchester derby following the creation of the Premier League for the 1992–93 season was a 2–1 win for United at Old Trafford on 6 December 1992, with new signing Eric Cantona making his United debut that day.
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