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, a 3–0 City win. 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. 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, including a tackle by United's George Best that broke the leg of City's Glyn Pardoe. The return fixture of the 1973–74 season saw Denis Law back-heel the ball past goalkeeper Alex Stepney, leading to a pitch invasion by United supporters. The 1980s began with a 2–2 draw. In the 1990s, United dominated the fixture, going unbeaten in derbies for the full decade.

In Their Own Story

The rain falls softly on the Stadio Maradona, but in this surreal dream, the pitch unexpectedly shimmers with the emerald green of Old Trafford. A ghostly echo of a roar from Manchester drifts through the air, yet the players clad in Napoli's iconic azure blue look utterly bewildered as the scoreboard flashes 'United vs City.' They realize too late they have wandered into a stranger's story. The referee blows a whistle for a match that isn't theirs; English chants rise up, leaving the Azzurri faithful in silence, waiting with bated breath for their true rivals to finally step onto the field.

Did You Know?

• The first meeting between the two teams occurred on 12 November 1881, when St. Mark's (West Gorton) hosted Newton Heath LYR.
• 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.
• In the December 1970 derby, a tackle by United's George Best broke the leg of City's Glyn Pardoe.
• Denis Law's back-heel goal for City against United in 1974 was his last appearance in league football.