5 Reasons Why Manchester United Are Richest Football Club in the World

Since being founded as Newton Heath by members of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Manchester United have maintained a place in the folklore of football not only in England, but around the world.

1. History

Formed in 1878 the story of Manchester United is almost as entertaining as some of their classic games. Workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway formed Newton Heath in 1878 with little success.

A winding up order because of unpaid debts in 1902 led to the team being bought by four Manchester businessmen who changed the name to Manchester United and later moved the club to its home of Old Trafford in Salford. The resilient nature of the club is highlighted by the fact the Old Trafford stadium was largely destroyed by German bombing during World War II and rebuilt in time for football to resume shortly after the war.

2. Managers

The foundations for the success of United were laid by Scottish manager Sir Matt Busby who led the team from 1945 through to 1969. The Busby Babes, as they became known were set to dominate English and European football when a plane crash in Munich, Germany killed eight of the team and injured many others on February 6th 1958. With an average age of just 22 the loss of life led to an outpouring of grief around the world; in the same season with a makeshift team United made the FA Cup Final and almost completed a fairytale end to the tragic season.

The second period of continued success has been under the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson who had led the team since 1986 to 24 major honors by 2012; seen as one of the most attractive teams to watch Ferguson led United to become the most decorated team in English football.

3. Trophies

Manchester United are now the most decorated team in English football history with a record 19 league titles and still challenge for honours each season. With 11 FA Cups and four League Cup wins the team has dominated domestic football for much of its history. The first English club to enter and win the European Cup Manchester United have conquered Europe three times and won the first treble in English soccer history in the 1998-99 season.

4. Players

During the 1960's as the club rebuilt after the Munich Air Disaster the swashbuckling style of play that the Red Devils are now famous for was developed. Icons of the game from the 60s and 70s, including George Best, Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law formed the axis of one of the greatest teams to play the game. During the 1990s some of the games best known players began their careers at United, including David Beckham and Ryan Giggs; Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo plying their trade with the club in recent years.

5. Money

In January 2013 United became the first club to be valued at more the $3 billion by Forbes. The club has retained loyal sponsors such as AON over the years and has expanded its fanbase by partnering with sponsors from around the world. In 2013 the club also announced a survey had revealed the team to have 659 million fans around the globe.

The history and success of Manchester United combine to make the club the richest and one of the most successful the world has ever known. Maintaining periods of dominance on the pitch has led to United enjoying the riches that are associated with winning trophies.

References: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/29/manchester-united-premierleague