A brief history of the Manchester Derby

The first derby was played on the 12th of November 1881 when United were Newton Heath and City were West Gorton. Newton won the game 3-0. The first league game was played in the 1894/1895 Season and Newton Heath beat Manchester City 5-2.

Up until the Second World War fans frequently used to go watch a City game one week and the next week go watch United. After the war supporting both teams became uncommon.

The dirty 70’s Derby’s.
December 1970 - George Best broke Glyn Pardoe’s leg in harsh tackle and the defender almost lost his leg due to the injury.
November 1974 – George Best and Francis Lee spent most of the Game blaming each other for diving.
March 1974 - Mike Doyle (United) and Lou Macari (City) both got red cards and refused to get off the field. The Referee had to take the teams back to the change rooms and play resumed when both players accepted their dismissals.

"The day Denis Law back-heeled United into the Second Division".

April 27, 1974 – Denis Laws was playing for City (after 11 years at United) and scored a goal against United at OT in the 81st minute when the game was 0-0. Lee passed the ball to Law and while his back was facing the goal, he instinctively back healed the ball past Alex Stepney scoring for City. When his team mates were running towards him to congratulate him, Law walked straight off the pitch with his head down after realizing that that was the goal that would send Manchester United down to the Second Division. He was substituted and that was the last league game he played. He later said "I have seldom felt so depressed in my life as I did that weekend. After 19 years of giving everything I had to score goals, I had finally scored one which I almost wished I hadn't."


City Failed to Beat United once in the 90’s. This era sparked a long lasting feud between Roy Keane and Alf-Inge Haaland. In 1998, Keane was clean through to goal and Halland (then playing for leads) was chasing him and tackled him. As Keane was laying on the ground Haaland accused him of faking. The tackle actually that meant Keane would miss a few games as he suffered crutiate ligament injury. Three years later when Haaland was the Captain of City, Keane came in with a knee high tackle for which he was sent off. Haaland suffered with knee problems from then on and retired from football in 1992. He said that it was not due to the challenge but medics say it aggravated a previous knee problem. Keane was fined £150,000 and received a five match ban because in his autobiography he admitted the tackle was premeditated.

Today Old Trafford has a banner on Stretford End with a reference to the last time City have won a Major Trophy – 31 years. Each year this gets updated at the start of the season.

Last year we beat City home (3-1) and away (1-0) with Ronaldo scoring once in each and Rooney scoring at home with Saha. In total we have played city in 148 competitive matches, won 60 lost 29. In the FAPL we have played 20, won 12 and lost 3 (all away). A total of 57 goals in the FAPL averaging 2.85 goals per game.

We will be without any of our goal scorers from last year and we will be without Park, Solskjaer , Neville and Foster.

Like I said in a previous post this is more than just about local pride now, its about showing what we are all about.

Prediction: Man City 0-2 Manchester United.

This post will be updated if there is more news on injury’s and I find any other team news.

Update.
Seems Like this is the team :Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Simpson, Bardsley, Pique, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, O'Shea, Fletcher, Eagles, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Tevez, Nani.

Hargeave and Anderson are both Injured no expected return date for them.