Manchester United Football Club was first formed in 1887, albeit under a different name – Newton Heath LYR – started by workers of the Lancashire Yorkshire Railway, and was one of the founding members of the English Football League which came to be in 1888. [1] It was not until 1902 that they officially changed their name to Manchester United, after a change in ownership. The team is undoubtedly – and statistically – one of the most popular football teams in Europe, having accumulated over 115 million fans on social media as of 2018, [2] and notably the highest-ranking British team.

With such large followings, coupled with the passion that the game brings out for not only the players and management but for the fans as well, it is not surprising that tensions can run high when it comes to a match between two rivalry teams. The English league has 72 teams total and 20 within the Premier League, the highest ranked level. [3] Manchester United FC's fan base, known as the Red Army, also happens to be one of the most well known firms in the league and have had their fair share of disputes with other firms.

One of the most common reasons for high running tensions between fans at football matches is the increasing amount of visiting attendees. [4] Coupled with the fact that ticket prices for events increase year after year, more people are inclined to watch the game from their homes or at a pub, where it becomes easier to pick fights given the lack of security. [5] The rivalries between different firms only continue to grow stronger as the season progresses, and each new season brings with it the tension from the last.

This destination is the fifth stop on the Football Hooliganism Tour

When hooliganism was first emerging, there was much greater leniency in terms of what the protocol was for viewing and attending games. It was common for fans from both teams to be intermingled in the stands and viewing areas were not always completely separated from the pitch itself, leaving the field vulnerable to anyone who got the idea to cause a problem by invading the pitch and stopping the match. In 1974, things began to change. Manchester United FC was knocked down to the Second Division tier causing an uproar from the fan all over the city. In addition, a 17-year-old Blackpool FC fan was stabbed to death following an outbreak at a Blackpool FC vs. Bolton Wanderers FC match. [6] These events eventually lead to clubs all across England creating a safer space for viewers and players alike by fencing in the pitch and segregating fans based on team affiliation.

While fighting and riots started to characterise football matches, in a way it reflected the political atmosphere that lead up to the creation of hooliganism. Much like the English National team, Manchester United and many other clubs took a pause during the periods of the first and second World Wars, and it deeply affected the teams. After a four year break from 1915 until 1919, Manchester returned to the pitch with only two of its original players from their last season. [7] Taking a look at the mottos for some of the prominent clubs, another connection to imperialist ideologies can be made. Though the teams essentially all fend for themselves to represent their own city rather than the country as a whole, their mentalities and motivations are still in line with a need for dominance, and their respective firms are ready to start a fight with anyone who challenges that position. Manchester United does not have an official motto but the slogan "Youth, Courage, Greatness" is often used to depict the clubs values. [8] The whole point of the motto is to inspire both the team and its fans, but there are definitely nationalist undertones in some, for example:

Manchester City: Superbia in Proelio (Pride in Battle)

Sporting CP: Esforço, Dedicação, Devoção, Glória (Effort, Dedication, Devotion, Glory)

Sunderland AFC: Consectatio Excellentiae (In Pursuit of Excellence)

Real Madrid: Hala Madrid y nada mas (Hail Madrid and Nothing More) [9]

[1] "Man Utd History by Decade."

[2] Murray, Tom. "The 20 Most Popular Rich-list Football Teams on Social Media."

[3] "Premier League Clubs – Fixtures, Results, Stats & Profiles."

[4] Frosdick, Steve, and Peter Marsh. Football Hooliganism

[5] Ibid.

[6] "Blackpool FC Terrace Murder Victim Remembered." BBC News.

[7] "Man Utd History by Decade."

[8] "REVEALED: The Motto Stitched into New Man Utd Shirts - Tribal Football."

[9] "16 of the Best and Worst Club Mottos, including Arsenal and Barcelona." TalkSPORT.

"16 of the Best and Worst Club Mottos, including Arsenal and Barcelona." TalkSPORT. February 08, 2017. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://talksport.com/football/192781/football-club-mottos-16-best-and-worst-including-arsenal-barcelona-and-liverpool/.

"Blackpool FC Terrace Murder Victim Remembered." BBC News. August 23, 2014. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-28888465.

Frosdick, Steve, and Peter Marsh. Football Hooliganism. Devon: Willan Publishing, 2005. Accessed February 23, 2019.

"Man Utd History by Decade." Man Utd History by Decade | Manchester United. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://www.manutd.com/en/history/history-by-decad....

Murray, Tom. "The 20 Most Popular Rich-list Football Teams on Social Media." The 20 Most Popular Rich-list Football Teams on Social Media. August 18, 2018. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-most-popular-rich-list-football-teams-on-social-media-2018-8?r=UK.

"Premier League Clubs – Fixtures, Results, Stats & Profiles." Premier League Clubs – Fixtures, Results, Stats & Profiles. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://www.premierleague.com/clubs.

"REVEALED: The Motto Stitched into New Man Utd Shirts - Tribal Football." Football & Soccer News, Transfers, Rumours, Video & More - Tribal Football. July 30, 2014. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/revealed-motto-stitched-new-man-utd-shirts-4033248#popup-sso.