Fly to the Home of Football

England is recognised worldwide as the home of football as we know it today and the North West is a real hotbed of passionate and loyal fans that flock from all over to see their heroes play each weekend. Manchester is home to two very famous football teams: both steeped in tradition and with illustrious and colourful histories.

Manchester United, also known as The Red Devils, play their home matches at Old Trafford — often dubbed ‘The Theatre of Dreams’. Their stadium currently has a capacity of over 76,000 and holds the largest number of spectators of any club stadium in the U.K. Only Wembley has a larger capacity. Old Trafford also has the honour of being the only UEFA 5 star rated facility in England which is testament to the large amount of investment that’s been put into it over the years.

With legendary players over the years including Bobby Charlton, George Best, Denis Law and more recently David Beckham, it’s clear to see why Manchester United have built up such a strong following all across the world. With triumphs like the famous treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999 and the more recent double of 2008, the club has gone from strength to strength and is ranked as the richest in the world, with an estimated 330 million supporters worldwide. The draw of Manchester United remains as strong as ever and many fans frequently jet in from other continents just to experience the unique Old Trafford atmosphere.

Across the divide lies Manchester City F.C., formed in 1880 and originally known as St. Marks (West Gorton) before later becoming Ardwick A.F.C. in 1887. Their name was changed to Manchester City F.C. in 1894. Maine Road was the home to the club from 1923 to 2003, after which they moved into their plush new ground. The City of Manchester Stadium in Eastlands has a 48,000 capacity and was originally purpose-built for the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Manchester City may not have enjoyed the on-field success of their rivals, but they can boast a whole host of their own stars from across the years including Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee, Colin Bell and Denis Law, who crossed the city divide to play for both clubs. The club’s fans were recently voted the most loyal in the Premiership by the British Football Fans Association and they can count celebrity fans Ricky Hatton and The Gallagher Brothers from Oasis as fervent supporters.

The club was subject to a takeover in 2007 by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and as a result the club’s popularity and profile has soared in that part of the planet. They have also established partnerships with others in China, Russia, Switzerland and Australia, which will undoubtedly boost their global appeal and see flights to Manchester made by football fans a much more common occurrence and proof that football remains as popular as ever in this part of England.

Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.