The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 2: Football City

"Manchester is a city with a long history, dense population, prosperous economy, and developed transportation. It plays an extremely important economic role in England. Manchester is more famous as a competitive sports center for English and even world football. It has a long history of football development, a large number of teams, top-tier giants and numerous clubs, and many fans in every block of the city. It is a veritable football city."

--Inscription

When we open the map of England and talk about football, Manchester is bound to be not ignored.

The two super giants in the Premier League and world football, the Red Devils and the Blue Moon, are the most dazzling business cards of this city.

Under the city of "Manchester", there are strong teams such as Wigan Athletic, Bolton, Stoke City, as well as many clubs such as Alderford, Bury, Salford, Rochdale, FC Manchester United, etc. These teams together constitute an important part of football in the northwest of England.

Manchester has always been the center of English football. The Red Devils have brought this city a huge reputation in the world of football, and the rise of the Blue Moon has also attracted more attention. The great achievements they have made in recent years are even more enviable.

The competition and development of the two clubs, the Red Devils and the Blue Moon, make the city of Manchester full of charm.

Compared with London, the largest city in England, the citizens of Manchester are proud. They have the Red Devils and the Blue Moon, which have won the most championship trophies in the entire Premier League and created two extraordinary trebles in a row. It can be said that this is a better business card for English football.

Manchester is also more pure for football. If tourists traveling to the UK can visit the Theatre of Dreams and watch a Manchester United game, it will be a pleasant surprise during the trip. And the rise of Manchester City in recent years, the attraction and caring of fans from all over the world, has also made more and more fans join the Blue Moon camp.

How did this super football city develop into what it is today?

Manchester is located in the northwest of England, with the Pennine Mountains behind it, the Cheshire Plain in the south, the Irish Sea in the west, and South Yorkshire in the east. It has a unique geographical location. It has always been a settlement where the population of northwest England gathers. It is now the only administrative area outside of London in England that is set up as a "region" (similar to China's municipalities). Manchester historically belonged to Lancashire. In 1974, the UK carried out local administrative reforms and established the "Manchester Region" centered on Manchester City, including neighboring Salford, Stockport, Alderford, Bolton, Rochdale and other towns. The total area of ​​the "Manchester Region" is 1287 square kilometers, with a population of more than 600 million. It is an important economic zone and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK.

The history of Manchester can be traced back to the 1st century AD. General Agricola of the Roman Empire stationed troops here in 79 AD. This military fortress was the earliest prototype of the city of Manchester. Later, it gradually developed into the city of Mancunian, and was officially named Manchester in 1301, and has been developing ever since.

After the establishment of the fortress in Manchester, it was a fortress of military significance for a long time. In the 18th century, Manchester emerged as a central city for the first industrial revolution in England. The world-famous industrial revolution started here, and the modernization process of the Western world also started here.

In 1764, Manchester textile worker Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, which successfully replaced human labor with machines for large-scale production, greatly improving production efficiency. In 1765, Watt successfully improved the steam engine, and Richard Creighton of Manchester invented the steam spinning machine. The steam engine began to become the power of textile machinery, and human society officially entered the "steam age".

The first industrial revolution reached its climax with the steam engine. The emergence of new technologies, new inventions, and new energies led to a complete transformation of manual labor into steam-powered machine production, and Manchester's textile industry developed rapidly.

In 1830, Manchester had 99 cotton textile mills, and its output had increased several times compared to 10 years ago. It became the world's cotton textile capital, and its economic strength grew rapidly. With this as a starting point, Manchester's full industrialization was rapidly promoted, and large-scale industrial production was fully carried out.

Manchester took advantage of the Industrial Revolution and its social and economic development progressed rapidly. As a result, the city also expanded rapidly, transportation was constantly upgraded, and Manchester's development entered a fast track.

Manchester became a pioneer of the world's first large industrial cities, with a level of urban development leading the world. It was known as the "Cotton Capital of the World" and enjoyed the reputation of "the Holy Land of the Industrial Revolution".

Manchester built its first railway in 1830, and railway construction subsequently developed by leaps and bounds. Countless rails spread across the city of Manchester like blood vessels, connecting various areas, linking production and consumption, and meeting the various needs of citizens.

The development of the city prompted Manchester to quickly build a grand canal and an airport, becoming an important transportation hub in northwest England.

To this day, rail transportation still plays an important role in Manchester. The Red Devils' home stadium is built next to the railway. Many railways pass by Old Trafford, and the train station is directly at the entrance of the stadium. On every match day at Old Trafford, a special match train is arranged to send fans from all over England. On every train to the Theatre of Dreams, there are always the songs of the Red Devils fans. The Red Devils fans meet on the railway, celebrate on the train, and all the Red Devils fans become friends in an instant.

Manchester's history is not all joy and laughter, it also has heavy memories.

There have been many wars here. The long War of the Roses seriously affected the city. The death and disasters brought by the war are regrettable. On the eve of the First Industrial Revolution, the cruel scene of "sheep eating people" was staged here, which aroused criticism from thinkers. In 1819, Manchester broke out the famous "Peterloo Incident" in British history. Nearly 6 citizens gathered in front of the city hall to demonstrate. It was eventually suppressed by the government. A total of 11 people died and more than 400 were injured. This incident promoted the English Reform Act of 1832 and the Charter Movement.

Manchester was bombed by Nazi Germany during World War II, and the entire city was almost reduced to ruins. The Red Devils' home stadium, the Theatre of Dreams, was also severely damaged. Even in the post-war peacetime, Manchester has suffered terrorist attacks. The Irish Republican Army detonated a bomb in the city square in 1996, killing more than 200 civilians. Until 2017, Manchester suffered another terrorist attack, and the shadow has been hanging over the city.

Between the painful historical fragments, Manchester's development has been tortuous. After Prime Minister Thatcher came to power in England in the 80s, the government implemented a new development strategy to promote economic transformation and upgrading and re-progress. Manchester began to vigorously develop the financial industry, service industry and high-tech industry, strengthen international trade, and achieve rapid growth. After a large amount of capital investment, Manchester got rid of its dependence on industry, especially low-end manufacturing, and became a city dominated by the tertiary industry, with a prosperous economy.

Manchester's biggest development opportunity was hosting the 2002 Commonwealth Games, which greatly promoted the renewal and transformation of the city and the rise of the service and financial industries. After entering the 21st century, Manchester has transformed into a developed and fashionable city with a prosperous and vibrant economy. It is the center of economy, scientific research, culture and sports in the northwest of the United Kingdom and one of the best business cities in Europe. Manchester has vigorously developed industries such as finance, real estate, tourism, music, football, exhibitions, design, art, and education. Various modern service industries are full of vitality and unforgettable. Now, the city's modern service industry has created a huge amount of wealth, and the citizens here have become the trendsetters of the new century.

Manchester has a lot of connections with China. It has the largest Chinese community in the UK outside of London, Chinatown, where most of the Chinese who come here to develop live. They have established themselves here with hard work and wisdom, and have achieved success. Now the University of Manchester here has a large number of Chinese students. The university's scientific research strength is at the forefront of Europe and even the world, and is also deeply recognized by Chinese parents.

Due to the presence of the Red Devils and Manchester City, Manchester has become a destination for many fans to travel, and many Chinese fans visit England. Chinese tourists have become one of the main sources of tourists in Manchester. The Red Devils attract fans from all over the world with their influence far exceeding that of ordinary football giants.

Take a walk in the northwest of Manchester, walk west from the Deansgate business district for 15 minutes, and you will see a giant red building in the distance. The train will blow the whistle from a long distance away, telling you that Old Trafford Station is about to arrive.

Old Trafford is very majestic, standing majestically in the northwest of Manchester. The stadium is solemn and grand, majestic and magnificent. The stadium perfectly combines the industrial steel beam suspension with the square shape of the traditional stadium, which not only retains the traditional style of the region, but also has a unique charm.

The Theatre of Dreams has an incredible charm. The stadium was surrounded by low-rise factories and warehouses before, but now it has been converted into catering and tourism. Old Trafford has long been among the top modern stadiums. It is one of the few five-star stadiums in the UK and can host the highest level of football matches. This stadium has a special design. The huge steel rocker highlights the industrial temperament of the stadium, and the red color represents its passion. For every visiting guest, the contemplative Busby sculpture will bring you the memory of the distant history, the Three Saints statue will tell you the former glory of the Red Devils, and the Ferguson statue will make people feel the power of legend.

During the pilgrimage of every Manchester United fan, the huge size of the Theatre of Dreams will shock everyone. When you are there, you will be excited by the magnificent colors and noisy waves. Here, the statues outside the stadium and the stands inside the stadium complement each other, and the stadium lights are shining, which will have a strong impact on your soul. And every step you take in this great stadium will be tacitly sublimated into a tribute to this legendary club. On every match day, Old Trafford attracts thousands of fans like a huge magnet... This place has become a world of football, an ocean of Manchester United fans gathering together!

When time stopped in November 1986, when Ferguson came to Manchester and stepped into Old Trafford, he was excited.

Walking in this magnificent stadium, the grand scale and industrial and cool style shocked him and made his blood boil.

Ferguson was full of confidence. He knew that the team he took over was in crisis, but he did not feel any pressure. Many years later, Ferguson said, "I came to the Red Devils with excitement. I thought I would succeed here."

Ferguson said with determination: "Coaching the Red Devils and reviving this great club is my mission."