The first was Sir Matt Busby who arrived in 1945 and won 5 league championships and 2 FA Cups. Tragedy befell Utd in 1958 when their young team known as the 'Busby Babes' was decimated in an air crash in Munich while returning from a European Cup tie in Belgrade. However, 10 years later, a team including greats like Bobby Charlton and George Best became the first ever English team to lift the European Cup, beating Benfica 4-1 in the final.

Flamboyant managers such as Tommy Docherty and Ron Atkinson followed but none could bring the championship back to Old Trafford. Scot Alex Ferguson was appointed in 1986 and to begin with, it looked as though he would go the same way as his predecessors. However, the FA Cup win of 1990 heralded the start of good times which were continued with the European Cup Winners Cup success a year later. In 1992, Utd grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory as their late slip-up handed Leeds Utd the title but the advent of the Premier League finally saw them triumph 26 years after their previous title win. The following season saw Utd better this by winning the double (beating Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final).