Manchester City F.C. was founded in 1880 and has won numerous league titles, FA Cups, League Cups, and other prestigious trophies. The club experienced a period of decline before a resurgence in the 2000s, marked by significant financial investment. Manchester City has achieved unprecedented success under the management of Pep Guardiola, winning multiple Premier League titles and domestic trophies.
The club was founded in 1865, marking the beginning of its rich history in football.
The early years of the club's development and growth in the football community.
Manchester City F.C. played at Clowes Street from 1880 to 1881.
Manchester City Football Club was formed in November 1880.
Manchester City F.C. played at Kirkmanshulme Cricket Ground from 1881 to 1882.
Manchester City F.C. played at Queens Road from 1882 to 1884.
Manchester City F.C. played at Pink Bank Lane from 1884 to 1887.
Manchester City F.C. played at Hyde Park from 1887 to 1923.
On 4th October, Ardwick defeated Liverpool Stanley 12-0 at Hyde Road in the club’s first F.A. Cup match.
Manchester City's record FA Cup victory was a remarkable 12-0 win against Liverpool Stanley on 4th October 1890.
Key developments and milestones in the club's history during this year.
The club achieved notable milestones and accomplishments in football during this year.
On 17th March 1893, Manchester City faced a tough 2-10 defeat against Small Heath, marking a record league defeat.
Manchester City's record league defeat was a challenging 0-8 loss against Burton Wanderers on 26th December 1894.
Manchester City's record league victory was a remarkable 11-3 win against Lincoln City on 23rd March 1895, marking the most goals scored in a match.
The legendary Billy Meredith was signed by Manchester City F.C. and made his debut against Newcastle on 27th October.
The club's continued progress and development in football during this period.
Manchester City's record FA Cup defeat was a challenging 0-6 loss against Preston North End on 30th January 1897.
In January 1898, the team suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat against Preston in the First Round of the F.A. Cup.
On 18th February 1899, Manchester City achieved a record league victory with a 10-0 win against Darwen, marking the widest margin of victory.
In September 1900, future Prime Minister AJ Balfour attended a match at Hyde Road, showing an early interest in football.
The club's continued influence and contributions to football during this year.
The club's progress and development in football during this period, shaping its future.
The club's impact and influence on the football landscape during this year.
Manchester City won their first major trophy, the FA Cup, in 1904, marking a significant achievement in the club's history.
On April 23, 1904, Manchester City claimed their first major honour by winning the FA Cup, making them the first club in Manchester to achieve this significant feat.
Manchester City won their first FA Cup title on April 28th, 1904, by defeating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at Crystal Palace Park Stadium, with Billy Meredith scoring the only goal.
On December 1, 1905, Manchester City F.C. achieved a significant victory by winning the first Division One Manchester derby 3-0 at Hyde Rd. The new goalkeeper, Walter Smith, played a key role in this victory.
Manchester City's record league defeat was a challenging 1-9 loss against Everton on 3rd September 1906.
The cup-tie with Sunderland in February at Hyde Road was abandoned due to crowd control difficulties, resulting in many people being crushed. The official crowd was 41,709, but an estimate of 50,000 seems more believable, especially as many ticket holders were locked out. Manager Ernest Mangnall was held responsible for the organization of the day, with the Daily Dispatch claiming that he should always ensure mounted police are available to control the huge crowds that watch the City club.
In 1908-9, Newbould’s side faced inconsistency and was eventually relegated due to goal average. Bradford City managed to survive by defeating Manchester United 1-0.
In 1910, City won the Second Division title for the 3rd time since 1899 with a consistent season, achieving 23 victories, 8 draws, and only 7 defeats. George Dorsett emerged as the star man and top scorer with 13 goals. His brother Joe also joined City in August 1910.
Goalkeeper Jim Goodchild signed with City in December 1911 and remained with the team until August 1927, becoming a firm favorite with the fans.
United manager Ernest Mangnall, responsible for bringing the Reds their first successes and for the move to Old Trafford, announced he was leaving the Reds for the Blues. His final game in charge was the Old Trafford derby, which City won 1-0.
City encouraged their players to join the armed forces and fight in the Great War. In addition, players and officials agreed to give 5% of their wages to the Price of Wales’ Fund.
Billy Meredith returned to Manchester City F.C. and made his second debut on March 11, 1916, in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. A week later, he scored his first goal for City since 1905 in a 1-1 draw at Everton.
The first Football League match following World War I ended in a 3-3 draw with Sheffield United at Hyde Road, signifying the resumption of regular football competitions after the war.
In 1921, Manchester City finished as the runner-up to Burnley in Division One.
In 1922, incredible plans were announced to build a stadium capable of holding 120,000 at a site near Moss Side. The site adjacent to Maine Road was purchased for £5,500, and the construction was carried out in 2 phases, with the first phase opening in 1923.
Maine Road, the former home stadium of Manchester City F.C., opened in May 1923.
49-year-old Billy Meredith returned to City, making his 3rd Blue debut in the F.A. Cup 3rd round at Brighton. The Blues won 5-1 with Meredith claiming one of the goals – one fumbled in by the goalkeeper - as his own.
In a game against Cardiff in 1925, Maine Road attracted a record crowd of 76,166 fans who paid £4,909 to see the match. The game ended goal-less, but City won the replay, marking Meredith's first City semi-final appearance since 1904.
In November 1925, Ashworth resigned from his position at Manchester City, leading to Chairman Albert Alexander taking control of team affairs for the remainder of the season.
In April 1926, Manchester City was relegated from the top division of English football after a series of unfortunate results.
In 1927, Manchester City narrowly missed out on promotion by the smallest goal average margin of all time, with their average being 1.7705 compared to promoted Portsmouth's 1.7755.
Ernie Toseland made his debut in the 2-1 defeat of Bury on April 20, 1929. He went on to make 409 appearances for Manchester City F.C.
In 1930, star player Tommy Johnson was sold to Everton for £6,000, much to the annoyance of Manchester City F.C.'s large support. Johnson had broken all City’s goalscoring records during his career and remains the 2nd highest overall goalscorer with 166 goals from 354 appearances.
On Boxing Day in 1931, Billy Dale made his debut for Manchester City F.C. after joining from 2nd Division Manchester United.
On 23rd December 1933, Manchester City faced a tough 0-8 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, marking a record league defeat.
A record crowd of 72,841 watched the match between City and Wednesday at Hillsborough, where unfortunately a great deal of crushing occurred, leading to at least one death. This raised concerns over safety, although it would take another 60 years before a major rethink was prompted by another Hillsborough disaster.
Manchester City's highest home attendance of 84,569 was recorded during the FA Cup sixth round match against Stoke City on 3rd March 1934.
In 1934, Manchester City won the FA Cup by defeating Portsmouth and also broke the record for the highest home attendance in English football history with 84,569 fans at Maine Road for a sixth-round FA Cup tie against Stoke City.
Manchester City finished fourth in the league with Manager Wilf Wild leading the team. A crowd of 79,491 at Maine Road witnessed the crucial match against eventual champions Arsenal, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the 1936–37 season, Manchester City secured their first top division league title, signifying a major milestone for the club.
Manchester City achieved a significant 2-0 victory over perennial challengers Arsenal on April 10, 1937, with a crowd of 76,000 in attendance. This win was one of the best results of the 1936-7 season, with goals from Toseland and Doherty.
In 1938, Manchester City faced a setback as they were relegated the following season after winning the First Division trophy. This marked the first time a reigning champion team were demoted, highlighting the unpredictability of football.
In the last season before WWII in 1939, Manchester City ended in 5th place.
In October 1943, Maine Road hosted a thrilling 8-0 international victory by England over Scotland, which Joe Mercer claimed to be the greatest game he had played in. Frank Swift was the England goalkeeper.
On New Year’s Day 1944, Manchester City were defeated 7-1 by Bury at Maine Road, with Jimmy Heale scoring for the Blues.
On 30th January 1946, Manchester City faced a tough 2-8 defeat against Bradford Park Avenue, marking a record FA Cup defeat.
On 14th June, George Smith scored all of Manchester City's goals in a 5-1 victory over Newport, marking the latest finish to a season. This victory contributed to the Blues winning the Second Division title by 4 points.
A crowd of 71,960 watched Manchester City draw 1-1 with Manchester United at Maine Road on 7th April. The Reds were using Maine Road following war damage to Old Trafford.
The Blues achieved promotion in second place in 1950.
One of Les McDowall's first signings, Roy Paul, made his debut on 19th August 1951 in the 4-2 victory at Preston for Manchester City F.C.
McDowall’s City lacked consistency, finishing 15th in 1951-2 and starting the following season with only 1 victory in the first 16 games.
City ended the 1952-3 season in 20th place, narrowly missing relegation by a point.
In October 1953, City beat Hearts 6-3 in the first floodlit match at Maine Road. The estimated cost of using the lights per game was a mere £3.
The Revie Plan, which involved a deep lying centre forward, was introduced by manager McDowall. Initially disliked by Revie himself, it showed some promise with a slightly improved 17th place finish.
The Revie Plan led Manchester City to a 7th place finish and a Cup Final appearance, but they were defeated 3-1 by Newcastle. Don Revie was recognized as the Football Writers’ player of the year.
The year 1956 witnessed Manchester City's triumph in the FA Cup, a remarkable achievement that contributed to their esteemed status in English football.
In 1957, Newcastle defeated Manchester City 5-4 in a topsy-turvy 3rd round Cup replay at Maine Rd. The Blues initially led 3-0 within 30 minutes, but Newcastle fought back in the 2nd half and eventually leveled the score with only 5 minutes left. In extra time, City made it 4-3, but Len White scored twice for Newcastle.
Frank Swift, who followed Manchester City into Europe as a reporter for the News of the World, tragically died in the Munich Air Disaster in February 1958.
Manchester City's 3-1 victory over Leicester on April 29, 1959 preserved the club's Division One status and sent Joe Mercer’s Aston Villa into Division Two.
Denis Law marked his debut for Manchester City with a goal in a 4-3 defeat at Leeds on March 19, 1960.
Denis Law scored 6 in an abandoned F.A. Cup tie with Luton in 1961. He also scored in the replay, but City lost 2-1.
On the opening day of the 1962-3 season, Manchester City suffered an 8-1 defeat at the hands of Wolves, with the only goal for City being scored by a Wolves player.
In 1963, a heated and highly controversial Manchester derby ended in a 1-1 draw, contributing to the relegation of Manchester City. New Red Denis Law scored a debatable penalty, and a physical altercation involving Pat Crerand and City winger David Wagstaffe added to the intensity of the match.
After Joe Mercer was appointed as manager in 1965, Manchester City entered a successful period, winning a First Division title, both English Cups, and a Cup Winners' Cup during his six years in charge.
Under the management of Joe Mercer, Manchester City celebrated winning the Second Division championship in 1966 after a Colin Bell goal at Rotherham secured their promotion.
On 9th October 1968, Francis Lee signed for Manchester City F.C. from Bolton. Mercer considered him the final piece in City's jigsaw, indicating the high expectations from Lee's addition to the team.
At the end of the 1969–70 season, Manchester City achieved their first League Cup and European trophy, marking a historic double win for the team.
In 1970, Manchester City became the first English side to win both a domestic and European trophy in the same season, solidifying their position as one of football's greatest clubs. They achieved this feat by winning the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In 1971, a vicious boardroom battle threatened to split Manchester City, with key figures like Mercer and Allison ending up on opposite sides. This disruption led to the end of City's trophy winning days, despite reaching the semi-final of the ECWC and losing to Chelsea.
Manchester City emerged as the winners of the FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield in 1972.
Manchester City finished as runners-up in the FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield in 1973.
Wolves defeated City with a score of 2-1 in the League Cup Final on March 3, 1974.
Ron Saunders made a significant signing by bringing Dennis Tueart to Maine Road from Sunderland a week after the League Cup Final in March 1974.
During the 4th round League Cup tie with United in 1976, Colin Bell, considered one of City’s greatest players, suffered a devastating injury that would prevent him from returning to full fitness.
In 1978, Manchester City finished in 4th place in the league, narrowly missing out on the title to perennial champions Liverpool by a point.
On 9th September 1979, Steve Daley became the most expensive footballer in Britain when City paid £1,450,277 to Wolves, marking a significant transfer in the club's history.
In 1981, after selling key players, there was a fear that Manchester City would be relegated. This led to the sacking of manager Malcolm Allison and the appointment of John Bond by Peter Swales.
In 1983, David Pleat's Luton side relegated City to Division Two, as he jigged across Maine Road to his captain Brian Horton.
In 1984, Billy McNeill guided a bankrupt City to 4th place in Division Two, showcasing remarkable leadership and management skills.
In the last match of the season, City achieved promotion to Division One with a 5-1 victory over Charlton, with goals from David Phillips, Andy May, Paul Simpson, and Jim Melrose. This promotion was crucial as City was facing significant debts and high interest costs.
Captain Paul Power led City to Wembley for the first Full Members’ Cup final, which they lost 5-4 to Chelsea in a thrilling tie. The attendance was 68,000, surpassing the attendance of City’s first F.A. Cup final in 1904 by 7,000.
On 7th November, Manchester City achieved their largest League victory at Maine Road by beating Huddersfield 10-1. David White, Tony Adcock, and Paul Stewart each scored a hat-trick, with the opening goal by Neil McNab. Huddersfield's consolation was a penalty netted by former Blue Andy May, and their fans celebrated with a 'Conga' in the near empty Platt Lane Stand.
During the 1988-89 season, Manchester City fans brought inflatable objects, primarily oversized bananas, to matches. The craze spread to other clubs, with terraces packed with inflatable-waving supporters becoming a frequent sight. The peak of the craze was at City's match at Stoke City on 26 December 1988, which was declared by fanzines as a fancy dress party.
Mel Machin’s side achieved promotion in a tense 1-1 draw at Bradford, with Trevor Morley being the goal scoring hero.
On 23rd September, City defeated United with a score of 5-1 in the 111th Manchester League derby match.
Under the guidance of Peter Reid, City secured 5th place in Division One and in the final game of the 1990-91 season, they relegated Sunderland with a 3-2 victory, where Niall Quinn scored twice.
Under the management of Peter Reid, Manchester City achieved a fifth place finish in 1991 and 1992, demonstrating a period of relative success.
On 7th March, an embarrassing performance against Tottenham in the 6th round of the F.A. Cup led to a Maine Road pitch invasion. The game also marked the opening of the ‘UMBRO’, later appropriately named Platt Lane, Stand.
On 17th August, Manchester City drew 1-1 with QPR in the first match of the new Premier League, which was also the first Monday Night League match shown live on Sky TV.
Following the match with Coventry on 27th August 1993, Brian Horton was appointed as the 11th and last manager of Swales’ chairmanship.
On 30th April 1994, the terraced Kippax Stand witnessed its final match.
On 15th July, Georgiou Kinkladze arrived in a £2 million 3-year deal, impressing Francis Lee, Jimmy Frizzell, and Colin Bell.
After the final game of the 1995-6 season, Alan Ball’s City were relegated due to several depressing performances. Ball was dismissed during the game at Stoke after receiving abuse from both sets of fans.
Asa Hartford took control after a managerial merry-go-round following the dismissal of Alan Ball. He managed the team from 26/8 to 7/10.
Steve Coppell was formally appointed as the manager of Manchester City F.C. on 7/10 following Asa Hartford's tenure.
Phil Neal filled in as the manager of Manchester City F.C. from 8/11 to 29/12 as part of the managerial changes.
Paul Lake’s testimonial finally took place on Sunday 5th October with a match against United, drawing 2-2 before 21,262 fans.
Joe Royle was appointed as the manager of Manchester City, succeeding Clark. However, his appointment came too late to prevent the team from being relegated to Division Two for the first time in their history.
Manchester City gained promotion to Division One after a thrilling play-off final with Gillingham, which ended in a penalty shoot out. The crowd of 76,935 witnessed Nicky Weaver and Paul Dickov become cult figures.
After relegation from the Premier League, Manchester City won the First Division the next season by ten points ahead of West Bromwich, establishing themselves as a Premier League team.
Under manager Joe Royle, Manchester City were promoted to the top division after achieving a dramatic victory in the Second Division play-off final against Gillingham.
Under the management of Kevin Keegan, Manchester City won the 2001–02 Division One championship, breaking club records for the number of points gained and goals scored in a season.
In the 2003 close season, Manchester City moved to the new City of Manchester Stadium after the last season at Maine Road.
In August 2003, Manchester City played their first game at the City Of Manchester Stadium, marking a significant milestone in the club's history.
The 2003-4 season ended with City's average attendance standing at 46,830, which was the highest official average of all time at that point.
Kevin Keegan resigned from his position as the manager of Manchester City on 11th March 2005. He was replaced by former player Stuart Pearce.
Stuart Pearce was officially appointed as the manager of Manchester City on 12th May 2005, three days before the last match of the season.
In 2006, Manchester City finished fifteenth in the Premier League and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They unfortunately lost to West Ham despite a goal from Kiki Musampa.
Thaksin Shinawatra acquired 75% of the shares of Manchester City and de-listed the club from the stock market, re-registering it as a private company. This move was followed by UKSIL acquiring over 90% of the shares and exercising its rights to acquire the entire shareholding.
City Football Group acquired Manchester City F.C. in 2008 and has been the owner since then.
Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited completed the takeover of Manchester City, worth a reported £200 million. This marked a significant turning point for the club, leading to an influx of money and high-profile transfer activities.
On 15th December, City established a 'top flight' record of nine straight home League wins at the start of the season, showcasing their dominance in the league.
Manchester City announced a new sponsorship deal with the airline Etihad, strengthening their financial position and global presence.
Mark Hughes was sacked as the manager of Manchester City after a club record seven successive draws, leading to a drop in the team's position in the table.
In 2010, Manchester City had a busy summer in the transfer market, making significant signings including Mario Balotelli, Jérôme Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, James Milner, and Aleksandar Kolarov for a combined fee of £118m.
On May 14, 2011, Manchester City won the FA Cup, marking their first victory in the competition since the 1960s and a significant milestone in the club's history.
Manchester City won the Premier League title on the last day of the 2011–12 season, securing the title in injury time with two goals, making them the first team to win the Premier League on goal difference alone.
In a dramatic finale to the 2011-2012 season, Manchester City clinched the Premier League title for the first time in 44 years. Needing a win against QPR, City found themselves trailing 2-1 in the 90th minute. However, late goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero secured the victory and sparked wild celebrations at The Etihad.
Under the management of Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City regained the Premier League title on the last matchday of the season. They also won the League Cup in Pellegrini's first year in charge.
Manchester City clinched the Premier League title in 2014, demonstrating their competitive spirit and skill on the football field.
Following years of criticism, Manchester City announced a fan consultation to discontinue the current badge and institute a new design, which was later unveiled on 26 December 2015.
Pep Guardiola was confirmed as the new manager of Manchester City on February 1, 2016, after the announcement had been made several months before Manuel Pellegrini left his position. This marked the beginning of a new era for the club under Guardiola's leadership.
Manchester City reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the 2015–16 season, marking a significant achievement for the club.
On 19th October 2016, Manchester City faced a challenging 0-4 defeat against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League group stage, marking a record European defeat.
In the 2018–19 season, Manchester City made history by becoming the first team to win all major English trophies available in a single season, including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Community Shield.
Manchester City secured the Community Shield in the 2018-2019 season, with Sergio Agüero and Claudio Bravo playing key roles.
On 12th March 2019, Manchester City achieved a record European victory with a 7-0 win against Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg.
In the 2019-2020 season, Manchester City emerged victorious in the Community Shield, with Raheem Sterling and Claudio Bravo making notable contributions.
In the 2020–21 season, Manchester City achieved a breakthrough by reaching their first-ever Champions League final, marking a significant milestone in the club's history.
In July 2011, the City of Manchester Stadium (CoMS) was renamed to Etihad Stadium after the club signed a sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways.
Manchester City received a record transfer fee of £54.8 million from Bayern Munich for Leroy Sané in July 2020.
On 12 January 2021, CFG announced Bolivian club Club Bolívar as its first partner club.
On 18 February 2021, CFG announced that French Championnat National 2 club Vannes OC would be its second partner club.
Manchester City won the Community Shield in the 2021-2022 season, with Zack Steffen playing a significant role.
During the 2022-2023 season, Manchester City participated in the EFL Cup Quarter-Final. Riyad Mahrez and Stefan Ortega were key players in this match.
The FA Cup is a prestigious knockout football competition in England, open to eligible clubs from the top 10 levels of the English football league system.
The FA Women's Super League is the top-tier women's football league in England, showcasing the best women's club football talent in the country.
The EFL Cup, also known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knockout football competition in England, open to all 92 clubs in the Premier League and the English Football League.
Manchester City achieved a record European victory with a 7-0 win against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg on 14th March 2023.
In 2023, Manchester City secured their maiden European Cup title, representing a historic achievement for the club.
In 2023, Manchester City competed in the EFL Cup Round of 16. Stefan Ortega played a significant role in this event.
Manchester City was set to face Newcastle in the FA Cup quarters, while a potential match between Liverpool and Manchester United was also anticipated.
Manchester United aimed to disrupt Manchester City's title charge in their upcoming match.
Jack Grealish's injury raised concerns about its impact on his participation in Euro 2024, causing him to miss the Manchester derby.
Pep Guardiola expressed his honor at the praise from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and expressed his desire to build 'Barcelona 2.0'.
The 2023-2024 season saw Manchester City reaching the FA Cup Quarter-Final, with Erling Haaland and Stefan Ortega making notable contributions.