Much like their Mancunian rivals, Manchester City has seen many ups and downs during their colorful existence. With the first-division/Premier League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, and the Cup Winners’ Cup all at once, City stands tall as one of the most successful English football clubs of all time. However, their history contains more than enough lows to make this happen; For example, City is still the only English champion to be relegated next season.
Manchester City FC History
Manchester City FC club was founded in 1880, under the name St. Mark, on the initiative of Arthur Connell (Dean of St. Mark’s Church) and his daughter Anna Connell. After being called Gorton FC and Ardwick AFC for shorter periods, they changed their name to Manchester City in 1894. Unfortunately, this coincided with some financial problems, eventually leading to the club’s restructuring. However, the name change and a move to the spacious grounds of Hyde Road two years later led to Manchester City becoming the city’s most famous club, with an enthusiastic fan base that follows them wherever they go. This rise in prestige led to the club’s promotion to the First Division in 1899.
Soon after City won their first title in 1904 (the FA Cup), 17th of their players were suspended due to allegations of the financial misconduct; This led to the club’s star, Billy Meredith, moving across town to the United, where he later won the two league titles. In 1923, club moved to Maine Road due to a fire that destroyed the main arena on Hyde Road.
In 1934, City returned on the road to success by winning the FA Cup for the second time. The club broke a record for the highest attendance in a single game – which remains to this day – as 84,569 fans gathered at their home ground in Maine Road for their sixth-round match against Stoke City. City took the First Division title in style three years later, scoring more than 100 goals during the season.
Manchester City FC Decline
With the FA Cup only going to be held in the next three decades and attendance slowly dwindling, it is time for changes. After Joe Mercer was appointed as a manager in 1965, the club began a heated career. During his six years in office, City won the First Division title, the FA Cup, and the Cup Winners’ Cup. The post-Mercer era saw the club win the League Cup again in 1976 before undergoing another long period of mid-level.
The return to the top of football in England began in the 1998-1999 season. After a thrilling playoff against Gillingham, City managed to move from the Second Division to the First Division. As a result, the team could go directly through Division One to the Premier. After relegation from the Premier League, he will win the first division next season, ten points ahead of West Brom. Subsequently, Manchester City established itself as a team in the English Premier League.
For many years, Maine Road was City’s main stadium, but in 2003, Manchester City Stadium was built with a much larger capacity.
Manchester City FC: New triumphant era
The takeover of Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008 ushered in a new and prosperous era. Now one of the wealthiest clubs in worldwide, City immediately began to get caught up in the transfer market, acquiring several big-name signings for record fees. In the five years since Mansour took over, the club has spent more than £500m on players. Abu Dhabi’s influence was also demonstrated by the decision to change the name of the main stadium to Al Ittihad Stadium in 2011.
This shopping period saw the club return to its glory years by winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup in the ensuing period. The highlight was the league win in the 2017-2018 season when City became the first-ever team in the Premier League to collect 100 points in a single season. City also set a new record for consecutive league victories (18).
Manchester City FC Logo
Manchester City used three different logos. The first version was abandoned in 1960 but was used again for a shorter period. The second design, introduced in the 1960s, will return as an emblem in 2016 to replace the symbol with the eagle behind the shield, which has been used since 1997. The current logo has the ship (symbolizing the city’s historic commercial function) at the top of the security and a Red Rose of Lancaster (representing the historical association with Lancashire) at the bottom of the shield.
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