Manchester United have been the team to beat since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. With eight championship victories, Sir Alex Ferguson has helped the club set new standards on the field. The Reds ended a 26-year title wait by lifting the FA Premier League trophy in 1993 with Eric Cantona making a telling contribution following his move from Leeds. The mercurial Frenchman went on to forge legendary status at United and many supporters believe he is the greatest player to pull on the shirt - four championships and two FA Cup wins were celebrated during his five-year spell in Manchester. Home-grown talent such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and since departed David Beckham have since developed into world-renowned players, and latterly imported stars such as Christian Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have added the overseas expertise. Old Trafford has grown into one of the most impressive stadiums in the world with a capacity of over 68,000. Record signing Rio Ferdinand has been a rock for United defence since his arrival in 1992. And there were further celebrations at Old Trafford as United lifted The FA Cup for the 11th time in 2004 with a 3-0 win over Millwall.

Originally known as Newton Heath in 1878, the 'Red Devils' became Manchester United in 1902 and soon became Division One champions just six years later. United originally played all their home games at their Bank Streetlocation before a move to Old Trafford in 1910, with another league title sewn up under the leadership of Ernest Mangnall. Between the war years the 'red Devils were starved of success, but Sir Matt Busby became manager in 1945 and his 'Busby Babes' won three league titles in the 1950s. However, tragedy struck on the return from a European tie in 1958 when an air crash in Munich claimed the lives of eight United players and robbed the world of one of the most exciting teams of its era. Busby survived and led United to league glory in 1965 and 1967 before a famous and emotional European Cup triumph in 1968. Frequent success in cup competitions, including lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, translated into league success in 1993 - the inaugural season of the FA Premier League (1992-93). The red machine went on to dominate English football under Sir Alex Ferguson's leadership. An unprecedented double of FA Premier League and FA Cup Doubles were captured in 1994 and 1996, before 1999's thrilling FA Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble triumph. More recently the Red Devils have added another Champions League title and in 2008 became the First British side to win the World Club Championship in Japan.