(CNN) -- Air-raid sirens haunted the night sky. It was March 11 1941 and the Luftwaffe was on the attack. There was fear, panic, death and ruin. The northern English town of Manchester was under siege; Old Trafford was under siege. With each bomb that fell upon the old stadium -- home to one of the world's most iconic clubs Manchester Untied -- a piece of James Gibson's heart was shattered. The man who had built United up from financial ruin was left facing the destruction of a decade of hard work. The grandstand was obliterated, the stadium left for ruin like an ancient battleground. This was not the Theatre of Dreams, but the Theatre of Shattered Dreams.
@highlight
James Gibson is the man credited with saving Manchester United from financial ruin
@highlight
Club was heading for extinction in 1931 before Gibson emerged as a benefactor
@highlight
Rebuilt Old Trafford after stadium was damaged during Nazi raids in World War Two
@highlight
Appointed Matt Busby as manager, the man who brought glory to the club on the pitch
But if it had not been for @placeholder, it is unlikely there would be the United we know today.
@placeholder realized the importance of community and the impact the club could have on it.