History of Manchester United F.C. (1878–1945) History of Manchester United F.C. (1878–1945) Manchester United Football Club was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. The team initially played games against other departments and rail companies at their home ground at North Road, but by 1888 the club had become a founding member of The Combination, a regional football league. However, following the league's dissolution before the end of its first season, Newton Heath joined the newly formed Football Alliance, which ran for three seasons before being merged with
Leeds United F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry County Cricket Club. Although the clubs cover the larger county region, Yorkshire are based in Leeds and play at the Headingley Stadium, while Lancashire play at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, close to the football stadium of the same name. Manchester is now in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, while Leeds is now in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire. A direct rivalry between the cities of Leeds and Manchester sprang up during the Industrial Revolution in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries. The entire country was going through an unprecedented phase of economic growth and