Manchester Rugby Club Manchester FC were also the first recognised association football side in Manchester, and they competed in the FA Cup before any of the region's other sides. In 1894 Newton Heath (present day Manchester United) were banned from changing their name to Manchester FC by the FA and RFU because of the existence of the rugby side. The full story of Manchester FC's association football history is detailed in "Manchester A Football History" where it is revealed they hold many Mancunian firsts. They were also the first English club side to play competitively in Scotland when they faced Queen's Park F.C.
Manchester United F.C. Manchester United has the second highest average attendance of European football clubs only behind Borussia Dortmund. Manchester United is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendance in Europe. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Manchester United Supporters Club (MUSC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Manchester United has 75 million fans worldwide, while other estimates put this figure