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Reviving Manchester United's identity by getting organised
DAVID CONWAY writes how recognising trade unions for non-playing staff could help the club rediscover success both on and off the football pitch
A view of a corner flag before the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Friday February 7, 2025

MANCHESTER UNITED’S identity is deeply rooted in its working-class origins.

The club, originally founded as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club in 1878, was primarily a recreational activity for railway employees. Engels wrote The Condition of the Working Class in England while living in Manchester.

The city was central to Chartism and was the site of the first Trade Union Congress meeting in 1868.

The case for trade union recognition

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