Penguin Readers Factsheets level E Teacher’s notes 1 2 3 Manchester United 4 5 by Kevin Brophy 6 PRE-INTERMEDIATE SUMMARY ootball is the world’s most popular game. More Munich air crash. Who knows what he might have achieved F people play football professionally or for fun than if he had lived? any other sport – from the beaches of Brazil to the Manchester United have also had some of the greatest mountains of Tibet. There are some big football clubs managers. Matt Busby was brought to Manchester after and there are some great football clubs – but there is the Second World War in 1945 and was manager until only one Manchester United. The greatest football club 1971. He built the foundations of the modern club, finding MANCHESTER UNITED in the world, supported by people all around the world, young talented players from around the country. Although many of whom probably don’t even know where the Munich air crash nearly destroyed his young team, he Manchester is. rebuilt the team and won the club its early successes. The This book looks at the history of Manchester United, but other great manager was Alex Ferguson. He was brought starts from the club’s greatest moment in May 1999 when to the club from Aberdeen in 1986. Ferguson brought the club beat Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp Stadium in players like David Beckham through the Youth Team Barcelona to win the European Championship. It was their scheme and also bought good players from other clubs. third cup victory in eleven days, better than any other His team has won every prize in world football. football club has ever achieved. Manchester United is the richest and most famous club in This book tells the story of the richest, most successful the world and it seems like this is only the beginning. football club in the world, from its humble beginnings in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, where a group of ABOUT KEVIN BROPHY railway workers decided to start a club in 1878, to its present position as the number 1 club in the world. The Kevin Brophy lives in Ireland. He is a full-time writer but club had its good times and bad times until 1945 when also teaches English as a foreign language. Some of his Matt Busby was appointed manager. He began to build a other books include About Heaven, Walking the Line and team of teenagers who became known as ‘Busby’s In the Company of Wolves. Kevin has three children, a son Babes’. But in 1958, the world of Manchester United was and two daughters. He is interested in books and music, destroyed. Returning home from a European Cup game in the cinema and football. Yugoslavia, the team’s plane crashed in a snowstorm in Munich. Eight players were killed by the crash and several BACKGROUND AND THEMES others were seriously hurt. The team had to be rebuilt and that is what Matt Busby did. Football is a universal sport. Wherever boys and girls get together, there is usually a game of football taking place. There have been many great players for Manchester It doesn’t take a lot of expensive equipment, just a ball United, known all over the world: and some players. In every street and park in every town Bobby Charlton – one of the greatest strikers football has and city in the world, there is a football game being played ever seen; at some time, 24 hours a day. George Best – the bad boy of football but arguably the Football began in England in medieval times and has second best player ever (after Pele); always been a working-class game. The first official set of Denis Law – a great striker and one of the world’s best rules for the game were issued in 1863 by the London headers of the ball; Football Association and the first league of clubs was established in 1888. Most of the clubs in the league were Eric Cantona – the legendary French player who led started around this time, including the club that would United to the League and Cup Double in 1994; become Manchester United, in 1878. The first international David Beckham – captain of England and a great matches started in 1872 (between England and Scotland) inspiration of United’s success; and the first professional players began playing in 1885. But one of the greatest was probably Duncan Edwards – Football, or soccer as it is known in many countries, was the best young player of his time, but sadly killed in the taken to South America and Europe and immediately © Pearson Education 2001 level Penguin Readers Factsheets 3 Teacher’s notes became popular everywhere. Its governing body, FIFA, themselves. Then they give the definitions to another was established in 1904 with the aim of setting up group and this group has to say which words they are international matches between professional teams from describing. different countries. By 1930, the interest in football was striker corner defender goalkeeper strong enough around the world for the first World Cup to winger centre forward be played (although only 13 countries took part). Today nearly every country in the world competes for a place in Pages 12–27 the World Cup finals, held every four years. 1 Put students into groups. Ask them to look at the Football is now a multi-million-dollar business. The picture story on pages 12 and 13. Ask them to write major clubs are major companies, earning as much from down what they think will happen next. They should tell merchandising team strips and souvenirs as they do from the other groups their version of the next part of the the fans who come to their games each week, and the story. Then they turn to page 22 to see which group income from television rights to show the major games was closest to the real story. worldwide provides probably the biggest source of 2 Tell students to look at the list of players (pages 17 to income for the biggest clubs. The best players in the world 21) and the list of managers (pages 24 to 27). In are transferred from one club to another for millions of groups, they should decide who they think was the dollars and are paid millions of dollars a year to play. They best player and who was the most successful manager. are the superstars of sport, along with the top golfers, They then explain their choices to the other groups, basketball players and motor racing drivers. giving reasons. Pages 28–41 Manchester United had humble beginnings in a working class city in the north of England, started by a group of Put students into groups. Ask them to look at the picture story on pages 28 and 29. Ask them to predict how the railway workers. They enjoyed some success before the story will end. Then they look at pages 32/33 and see if Second World War, but their real success started in 1945 their predictions were correct. with the appointment of Matt Busby as manager. He began a policy that continues to this day – find young ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK players with talent and train them to earn their place in the 1 Ask students to look at the quiz on page 1. How many team. This policy has been carried on since Sir Matt left of the questions can they answer now? the club and has left Manchester United one of the best clubs in the world. 2 In groups, students make up their own ‘dream team’ of footballers (from the past and from now). Groups tell Communicative activities the other groups why they have chosen the players. The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections of text as the exercises at the back of the Reader, and Glossary supplement those exercises. For supplementary exercises It will be useful for your students to know the following new words. covering shorter sections of the book, see the photocopiable They are practised in the ‘Before You Read’ sections at the back of the Student’s Activities pages of this Factsheet. These are book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman Active Study primarily for use with class readers but, with the exception of Dictionary.) MANCHESTER UNITED discussion and pair/groupwork questions, can also be used Pages 1–11 by students working alone in a self-access centre. champion (n) a person or team that has won a competition cup (n) a special silver container that is given to the winner of a ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK competition division (n) one of the groups of teams that a sports competition is Put students into groups to discuss these questions: divided into fan (n) someone who supports a particular team 1 Do you have a favourite football club? Why do you goal (n) the action of making the ball go into the net in football to score a support the club? point injure (v) to cause physical harm to someone 2 What do you know about Manchester United? Can you league (n) a group of sports teams who play against each other to see name any of the famous players who have played for who is best Manchester United? manage (v) to control a business or team 3 Do you agree that Manchester United is the greatest pitch (n) a specially marked out piece of ground on which a sport is played club in the world? Why/Why not? If not, which is the record (n) the best or highest level that has ever been reached greatest club? score (v) to win a point in a match scout (n) a person whose job is to look for new talented players for a team ACTIVITIES WHILE READING A SECTION spirit (n) the attitude you have towards doing something Pages 1–11 stadium (n) a building where sports are played 1 In pairs, students look at the quiz on page 1.