Definition of Red Devils

Manchester United. A club that has had such a successful past, yet has faltered in the past 6 or 7 years. Originally named in 1878 as the Newton Heath LYR Football Club, the club officially adopted the name Manchester United in 1902. However, they kept a remnant of their previous name for a while, being nicknamed as the "Heathens" until another nickname came to pass.

The club's first period of true success came after WWII, with the managerial appointment of Matt Busby. This man completely changed how the club was run, winning the First Division title in 1952, as well as back-to-back titles in 1956 and 1957. Because the average age of the squad was only 22, this team was known as the "Busby Babes". However, this team was to meet a cruel end, as a plane crash in 1958 killed 8 players and 15 others. When Busby recovered from his injuries and returned to management in the 1970s, the club officially adopted the title of "Red Devils" from a local rugby team.

It wasn't until the management of a certain Sir Alex Ferguson that the club would rise to its highest heights. Between 1986 and 2013, Ferguson helped the club win 13 league titles, 5 FA Cups, and 2 Champions League trophies. While 1 FA Cup and 1 Europa League have followed since Ferguson's retirement, the Red Devils have yet to reach the same sort of success that they have previously.

There's a reason why Manchester United is one of the most popular clubs in the world. They have had multiple decades of utter dominance, keeping their 74,000 stadium of Old Trafford full for much of that time. Whether they will be able to return to those levels of success anytime soon is yet to be seen.