When Wenger first came to England, the other title contenders had more or less sewn up the scouting network on the British Isles, the next George Best or Denis Law was going to be snapped up by United or Liverpool.

He had his connections in France and other parts of the continent... he stole a massive march on Fergie and Co by signing the likes of Anelka and Fabregras whilst the rest were scouting on a cold evening at Turf Moor.

Another week spent dodging ever more dire warnings about the state of Scottish football.
This time everything's got a lot Grimmer with Aberdeen losing a lauded protégé to the mysterious land of riches that some people call England.
Highly rated youngster leaves Aberdeen area to chance his arm in England?

Who was your sporting hero growing up?

My hero was Denis Law; as a player I loved Denis Law even though he is only a couple of years older than me. He epitomised to me everything about a Scotsman. He could start a row in an empty house, fight his own shadow, unbelievable courage, electric pace, exciting and dynamic to watch – I always loved Denis as a player.

El Balón de Oro (en francés, Ballon d'Or) era un premio individual que desde 1956 otorgaba anualmente la revista France Football al mejor jugador europeo y que jugaban en Europa. A partir de 1995 se amplió a todos los futbolistas que actuaban en torneos europeos y desde 2007 el Balón de Oro pasó a premiar al mejor jugador del planeta.

Wayne Rooney has sung the praises of his team mate Ryan Giggs, who turned 38-years-old today, claiming that United should put a statue of him outside the ground.

"If there's one player over the last 20 to 25 years who deserves a statue outside Old Trafford, it's Ryan Giggs, because what Giggsy has done here is absolutely incredible," he said.

Michael Vaughan is the England cricket captain, and he was able to Thursday night's function at Old Trafford to celebrate 25 years of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United.
Vaughan wrote of the lessons learned from the Manchester United manager.
It was a huge honour for me to be in that room, filled with the great players of the last quarter century and beyond.

The Museum & Stadium Tour of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, the self-styled "Theatre of Dreams" is hugely popular with football fans from all over the world, not just Manchester United supporters.
Participants of our tour included visitors from Hong Kong and Russia as well as Swansea City supporters in Manchester for their team's Monday night game with Manchester City.

• Kop That: Liverpool linked with German wonderkid http://t.co/SkMLpkuj 22:47:32, 2011-09-27
• Kop That: Why Scottish caps 'didn't count' at Bayern Munich in the '90s http://t.co/RDoXIQGi 22:30:11, 2011-09-27
• Kop That: Would visiting the Munich air crash site could stop vile chants for good?

Denis Law on Busby, Shankly, Ferguson and United and City's rivalry

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-09-27 16:26:10 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Sir Alex Ferguson has responded to claims by Benfica coach, Jorge Jesus, that Wayne Rooney plays like a Brazilian or an Argentinian, by suggesting that whilst he is typically British, he is similar to Pele.

"I think he's a typical British player," said Ferguson. "There have been British players over the last few years, maybe for the last decades, who have similar great qualities that make them great players, whether it's a Gascoigne, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's NHL stars

6 February 1958 was the darkest day in Man Utd's history when 23 members of its football team were killed after their plane crashed trying to take off a runaway at Munich airport. Amongst them their best and brightest talent including the prodigious Duncan Edwards.

The best goalscorer Manchester United legend Denis Law has ever seen is Jimmy Greaves but when he looks around the Premier League the striker he can relate to best is Wayne Rooney. Law does not watch...
Continue to the full story

By Chris Wright

Ten more wonderful vintage photos picked at random from the Pies' archives...

England captain Bobby Moore shows off a particularly dapper shirt from his new line of stylish fashion products, 1972

Chelsea's Dick Spence and Len Goulden play head tennis during training at Stamford Bridge, 1947

Sheffield Wednesday forward Derek Dooley (and his wife) travels home from Preston Royal Infirmary in an ambulance after having his leg amputated following a gangrene infection to the broken leg he suffered against Preston North End, 1953

West Ham footballers play leapfrog during a training session on the beach at Southend, 1951

The bare feet of Nigeria's Justin Onwudiwe.

Well I hope everyone enjoyed my first foray at top tens with my list of United's all time best center forwards. Now I have been granted the privilege of offering you my take at the top ten strikers to have played for our illustrious Red Devils. Let me start by saying that there is a difference [..

Sir Bobby Charlton has today claimed he thinks Wayne Rooney can break his goalscoring record for Manchester United.

Our legend saw his appearances record broken by Ryan Giggs during the 2008 European Cup final in Moscow, but has still scored 98 more goals than any other player in the history of our club.

Wayne Rooney is on course to shatter Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time Manchester United goal-scoring record of 249-goals by the time he turns 30.

In his seven years at United Rooney has averaged 21 goals a season. If he maintains that rate, the 25-year-old Rooney will hit his 250th United goal at the age of 30.

By Chris Wright

Nothing more, nothing less just ten brilliant photos pulled from the PA's bulging goldmine/archive at random...

Graffitied on a Manchester wall; the Tottenham Hotspur line-up, 1968

Chelsea captain Ron 'Chopper' Harris leads his team out (followed by goalkeeper Peter 'The Cat' Bonetti) ahead of the Blues' FA Cup fourth-round replay against Preston North End, 1969

Manchester United's Denis Law is beaten to the ball in an airbourne duel with Rapid Vienna goalkeeper Fuchsbicher during the first-leg of the European Cup Quarter Final at Old Trafford, 1969

Accompanied in shot by Jimmy Greaves, Stanley Matthews quite literally hangs up his boots after making his final appearance for Stoke City at his star-studded testimonial game, 1965

The three recipients of the Golden Shoe Award for the 1982/83 season pose with a huge Adidas boot, from left: Steve Cammack (Div.

Welcome news today is that it looks like Liverpool playmaker, Alberto Aquilani will be staying at Anfield.
The attacking midfielder returned from his loan-spell at Juventus this Summer and he has been very impressive in the pre-season friendlies in the Far East, setting up several goals for his team-mates.

In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn't give possession away.

In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn't give possession away.

There was a tiny, insignificant incident in one of the first matches I saw George Best play for Manchester United that has always haunted me, in some ways more than than the many moments of genius I witnessed in his brilliant subsequent career.It occured in March 1964 against Fulham as United were desperately trying to keep alive a faltering campaign to win the league title, having recently unexpectedly lost both a Cup Winners Cup quarter final against Sporting Lisbon and an FA Cup semi-final against West Ham in successive matches.

There was a tiny, insignificant incident in one of the first matches I saw George Best play for Manchester United that has always haunted me, in some ways more than than the many moments of genius I witnessed in his brilliant subsequent career.It occured in March 1964 against Fulham as United were desperately trying to keep alive a faltering campaign to win the league title, having recently unexpectedly lost both a Cup Winners Cup quarter final against Sporting Lisbon and an FA Cup semi-final against West Ham in successive matches.

The deadly triumvirate of Law, Best and Charlton swept opposition from its path and led Manchester United to win the FA Cup in 1963 and the League in 1965 and 1967. Had it not been for a cruel...
Continue to the full story

- United have had a higher average attendance than City EVERY SINGLE SEASON since 1947.

- United players have won the European Player of the Year four times (Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo). City players have won it zero times.

- When City won the league in the 1968, they had the 6th highest attendance in the country.

My mind suddenly went back to the sixties with images of George Best, Brian Kidd, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and John Aston terrorising opposition defences with a frightening array of fire power. It...
Continue to the full story

Many has compared him with Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, possibly because Javier Hernandez has the knack of coming on as a sub and grabbing vital goals. But there's an even older...
Continue to the full story

July 15th 1962: Denis Law
Denis Law relaxes watches Club Secretary Les Olive complete his new contract following his complicated transfer from Italian club Torino.

May 8th 2003: Quinton Fortune
Four years in to his time at United, Fortune signs a three year extension deal.

I talk to our players regularly about how small the margin is between victory and defeat.
Henry Winter of the Telegraph writes of how that small margin was on display this past weekend, both between Manchester United and Manchester City, and with Wayne Rooney playing the goat or the hero.

MANCHESTER, England - Wayne Rooney said it was the best goal he had ever scored, and Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson called it the greatest strike he had seen in 25 years at Old Trafford. The opposing goalkeeper did not even budge. Rooney put a troubled season behind him Saturday as his spectacular bicycle kick [.

Denis Law is a Manchester United legend who has also played 24 times in the blue of City at the end of his career. Since then The King has seen the rise and rise of his beloved Reds with silverware...
Continue to the full story

Denis Law is a Manchester United legend who has also played 24 times in the blue of City at the end of his career. Since then The King has seen the rise and rise of his beloved Reds with silverware...
Continue to the full story

By Chris Wright

Take that George Best! In your squinty face Paul Scholes! Stick it up your trumpet Eric Cantona!

By virtue of a poll conducted by both Inside United magazine and the club's official website, Ryan Giggs has been voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player.

Inside United readers, as well as fans on the official website, have voted for their all time top ten Manchester United players.

1. Ryan Giggs
2. Eric Cantona
3. George Best
4. Sir Bobby Charlton
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
6. Paul Scholes
7. David Beckham
8.

Every single player who has won the Ballon d'Or from the English league has played for Manchester United.

Winners
1956: Stanley Matthews (Blackpool at the time)
1964: Denis Law
1966: Bobby Charlton
1968: George Best
2001: Michael Owen (Liverpool at the time)
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo

Matthews was a war time guest player for United whilst Owen is a current United player.

If you're unfamiliar with SUFC, it's an excellent football clothing line started by Chris Toy of Studs Up fame. They've got a great range of football t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts and more on the way all inspired by football culture. I'm delighted to say I've partnered up with SUFC to get all RoM readers 10% off their full range of gear until January 16th.