page_title: History of Manchester United F.C. (1878–1945)
section_title: Financial problems: 1900–02
hierarchical_section_title: History of Manchester United F.C. (1878–1945) / Financial problems: 1900–02
caption_attribution_description: English: The 1902-03 Manchester United team. Half-a team wear the home jersey while the rest of players are dressed in the away outfit.
context_page_description: Manchester United Football Club was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. The team initially played games against other departments and rail companies at their home ground at North Road, but by 1888 the club had become a founding member of The Combination, a regional football league. However, following the league's dissolution before the end of its first season, Newton Heath joined the newly formed Football Alliance, which ran for three seasons before being merged with The Football League. This resulted in the club starting the 1892–93 season in the First Division, by which time it had become independent of the rail company, dropped the "LYR" from its name and moved to a new ground at Bank Street. After just two seasons, the club was relegated to the Second Division.
  In January 1902, with debts of £2,670 – equivalent to £290,000 in 2020 – the club was served with a winding-up order. Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen – including John Henry Davies, who became club president – each willing to invest £500 in return for a direct interest in running the club.
context_section_description: They managed only 10th place in the 1901 season, losing more games than they won and with ticket sales flagging and debts mounting, the club decided to hold a four-day bazaar to raise money at St James Hall, Manchester. According to legend, one of the attractions was club captain Harry Stafford's St. Bernard dog, Major, who escaped with a collection tin on one of the nights after the bazaar had closed. Major then found his way to local brewer John Henry Davies, whose daughter became so smitten with it that he enquired about the origin of the tin, and in doing so saved the club.
  On 9 January 1902, Club President William Healey applied to the court for a winding-up order against the club, claiming he was owed £242 17s. 10d.
  On Monday, 13 January 1902, the Manchester Guardian reported:
  Attention was directed to the Second League by the unusual experience of Newton Heath. The club is financially in a bad way. A winding up order to meet a debt of £242 precipitated matters last week and no arrangements could be made for playing the game fixed for Saturday. One hears that a new club will be formed out of the ashes of the old one, but this has not been decided definitely.
  Newton Heath were revived in time to play their next fixture on Saturday 18 January 1902.
  It was the escape and recapturing of the dog which led to the meeting between team captain Harry Stafford and Davies, heading a group of three other investors. Together, they came up with £2,000 to save the club.
  John Henry Davies became the club president, and on 26 April 1902, given that the team now had few ties with its origins; it was no longer based in Newton Heath, the new owners renamed the club Manchester United Football Club, after considering the alternative names "Manchester Celtic" and "Manchester Central".  They also changed the team's colours to red and white.
  Having been saved from liquidation by four wealthy businessmen, the club played its first season as Manchester United in 1902–03. The badly needed injection of cash, plus some new players, gave the flagging side the boost it needed. They won 15 league games, notched up 38 points, and finished fifth.
caption: The 1902-03 Manchester United team, whose players pose wearing both home and alternate jerseys.
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