For football teams in the English Premier League (EPL), there is nothing quite like hoisting the coveted Premier League title. For them, the EPL title is not just a piece of silverware meant to beautify their trophy cabinets but a culmination of a season-long journey and a validation of efforts and preparations, which often span across many years.
Who has won the most Premier League titles? Manchester United have won the most Premier League trophies having bagged a record 13 titles including the inaugural cup in their 1992/93 season.
If one were to go back as far as the 1900s, the number of the club’s league titles would increase to 20. All 13 of United’s Premier League titles were won during the tenure of legendary Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Manchester United’s First Title
Though many may want to attribute United’s success to their efforts over the last three decades or so, history demands that one travel back to the inception of the club which happened just shy of 150 years ago.
United started out as the Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878. After around two decades of being plagued with problems commonly associated with young clubs such as bankruptcy, United were bailed out by former club president John Davies and renamed Manchester United on the 24th of April 1902.
The decade saw United promoted to the First Division and have their first taste of success after clinching their first league title in 1908 as well as the Charity Shield and FA Cup trophies in 1909. The club would win their second league title two years later before the effects of the First World War suspended all sporting activities across Europe.
United struggled to recover for the next three decades before going against the grain to appoint a trailblazer in manager Matt Busby, whose unique and hands-on approach to management would elevate the club to heights it had previously only imagined.
The Busby Blueprint
Busby’s historic tenure at United began after the Second World War in 1945, bringing with it a military-like discipline which ultimately benefited the English side. The remainder of the decade saw the club finish at the top end of the league and bag their second FA Cup trophy in 1948.
United went on to dominate the 1950s, winning three league titles (1952, 1956, and 1957) and becoming the first English team to participate in the European Cup competition. Tragedy struck in 1958 in what came to be known as the Munich Air Disaster, where eight players lost their lives. The accident also injured a number of other players and passengers including Busby.
Upon his recovery, Busby returned and began a rebuild to replenish their ranks by bringing players such as club icon George Best, who led United to league titles in 1965 and 1967 and to the European Cup final in 1968, which they won on board. Busby slowly began to ride off into the sunset but was forced to temporarily return to steady the ship after United registered inconsistent performances in the early 1970s.
A number of managers tried their luck and failed to get United to the promised land over the next decade following Busby’s departure. Only former manager Ron Atkinson managed to register relative success in the early to mid-1980s before being unceremoniously axed.
The Fergie Era
Desiring a return to their glory days similar to those they had under Busby, United turned to former Rangers forward Alex Chapman Ferguson, commonly referred to as Sir Alex Ferguson, who they appointed as manager in 1986.
Ferguson, much like Busby before him, hit the ground running and instilled a discipline that had been lacking into the club and its players. United subsequently ended what would have been a disappointing season by climbing 10 places to finish 11th on the league standings.
United went on to register mixed results under Fergie over the next four seasons – a development that saw a section of fans call for the Scot’s sacking. The tactician was finally handed a reprieve after winning the FA Cup in their 1989-90 campaign – his first trophy at the club.
After overseeing a number of key signings over their next two seasons, United ended a 26-year long title drought to become the first ever Premier League champions in the competition’s maiden 1992-93 season.
The next season saw United successfully defend their title and clinch the ever-sought-after FA Cup to register their first double in club history. Fergie and company put up a valiant effort to win their third consecutive Premier League title in their 1993-94 campaign but fell just shy of the mark after drawing 1-1 against West Ham United on the last day of the season.
The English giants however returned with a vengeance the following season and went on to win back-to-back titles in their 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, including a double in the former. Perennial league rivals Arsenal would deny United the ultimate glory in their 1997-98 season only for Fergie’s side to return the favor by winning three consecutive titles from 1998-99 to 2000-01. The Gunners finished in second place in all three instances.
Their 1998-99 season was arguably one of United’s best ever as they became the first club to win the treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League within the same season. Stiff competition saw United miss out on a top two finish in their 2001-02 season before yet again beating defending champions Arsenal to reclaim the top spot in 2002-03.
United faced a few challenging years before reclaiming the league’s top prize in their 2006-07 season. Two more consecutive Premier League titles would follow before being narrowly edged out by Chelsea in 2009-10 – a development attributed to a decrease in firepower after United opted to sell talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a then record transfer fee of £80 million.
The multiple-time champions yet again reached the mountain top in their 2010-11 campaign to clinch their 12th Premier League and 19th league title before losing their title defense bid to rivals Manchester City on goal difference on the final day of the season.
Fergie ended his tenure at Old Trafford after United’s 2012-13 season. The strategist’s final gift to the club he had managed for almost three decades was leading them to their 13th Premier League and 20th league title, making them the most decorated team in English football.