Team guide
Manchester City history: from St Mark's (West Gorton) to the Etihad
The history of Manchester City: founded in 1880 as St Mark's, reformed in 1894, relegated to the third tier, then a treble winner. Timeline and replays.
Manchester City's history runs from a church team in East Manchester to one of the most successful clubs in English football. The club was founded in 1880 as St Mark's (West Gorton), became Ardwick AFC in 1887, was reformed as Manchester City in 1894, dropped into the third tier in 1998, and has since won four Premier League titles in a row and the Champions League. Here is how each chapter unfolded.
Manchester City timeline at a glance
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1880 | Founded as St Mark's (West Gorton) |
| 1887 | Renamed Ardwick AFC, moves to Hyde Road |
| 1894 | Reformed as Manchester City |
| 1904 | First major trophy: the FA Cup |
| 1923 | Moves to Maine Road |
| 1937 | First league title |
| 1968 | League champions under Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison |
| 1970 | European Cup Winners' Cup winners |
| 1999 | Promoted from the third tier via the play-offs |
| 2003 | Moves to the City of Manchester Stadium |
| 2008 | Abu Dhabi United Group takes over the club |
| 2012 | Premier League title on the last day of the season |
| 2023 | Treble, including a first Champions League |
St Mark's, Ardwick and the birth of Manchester City (1880–1894)
The club began in 1880 as St Mark's (West Gorton), formed by members of St Mark's Church. Among the founders was Anna Connell, daughter of the church's rector. The side later played as Gorton AFC, and in 1887 it moved to a new ground at Hyde Road, just inside the Ardwick district, and became Ardwick Association Football Club.
Ardwick joined the Football League when a Second Division was created in 1892. Money problems followed, and in 1894 the club was reorganised and renamed Manchester City, the name it still carries. City were promoted to the top flight in 1899.
The first trophies and the move to Maine Road (1899–1939)
City's first major honour came in 1904, when they beat Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup final, with Welsh winger Billy Meredith the star of the side. A fire destroyed the main stand at Hyde Road in 1920, and in 1923 the club moved to a new, much larger stadium at Maine Road, among the biggest club grounds in England at the time.
The 1930s were City's first golden age. They won the FA Cup in 1934, then the First Division in 1936–37. The next season brought one of football's oddest stories: City scored more goals than any other side in the division in 1937–38, yet were relegated.
Trautmann and the 1956 FA Cup final
After the war City reached two consecutive FA Cup finals. The 1956 final is remembered for goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, a former German prisoner of war who had become a club hero. He played on through the closing stages of City's 3–1 win over Birmingham City with what was later found to be a broken neck.
Mercer, Allison and the glory days (1965–1976)
Under manager Joe Mercer and coach Malcolm Allison, with Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee in the side, City won the First Division in 1967–68, pipping neighbours Manchester United on the final day. The FA Cup followed in 1969, and in 1970 City won both the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating Górnik Zabrze in the final in Vienna. A League Cup win in 1976 was the last honour for a very long time.
Rock bottom and the Wembley play-off (1980s–1999)
City were relegated several times in the 1980s and 1990s, and in 1998 dropped into the third tier of English football for the first time. Their return began at Wembley in May 1999, when they were 2–0 down to Gillingham in the play-off final with only minutes left, scored twice to level, and won on penalties.
Etihad Stadium, new owners and a first Premier League title (2003–2012)
In 2003 City left Maine Road for the City of Manchester Stadium, built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and later renamed the Etihad Stadium. In September 2008 the Abu Dhabi United Group, led by Sheikh Mansour, bought the club and began a long period of investment.
The first trophy of the new era was the 2011 FA Cup, City's first major honour in 35 years. A year later they won the Premier League in the most dramatic way possible: Sergio Agüero scored in stoppage time on the last day of 2011–12 to beat Queens Park Rangers 3–2 and take the title from Manchester United on goal difference, City's first top-flight title since 1968.
Guardiola's City: records, a treble and Europe (2016 onwards)
Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016 and made City the dominant English team of the era. They won the league with a record 100 points in 2017–18, a domestic treble of league, FA Cup and League Cup in 2018–19, and then four consecutive league titles from 2020–21 to 2023–24, the first time any club has done that in English top-flight football.
The one prize that eluded them was Europe's. That ended in 2023, when City beat Inter 1–0 in Istanbul to win their first Champions League and complete a treble of league, FA Cup and European Cup in the same season.
Watch Manchester City replays
The modern club is easy to follow in the Manchester City team archive on Footballzzz. Some good places to start:
- Manchester City vs PSG full match replay, a Champions League night at the Etihad.
- Manchester United vs Manchester City full match replay, the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
- Manchester City vs Real Madrid full match replay from the Champions League.
- Newcastle vs Manchester City full match replay from the FA Cup.
All replays hide the score, so you can watch without spoilers. The club also tells its own story on its official history page. For the other half of the city's story, read the Manchester United history, or browse every Premier League replay and Champions League replay.
Frequently asked questions
When was Manchester City founded?
Manchester City was founded in 1880 as St Mark's (West Gorton), a church team from the Gorton area of Manchester. It became Ardwick AFC in 1887 and was reformed as Manchester City in 1894 after financial difficulties.
Why was Manchester City originally called St Mark's?
The club grew out of a team formed by members of St Mark's Church in West Gorton, in the east of Manchester. The side played as St Mark's, then as Gorton AFC, before moving to Hyde Road in the Ardwick district in 1887 and taking the name Ardwick AFC.
Where did Manchester City play before the Etihad Stadium?
Before the Etihad, City played at Hyde Road from 1887 and then at Maine Road from 1923 to 2003. The club moved to the City of Manchester Stadium, built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and now called the Etihad Stadium, in 2003.
When did Manchester City win the Champions League?
Manchester City won their first Champions League in 2022–23, beating Inter 1–0 in the final in Istanbul. The same season they also won the Premier League and the FA Cup, completing a treble.
Did Manchester City ever play in the third tier?
Yes. City were relegated to the third tier of English football in 1998 and returned by winning the 1999 play-off final against Gillingham at Wembley on penalties after trailing late in the game.
