How A Dog Saves Manchester United From Bankruptcy
Visitors to Manchester’s downtown rarely fail to see the contemporary Old Trafford. Although it isn’t the tallest building in the city’s skyline, it is one of the most recognizable to football enthusiasts. It’s a structure that has stood the test of time and serves as a reminder of the struggles Manchester United has faced throughout the years.
The Theatre of Dreams has experienced everything. Amazingly, it’s stayed with us despite everything, from the club being on the verge of bankruptcy to the Munich Air Disaster, the World War Two bombs, and even relegation. It has seen the club realize the seemingly unattainable aim and develop into a sporting giant.
The Manchester team had to struggle to survive in the depressing early years of the English league system, at one time doing so with the help of a dog, before going on to become a success story both on and off the field.
Exactly 120 years ago, on the evening of March 2, 1901, something occurred that forever altered the history of football. Manchester saw the disappearance of a dog.
To better understand, let’s go back a few more years to 1894, when Manchester United’s forerunners Newton Heath were demoted to the Second Division.
The team’s performance started to decline after just two seasons in the top division, and several important players left. Newton Heath frequently failed to obtain promotion back to the First Division despite new acquisitions, and by 1900, the future was gloomy with bankruptcy just around the corner.
The club held a fundraising bazaar at St. James’ Hall on Oxford Road in the heart of Manchester from February 27 to March 2, 1901, in an effort to reestablish some financial stability.
After just two seasons at the top of the league, the team’s performance started to decline, and they were ultimately demoted to the second division, which led to the departure of several important players for other, more successful clubs.
The future suddenly appeared dark with bankruptcy looming as debts swelled to £2,670 as Newton Heath regularly failed to achieve promotion back to the first flight.
Harry Stafford, the club’s captain, used to collect money from supporters with the help of his pet St Bernard, Major, who wore a collection tin around his neck in the same way as mountain rescue dogs may have done with a barrel of brandy.
Even though Major had grown to be the team’s adored mascot, they were unable to generate enough money to get back on track.
The team organized a fundraising bazaar at St. James’ Hall on Oxford Street with a military band, a brass band, and exhibits exhibiting “the artistry of Italy, the Nile, India, the East, the Mediterranean, and the Riviera” as a last-ditch effort to raise money.
Major also played a prominent role in the proceedings, using his typical style of collection. Even though Major had grown to be the team’s adored mascot, they were unable to generate enough money to get back on track.
The team organized a fundraising bazaar at St. James’ Hall on Oxford Street with a military band, a brass band, and exhibits exhibiting “the artistry of Italy, the Nile, India, the East, the Mediterranean, and the Riviera” as a last-ditch effort to raise money.
The programme printed ahead of the fundraiser included the following call for financial support:
“There is a strong feeling that Newton Heath and District ought to have, and can support, a First Division club, and the co-operation is, therefore, earnestly requested of all who take an interest in the particular winter pastime, and who desire to attainment of this object.
“To fully achieve this, it is necessary that at least £1,000 should be forthcoming as the outcome of this bazaar, and the committee look forward to the realisation of, what they trust will prove to be, their well-based hopes.”
Unfortunately, the bazaar failed to raise the target of £1,000 – just under £80,000 in today’s money – that was needed to guarantee the survival of the team. Described by the press as a “…rank failure”, the fundraiser actually ended up costing more than it raised.
To add insult to injury, on the final night of the bazaar, the club’s mascot, a giant lemon and white-coloured St. Bernard dog called The Major, went missing.
Major also played a prominent role in the proceedings, using his typical style of collection. The club’s bazaar, sadly, was a disaster since fewer people than anticipated attended.
Then, to top it all off, Major vanished from the location, much to everyone’s consternation, notably that of an upset Stafford who immediately went in search of his pet.
He had lost his faithful friend, and it appeared that his job was shortly in jeopardy.
Fortunately for Major, he didn’t have to spend too much time lost because a bar owner who had rented the location from a wealthy businessman named John Henry Davies had discovered him wandering the streets of Manchester.
Major was originally intended to be sold, but Davies changed his mind and decided the dog would make the ideal birthday present for his daughter instead.
Harry Stafford also saw the advertisement at the same time and went to the bar to get his pet back. However, he had a thought when he learned that the successful businessman wanted to buy Major.
Stafford consented to part with his beloved pet, and Davies, perceiving Newton Heath’s potential, consented to invest in the team and contribute to paying off their debts.
With Davies’ financial support, the club was preserved, and in 1902, as club chairman, he chose to switch the team’s colors from yellow and green to red and black.
Due to his interest in the Heathens’ financial situation, Davies joined forces with four other investors, including Stafford, to save the team from bankruptcy and take over as chairman.
Harry, the club captain, received a director’s title as a reward, which is an exceptional honor for a player to possess, and was handed control of the team’s operations. He was also a licensee at one of Davies’s bars by the summer of 1901.
Harry, the club captain, received a director’s title as a reward, which is an exceptional honor for a player to possess, and was handed control of the team’s operations. He was also a licensee at The Bridge Inn in Ancoats, one of Davies’s bars, by the summer of 1901.
The team’s fortunes eventually started to improve after he changed the name from Newton Heath to Manchester United.
Up until his retirement in 1905, Major continued to make appearances at games and was still regarded as the club’s mascot. He was then succeeded by a goat named Billy.
That is the strange chain of events that led Manchester United to where they are now, all of which were started by a missing dog.
Report Credit: Manchester United’s Website, These Football Times & Manchester United Evening News.