Manchester City United..! man city and united could have merged up

A football historian has revealed Manchester City and Manchester United could have merged back in the Sixties.

In 1964 City chairman Frank Johnson proposed the idea of the two clubs coming together, at a time when both sides got along well off the field and his side were suffering some of their darkest days.

There was a strong sense of goodwill in Manchester, with City allowing their rivals to use Maine Road while Old Trafford was rebuilt after being damaged during World War Two.

'At that time, a lot of the ‘town’ clubs like Bolton, Burnley and Blackpool, who had all been major powers, began to struggle, and clubs like Accrington Stanley and Bradford Park Avenue were dying. There was a feeling that this could happen to any club. In fact, all it needed at City was a plan and a vision, and to bring in the right manager.'