A hundred years ago, Manchester United almost went bankrupt! A St. Bernard dog became the savior and rewrote the history of football.

When it comes to Manchester United, what comes to mind are the bright lights of the Theater of Dreams, star contracts worth hundreds of millions, and a fan base of billions around the world. But who would have thought that this football giant, now worth over 5 billion pounds, almost disappeared completely due to a debt of 2,500 pounds more than 120 years ago. In the end, it was not a wealthy tycoon who saved it, but a St. Bernard dog named "Major".

From Newton Heath to the edge of bankruptcy: the "darkest moment" of Manchester United's predecessor

The current Manchester United was still called "Newton Heath" back then. When football first became professional at the end of the 19th century, it was completely different from the giants it is today - the maximum weekly salary for players was only 4 pounds, the home stadium was the Bank Street Stadium, which was next to a chemical plant and was nicknamed the "toxic garbage dump", and even its survival had to be supported by sponsors.

In the early days of Newton Heath, life was particularly difficult. Joining the reorganized league in 1892, the first season went on a "roller coaster": they were 3 goals behind to tie with Blackburn Rovers, but were ultimately defeated 4-3; they not only played a classic 10-1 victory over Wolves, but also suffered the embarrassment of a 7-1 defeat to Derby County, and finally barely survived relegation. The next year was even worse. After finishing bottom of the league, they lost to Liverpool in the play-offs and were relegated directly to Serie B.

In the next few years, the team lingered in the middle of the table. They were also accused by newspapers of "rough playing" in a game against West Brom, and they were entangled in lawsuits and exhausted their energy. The last straw that broke the camel's back was former owner William Healy's pursuit of £242 in arrears - by 1901, the team's debt had increased to £2,500 and it was completely bankrupt. The home court is blocked and the players have no ball to play with. The future of this team is about to come to an abrupt end.

Captain and dog’s “life-saving fundraising”: St. Bernard dog becomes the last hope

At the time of crisis, team captain Harry Stafford stood up. This player with a boilermaker background who transferred from Crewe Alexander not only has excellent skills, but also regards the team as his home. In order to raise money to save the team, he came up with a special way: Let his St. Bernard dog "Major" wear a donation box and go around the stands to collect money from fans on game days.

But in that era when fans were not wealthy, Major's "efforts" were far from enough. Despair returns when the team's last fundraising effort fails - and to make matters worse, Major disappears. For Stafford and his teammates, they lost not only the team's mascot, but also their only remaining hope.

No one expected that this disappearance would become a "turning point in fate" for the team.

Encounter in the bar: The noble man who rescued Manchester United with his dog

After Major disappeared, he was found by a wealthy businessman named John Henry Davis. Davis was a local winery owner, and his daughter fell in love with the docile St. Bernard immediately. Out of a sense of responsibility, Davis decided to find Major's owner.

The story took a turn when Davis met Stafford and heard him talk about the team's bankruptcy plight. In order to save the team, Stafford reluctantly proposed that he was willing to give his beloved Major to Davis, just asking him to help.

Davis was so moved by this sincerity that instead of asking for Stafford's dog, he decided to take over the team - he paid off his £2,500 debt and became the new owner of Newton Heath. Major is still the team's mascot, but he has the title of "savior".

Manchester United is born! A football legend rewritten by a dog

In March 1902, Davis convened several Manchester businessmen at New Islington Hall and pooled together 2,000 pounds to officially start the team's reconstruction. Soon after, he made two far-reaching decisions: changing the name of Newton Heath to Manchester United and changing the team's colors to the now iconic red and white.

Subsequently, he hired Ernest Mangnall as the coach. The coach later led the team to win the first championship trophy in Manchester United's history. Major, on the other hand, lived his old age with the Davis family and was well taken care of until his death.

Today, Manchester United has long become one of the most successful clubs in football history, winning 20 Premier League championships, 3 Champions League championships, and producing legendary stars such as Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. But few people remember that the starting point of all this was the "accidental disappearance" of a St. Bernard dog, the persistence of a captain, and the kind help of a wealthy businessman.

To this day, Major's story is still circulating among Manchester United fans - he used his "dog life" to inadvertently rewrite the history of football and became the most special "legendary member" of this giant.