The inside story into one of sport's greatest rivalries... how Manchester City, once Manchester United's poor relation in the English Premier League, was thrown a financial lifeline by the former Prime Minister of Thailand and a very wealthy Abu Dhabi Sheikh, and reinvented itself as a football powerhouse to topple the Manchester United dynasty built by Sir Alex Ferguson. With a rivalry stretching back more than a hundred years, THE BATTLE FOR MANCHESTER brings the history of the The Blues and The Red Devils from the foundation 'Newton Heath' and 'St. Mark's' clubs right up until Sergio Aguero's historic goal against Queen's Park Rangers to win the 2011/12 title. Learn what divides and unites the City of Manchester, every season, every star-signing and every important match in a fantastic juxtaposed City-United-City-United format that emphasises the lengths to which Manchester City has gone to claw its way back from England's 2nd Division to the pinnacle of English Football. The book includes momentous occasions such as: United's rise to fame on the English football stage in the 1950s including Sir Bobby Charlton; both clubs fighting for glory in the 1960s including City's dominance of the late 1960s and early 1970s; the introduction of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson; the decline of City and numerous relegations into lower leagues of England; he iconic treble winning United side of 1999 that included legends such as David Beckham, Dwight York, Gary Neville and Teddy Sherringham; Manchester City's return to the Premier League in 2000; the investment into City by the Abu Dhabi Investment Group that would change the financial landscape of football forever, and allow the club to field a team capable of taking on Sir Alex's men, and the eventful 2011/12 season which saw both Manchester clubs tied on points in the final round, with City scoring two goals in stoppage time to take the title from United on goal difference and become one of the most spectacular season-ends of all time.