Manchester City have reportedly been credited with setting off Manchester's love for football over fierce rivals Manchester United.
In a paper called 'FA Cup success, football infrastructure and the establishment of Manchester's football identity', historians Gary James and Dave Day analysed how the city's passion for football developed from 1904 onwards.
The duo concluded that it was Billy Meredith's winning goal for City against Bolton in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace in the early 1900s that kick-started Manchester's passion for the beautiful game, which still remains today, Metro.co.uk reported.
James and Day's work also noted that following the match in London, both City and United saw attendances at their games increase which prompting the two clubs to construct new stadiums at Maine Road and Old Trafford respectively.
After City became the second-most supported club behind Aston Villa, with United ranked third, the number of football leagues and pitches in Manchester increased significantly, which further helped the sport grow in the city, the report added.
