document_title: Beneficial owner

question_text: who is considered a beneficial owner of an account

root

text: Beneficial owner

text: It has been suggested that this article be merged into Beneficial ownership. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2018.

tag: table

text: Beneficial owner is a legal term where specific property rights ("use and title") in equity belong to a person even though legal title of the property belongs to another person. Black's Law Dictionary (2nd Pocket ed. 2001 pg. 508).  This often relates where the legal title owner has implied trustee duties to the beneficial owner.

tag: p

text: Under United States copyright law, an author may transfer some rights to the copyright owner (often an employer) while retaining a future "reversionary interest," such as that of copyright renewal.  For example, "[t]he legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive right under a copyright . . . to institute an action for any infringement of that particular right committed while he or she is the owner of it." 17 U.S.C. § 501(b)

text: A common example of a beneficial owner is the real or true owner of funds held by a nominee bank or for stocks held in the name of a brokerage firm.


document_title: Manchester United F.C.

question_text: when did man u last win the prem

question_tokens: when did man u last win the prem

text: Manchester United F.C.

text: History

text: Early years (1878–1945)

text: Manchester United was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) depot at Newton Heath.[13] The team initially played games against other departments and railway companies, but on 20 November 1880, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the railway company – green and gold – they were defeated 6–0 by Bolton Wanderers' reserve team.[14] By 1888, the club had become a founding member of The Combination, a regional football league. Following the league's dissolution after only one season, Newton Heath joined the newly formed Football Alliance, which ran for three seasons before being merged with the Football League. This resulted in the club starting the 1892–93 season in the First Division, by which time it had become independent of the railway company and dropped the "LYR" from its name.[13] After two seasons, the club was relegated to the Second Division.[13]

text: In January 1902, with debts of £2,670 – equivalent to £260,000 in 2017[nb 1] – the club was served with a winding-up order.[15] Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen, including John Henry Davies (who became club president), each willing to invest £500 in return for a direct interest in running the club and who subsequently changed the name;[16] on 24 April 1902, Manchester United was officially born.[17][nb 2] Under Ernest Mangnall, who assumed managerial duties in 1903, the team finished as Second Division runners-up in 1906 and secured promotion to the First Division, which they won in 1908 – the club's first league title. The following season began with victory in the first ever Charity Shield[18] and ended with the club's first FA Cup title. Manchester United won the First Division for the second time in 1911, but at the end of the following season, Mangnall left the club to join Manchester City.[19]

text: In 1922, three years after the resumption of football following the First World War, the club was relegated to the Second Division, where it remained until regaining promotion in 1925. Relegated again in 1931, Manchester United became a yo-yo club, achieving its all-time lowest position of 20th place in the Second Division in 1934. Following the death of principal benefactor John Henry Davies in October 1927, the club's finances deteriorated to the extent that Manchester United would likely have gone bankrupt had it not been for James W. Gibson, who, in December 1931, invested £2,000 and assumed control of the club.[20] In the 1938–39 season, the last year of football before the Second World War, the club finished 14th in the First Division.[20]

text: Busby years (1945–1969)

text: In October 1945, the impending resumption of football led to the managerial appointment of Matt Busby, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers and training sessions.[21] Busby led the team to second-place league finishes in 1947, 1948 and 1949, and to FA Cup victory in 1948. In 1952, the club won the First Division, its first league title for 41 years.[22] With an average age of 22, the back-to-back title winning side of 1956 were labelled "the Busby Babes" by the media, a testament to Busby's faith in his youth players.[23] In 1957, Manchester United became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, despite objections from The Football League, who had denied Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season.[24] En route to the semi-final, which they lost to Real Madrid, the team recorded a 10–0 victory over Belgian champions Anderlecht, which remains the club's biggest victory on record.[25]

text: The following season, on the way home from a European Cup quarter-final victory against Red Star Belgrade, the aircraft carrying the Manchester United players, officials and journalists crashed while attempting to take off after refuelling in Munich, Germany. The Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 claimed 23 lives, including those of eight players – Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan – and injured several more.[26][27]

text: Reserve team manager Jimmy Murphy took over as manager while Busby recovered from his injuries and the club's makeshift side reached the FA Cup final, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers. In recognition of the team's tragedy, UEFA invited the club to compete in the 1958–59 European Cup alongside eventual League champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite approval from the FA, the Football League determined that the club should not enter the competition, since it had not qualified.[28][29] Busby rebuilt the team through the 1960s by signing players such as Denis Law and Pat Crerand, who combined with the next generation of youth players – including George Best – to win the FA Cup in 1963. The following season, they finished second in the league, then won the title in 1965 and 1967. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English (and second British) club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1 in the final[30] with a team that contained three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.[31] Matt Busby resigned as manager in 1969 and was replaced by the reserve team coach, former Manchester United player Wilf McGuinness.[32]

text: Following an eighth-place finish in the 1969–70 season and a poor start to the 1970–71 season, Busby was persuaded to temporarily resume managerial duties, and McGuinness returned to his position as reserve team coach. In June 1971, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as manager, but lasted less than 18 months before being replaced by Tommy Docherty in December 1972.[34] Docherty saved Manchester United from relegation that season, only to see them relegated in 1974; by that time the trio of Best, Law, and Charlton had left the club.[30] The team won promotion at the first attempt and reached the FA Cup final in 1976, but were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977, beating Liverpool 2–1. Docherty was dismissed shortly afterwards, following the revelation of his affair with the club physiotherapist's wife.[32][35]

text: Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977. Despite major signings, including Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey, and Ray Wilkins, the team failed to achieve any significant results; they finished in the top two in 1979–80 and lost to Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final. Sexton was dismissed in 1981, even though the team won the last seven games under his direction.[36] He was replaced by Ron Atkinson, who immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign Bryan Robson from West Bromwich Albion. Under Atkinson, Manchester United won the FA Cup twice in three years – in 1983 and 1985. In 1985–86, after 13 wins and two draws in its first 15 matches, the club was favourite to win the league, but finished in fourth place. The following season, with the club in danger of relegation by November, Atkinson was dismissed.[37]

text: Ferguson years (1986–2013)

text: Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox arrived from Aberdeen on the day of Atkinson's dismissal,[38] and guided the club to an 11th-place finish in the league.[39] Despite a second-place finish in 1987–88, the club was back in 11th place the following season.[40] Reportedly on the verge of being dismissed, victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup Final replay (after a 3–3 draw) saved Ferguson's career.[41][42] The following season, Manchester United claimed its first Cup Winners' Cup title and competed in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup, beating European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 in the final at Old Trafford. A second consecutive League Cup final appearance followed in 1992, in which the team beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at Wembley.[37] In 1993, the club won its first league title since 1967, and a year later, for the first time since 1957, it won a second consecutive title – alongside the FA Cup – to complete the first "Double" in the club's history.[37]

text: In the 1998–99 season, Manchester United became the first team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League – "The Treble" – in the same season.[44] Losing 1–0 going into injury time in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored late goals to claim a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks of all time.[45] The club also won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo.[46] Ferguson was subsequently knighted for his services to football.[47]

text: Manchester United won the league again in the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons. The team finished third in 2001–02, before regaining the title in 2002–03.[48] They won the 2003–04 FA Cup, beating Millwall 3–0 in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to lift the trophy for a record 11th time.[49] In the 2005–06 season, Manchester United failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade,[50] but recovered to secure a second-place league finish and victory over Wigan Athletic in the 2006 Football League Cup Final. The club regained the Premier League in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, and completed the European double by beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Ryan Giggs made a record 759th appearance for the club in this game, overtaking previous record holder Bobby Charlton.[51] In December 2008, the club won the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup and followed this with the 2008–09 Football League Cup, and its third successive Premier League title.[52][53] That summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million.[54] In 2010, Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 at Wembley to retain the League Cup, its first successful defence of a knockout cup competition.[55]

text: After finishing as runner-up to Chelsea in the 2009–10 season, United achieved a record 19th league title in 2010–11, securing the championship with a 1–1 away draw against Blackburn Rovers on 14 May 2011.[56] This was extended to 20 league titles in 2012–13, securing the championship with a 3–0 home win against Aston Villa on 22 April 2013.[57]

text: On 8 May 2013, Ferguson announced that he was to retire as manager at the end of the football season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador.[58][59] The club announced the next day that Everton manager David Moyes would replace him from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract.[60][61][62] Ryan Giggs took over as interim player-manager 10 months later, on 22 April 2014, when Moyes was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their Premier League title and failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1995–96.[63] They also failed to qualify for the Europa League, meaning that it was the first time Manchester United hadn't qualified for a European competition since 1990.[64] On 19 May 2014, it was confirmed that Louis van Gaal would replace Moyes as Manchester United manager on a three-year deal, with Giggs as his assistant.[65] Malcolm Glazer, the patriarch of the Glazer family that owns the club, died on 28 May 2014.[66]

text: Although Van Gaal's first season saw United once again qualify for the Champions League through a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, his second season saw United go out of the same tournament in the group stage.[67] United also fell behind in the title race for the third consecutive season, finishing in 5th place, in spite of several expensive signings during Van Gaal's tenure. However, that same season, Manchester United won the FA Cup for a 12th time.[68] Despite this victory, Van Gaal was sacked as manager just two days later,[69] with José Mourinho appointed in his place on 27 May, signing a three-year contract.[70] That season, United finished in sixth place while winning the EFL Cup for the fifth time and the Europa League for the first time. Club captain Wayne Rooney scored his 250th goal with United, surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton as United's all time top scorer.

text: Crest and colours

text: The club crest is derived from the Manchester City Council coat of arms, although all that remains of it on the current crest is the ship in full sail.[71] The devil stems from the club's nickname "The Red Devils"; it was included on club programmes and scarves in the 1960s, and incorporated into the club crest in 1970, although the crest was not included on the chest of the shirt until 1971 (unless the team was playing in a Cup Final).[71]

text: Newton Heath's uniform in 1879, four years before the club played its first competitive match, has been documented as 'white with blue cord'.[72] A photograph of the Newton Heath team, taken in 1892, is believed to show the players wearing red-and-white quartered jerseys and navy blue knickerbockers.[73] Between 1894–96, the players wore distinctive green and gold jerseys[73] which were replaced in 1896 by white shirts, which were worn with navy blue shorts.[73]

text: After the name change in 1902, the club colours were changed to red shirts, white shorts, and black socks, which has become the standard Manchester United home kit.[73] Very few changes were made to the kit until 1922 when the club adopted white shirts bearing a deep red "V" around the neck, similar to the shirt worn in the 1909 FA Cup Final. They remained part of their home kits until 1927.[73] For a period in 1934, the cherry and white hooped change shirt became the home colours, but the following season the red shirt was recalled after the club's lowest ever league placing of 20th in the Second Division and the hooped shirt dropped back to being the change.[73] The black socks were changed to white from 1959 to 1965, where they were replaced with red socks up until 1971, when the club reverted to black. Black shorts and/or white socks are sometimes worn with the home strip, most often in away games, if there is a clash with the opponent's kit. Since 1997–98, white socks have been the preferred choice for European games to aid with player visibility.[74] The current home kit is a red shirt with a buttoned crew collar, black-and-white banded cuffs, and the trademark Adidas three stripes in white across the shoulders.[75]

text: The Manchester United away strip has often been a white shirt, black shorts and white socks, but there have been several exceptions. These include an all-black strip with blue and gold trimmings between 1993 and 1995, the navy blue shirt with silver horizontal pinstripes worn during the 1999–2000 season,[76] and the 2011–12 away kit, which had a royal blue body and sleeves with hoops made of small midnight navy blue and black stripes, with black shorts and blue socks.[77] An all-grey away kit worn during the 1995–96 season was dropped after just five games, most notoriously against Southampton where Alex Ferguson forced the team to change into the third kit during half-time of its final outing. The reason for dropping it being that the players claimed to have trouble finding their teammates against the crowd, United failed to win a competitive game in the kit.[78] In 2001, to celebrate 100 years as "Manchester United", a reversible white/gold away kit was released, although the actual match day shirts were not reversible.[79]

text: The club's third kit is often all-blue, this was most recently the case during the 2014–15 season.[80] Exceptions include a green-and-gold halved shirt worn between 1992 and 1994, a blue-and-white striped shirt worn during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons and once in 1996–97, an all-black kit worn during the Treble-winning 1998–99 season, and a white shirt with black-and-red horizontal pinstripes worn between 2003–04 and 2005–06.[81] From 2006–07 to 2013–14, the third kit was the previous season's away kit, albeit updated with the new club sponsor in 2006–07 and 2010–11, apart from 2008–09 when an all-blue kit was launch to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1967–68 European Cup success.[82]

text: Kit evolution

text:
1879–1880, 1896–1902

1880–1887

1887–1893

1893–1894

1894–1896

text:
1902–1920, 1921–1922, 1927–1934, 1934–1960, 1971–present[EN]

1920–1921, 1963–1971

1922–1927

1934

1960–1963
(1997–present)[EU]

text:
^ Since 1997 this combination is primarily used in domestic competitions and friendlies.
^ Since 1997 this combination is primarily used in European and international competitions.

tag: ol

text: Grounds

text: Newton Heath initially played on a field on North Road, close to the railway yard; the original capacity was about 12,000, but club officials deemed the facilities inadequate for a club hoping to join The Football League.[83] Some expansion took place in 1887, and in 1891, Newton Heath used its minimal financial reserves to purchase two grandstands, each able to hold 1,000 spectators.[84] Although attendances were not recorded for many of the earliest matches at North Road, the highest documented attendance was approximately 15,000 for a First Division match against Sunderland on 4 March 1893.[85] A similar attendance was also recorded for a friendly match against Gorton Villa on 5 September 1889.[86]

text: In June 1893, after the club was evicted from North Road by its owners, Manchester Deans and Canons, who felt it was inappropriate for the club to charge an entry fee to the ground, secretary A. H. Albut procured the use of the Bank Street ground in Clayton.[87] It initially had no stands, by the start of the 1893–94 season, two had been built; one spanning the full length of the pitch on one side and the other behind the goal at the "Bradford end". At the opposite end, the "Clayton end", the ground had been "built up, thousands thus being provided for".[87] Newton Heath's first league match at Bank Street was played against Burnley on 1 September 1893, when 10,000 people saw Alf Farman score a hat-trick, Newton Heath's only goals in a 3–2 win. The remaining stands were completed for the following league game against Nottingham Forest three weeks later.[87] In October 1895, before the visit of Manchester City, the club purchased a 2,000-capacity stand from the Broughton Rangers rugby league club, and put up another stand on the "reserved side" (as distinct from the "popular side"). However, weather restricted the attendance for the Manchester City match to just 12,000.[88]

text: When the Bank Street ground was temporarily closed by bailiffs in 1902, club captain Harry Stafford raised enough money to pay for the club's next away game at Bristol City and found a temporary ground at Harpurhey for the next reserves game against Padiham.[89] Following financial investment, new club president John Henry Davies paid £500 for the erection of a new 1,000-seat stand at Bank Street.[90] Within four years, the stadium had cover on all four sides, as well as the ability to hold approximately 50,000 spectators, some of whom could watch from the viewing gallery atop the Main Stand.[90]

text: However, following Manchester United's first league title in 1908 and the FA Cup a year later, it was decided that Bank Street was too restrictive for Davies' ambition;[90] in February 1909, six weeks before the club's first FA Cup title, Old Trafford was named as the home of Manchester United, following the purchase of land for around £60,000. Architect Archibald Leitch was given a budget of £30,000 for construction; original plans called for seating capacity of 100,000, though budget constraints forced a revision to 77,000. The building was constructed by Messrs Brameld and Smith of Manchester. The stadium's record attendance was registered on 25 March 1939, when an FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town drew 76,962 spectators.[91]

text: Bombing in the Second World War destroyed much of the stadium; the central tunnel in the South Stand was all that remained of that quarter. After the war, the club received compensation from the War Damage Commission in the amount of £22,278. While reconstruction took place, the team played its "home" games at Manchester City's Maine Road ground; Manchester United was charged £5,000 per year, plus a nominal percentage of gate receipts.[92] Later improvements included the addition of roofs, first to the Stretford End and then to the North and East Stands. The roofs were supported by pillars that obstructed many fans' views, and they were eventually replaced with a cantilevered structure. The Stretford End was the last stand to receive a cantilevered roof, completed in time for the 1993–94 season.[32] First used on 25 March 1957 and costing £40,000, four 180-foot (55 m) pylons were erected, each housing 54 individual floodlights. These were dismantled in 1987 and replaced by a lighting system embedded in the roof of each stand, which remains in use today.[93]

text: The Taylor Report's requirement for an all-seater stadium lowered capacity at Old Trafford to around 44,000 by 1993. In 1995, the North Stand was redeveloped into three tiers, restoring capacity to approximately 55,000. At the end of the 1998–99 season, second tiers were added to the East and West Stands, raising capacity to around 67,000, and between July 2005 and May 2006, 8,000 more seats were added via second tiers in the north-west and north-east quadrants. Part of the new seating was used for the first time on 26 March 2006, when an attendance of 69,070 became a new Premier League record.[94] The record was pushed steadily upwards before reaching its peak on 31 March 2007, when 76,098 spectators saw Manchester United beat Blackburn Rovers 4–1, with just 114 seats (0.15 per cent of the total capacity of 76,212) unoccupied.[95] In 2009, reorganisation of the seating resulted in a reduction of capacity by 255 to 75,957.[96][97] Manchester United has the second highest average attendance of European football clubs only behind Borussia Dortmund.[98][99][100]

text: Support

text: Manchester United is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendance in Europe.[101] The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Manchester United Supporters Club (MUSC), in at least 24 countries.[102] The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Manchester United has 75 million fans worldwide,[11] while other estimates put this figure closer to 333 million.[103] The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona and Real Madrid), with over 71 million Facebook fans as of September 2016.[12][104] A 2014 study showed that Manchester United had the loudest fans in the Premier League.[105]

text: Supporters are represented by two independent bodies; the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association (IMUSA), which maintains close links to the club through the MUFC Fans Forum,[106] and the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST). After the Glazer family's takeover in 2005, a group of fans formed a splinter club, F.C. United of Manchester. The West Stand of Old Trafford – the "Stretford End" – is the home end and the traditional source of the club's most vocal support.[107]

text: Rivalries

text: Manchester United has rivalries with Arsenal, Leeds United, Liverpool, and Manchester City, against whom they contest the Manchester derby.[108][109]

text: The rivalry with Liverpool is rooted in competition between the cities during the Industrial Revolution when Manchester was famous for its textile industry while Liverpool was a major port.[110] Manchester United and Liverpool are also the two most successful teams in England and, at many points in their history, they have battled each other for the league title (most recently in the 2008–09 season). Their matches are usually considered by the players and their fans as the biggest in any given season.

text: The "Roses Rivalry" with Leeds stems from the Wars of the Roses, fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, with Manchester United representing Lancashire and Leeds representing Yorkshire.[111]

text: The rivalry with Arsenal arises from the numerous times the two teams, as well as managers Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, have battled for the Premier League title. With 33 titles between them (20 for Manchester United, 13 for Arsenal) this fixture has become known as one of the finest Premier League match-ups in history.[112][113]

text: Global brand

text: Manchester United has been described as a global brand; a 2011 report by Brand Finance, valued the club's trademarks and associated intellectual property at £412 million – an increase of £39 million on the previous year, valuing it at £11 million more than the second best brand, Real Madrid – and gave the brand a strength rating of AAA (Extremely Strong).[114] In July 2012, Manchester United was ranked first by Forbes magazine in its list of the ten most valuable sports team brands, valuing the Manchester United brand at $2.23 billion.[115] The club is ranked third in the Deloitte Football Money League (behind Real Madrid and Barcelona).[116] In January 2013, the club became the first sports team in the world to be valued at $3 billion. Forbes Magazine valued the club at $3.3 billion – $1.2 billion higher than the next most valuable sports team.[117]

text: The core strength of Manchester United's global brand is often attributed to Matt Busby's rebuilding of the team and subsequent success following the Munich air disaster, which drew worldwide acclaim.[107] The "iconic" team included Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles (members of England's World Cup winning team), Denis Law and George Best. The attacking style of play adopted by this team (in contrast to the defensive-minded "catenaccio" approach favoured by the leading Italian teams of the era) "captured the imagination of the English footballing public".[118] Busby's team also became associated with the liberalisation of Western society during the 1960s; George Best, known as the "Fifth Beatle" for his iconic haircut, was the first footballer to significantly develop an off-the-field media profile.[118]

text: As the second English football club to float on the London Stock Exchange in 1991, the club raised significant capital, with which it further developed its commercial strategy. The club's focus on commercial and sporting success brought significant profits in an industry often characterised by chronic losses.[119] The strength of the Manchester United brand was bolstered by intense off-the-field media attention to individual players, most notably David Beckham (who quickly developed his own global brand). This attention often generates greater interest in on-the-field activities, and hence generates sponsorship opportunities – the value of which is driven by television exposure.[120] During his time with the club, Beckham's popularity across Asia was integral to the club's commercial success in that part of the world.[121]

text: Because higher league placement results in a greater share of television rights, success on the field generates greater income for the club. Since the inception of the Premier League, Manchester United has received the largest share of the revenue generated from the BSkyB broadcasting deal.[122] Manchester United has also consistently enjoyed the highest commercial income of any English club; in 2005–06, the club's commercial arm generated £51 million, compared to £42.5 million at Chelsea, £39.3 million at Liverpool, £34 million at Arsenal and £27.9 million at Newcastle United. A key sponsorship relationship was with sportswear company Nike, who managed the club's merchandising operation as part of a £303 million 13-year partnership between 2002 and 2015.[123] Through Manchester United Finance and the club's membership scheme, One United, those with an affinity for the club can purchase a range of branded goods and services. Additionally, Manchester United-branded media services – such as the club's dedicated television channel, MUTV – have allowed the club to expand its fan base to those beyond the reach of its Old Trafford stadium.[11]

text: Sponsorship

text:
Period
Kit manufacturer
Shirt sponsor

1945–1975
Umbro
—

1975–1980
Admiral

1980–1982
Adidas

1982–1992
Sharp Electronics

1992–2000
Umbro

2000–2002
Vodafone

2002–2006
Nike

2006–2010
AIG

2010–2014
Aon

2014–2015
Chevrolet

2015–
Adidas

text: In an initial five-year deal worth £500,000, Sharp Electronics became the club's first shirt sponsor at the beginning of the 1982–83 season, a relationship that lasted until the end of the 1999–2000 season, when Vodafone agreed a four-year, £30 million deal.[124] Vodafone agreed to pay £36 million to extend the deal by four years, but after two seasons triggered a break clause in order to concentrate on its sponsorship of the Champions League.[124]

text: To commence at the start of the 2006–07 season, American insurance corporation AIG agreed a four-year £56.5 million deal which in September 2006 became the most valuable in the world.[125][126] At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, American reinsurance company Aon became the club's principal sponsor in a four-year deal reputed to be worth approximately £80 million, making it the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deal in football history.[127] Manchester United announced their first training kit sponsor in August 2011, agreeing a four-year deal with DHL reported to be worth £40 million; it is believed to be the first instance of training kit sponsorship in English football.[128][129] The DHL contract lasted for over a year before the club bought back the contract in October 2012, although they remained the club's official logistics partner.[130] The contract for the training kit sponsorship was then sold to Aon in April 2013 for a deal worth £180 million over eight years, which also included purchasing the naming rights for the Trafford Training Centre.[131]

text: The club's first kit manufacturer was Umbro, until a five-year deal was agreed with Admiral Sportswear in 1975.[132] Adidas received the contract in 1980,[133] before Umbro started a second spell in 1992.[134] Umbro's sponsorship lasted for ten years, followed by Nike's record-breaking £302.9 million deal that lasted until 2015; 3.8 million replica shirts were sold in the first 22 months with the company.[135][136] In addition to Nike and Chevrolet, the club also has several lower-level "platinum" sponsors, including Aon and Budweiser.[137]

text: On 30 July 2012, United signed a seven-year deal with American automotive corporation General Motors, which replaced Aon as the shirt sponsor from the 2014–15 season. The new $80m-a-year shirt deal is worth $559m over seven years and features the logo of General Motors brand Chevrolet.[138][139] Nike announced that they would not renew their kit supply deal with Manchester United after the 2014–15 season, citing rising costs.[140][141] Since the start of the 2015–16 season, Adidas has manufactured Manchester United's kit as part of a world-record 10-year deal worth a minimum of £750 million.[142][143]

text: Ownership and finances

text: Originally funded by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, the club became a limited company in 1892 and sold shares to local supporters for £1 via an application form.[16] In 1902, majority ownership passed to the four local businessmen who invested £500 to save the club from bankruptcy, including future club president John Henry Davies.[16] After his death in 1927, the club faced bankruptcy yet again, but was saved in December 1931 by James W. Gibson, who assumed control of the club after an investment of £2,000.[20] Gibson promoted his son, Alan, to the board in 1948,[144] but died three years later; the Gibson family retained ownership of the club through James' wife, Lillian,[145] but the position of chairman passed to former player Harold Hardman.[146]

text: Promoted to the board a few days after the Munich air disaster, Louis Edwards, a friend of Matt Busby, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately £40,000, he accumulated a 54 per cent shareholding and took control in January 1964.[147] When Lillian Gibson died in January 1971, her shares passed to Alan Gibson who sold a percentage of his shares to Louis Edwards' son, Martin, in 1978; Martin Edwards went on to become chairman upon his father's death in 1980.[148] Media tycoon Robert Maxwell attempted to buy the club in 1984, but did not meet Edwards' asking price.[148] In 1989, chairman Martin Edwards attempted to sell the club to Michael Knighton for £20 million, but the sale fell through and Knighton joined the Board of Directors instead.[148]

text: Manchester United was floated on the stock market in June 1991 (raising £6.7 million),[149] and received yet another takeover bid in 1998, this time from Rupert Murdoch's British Sky Broadcasting Corporation. This resulted in the formation of Shareholders United Against Murdoch – now the Manchester United Supporters' Trust – who encouraged supporters to buy shares in the club in an attempt to block any hostile takeover. The Manchester United board accepted a £623 million offer,[150] but the takeover was blocked by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission at the final hurdle in April 1999.[151] A few years later, a power struggle emerged between the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, and his horse-racing partners, John Magnier and J. P. McManus, who had gradually become the majority shareholders. In a dispute that stemmed from contested ownership of the horse Rock of Gibraltar, Magnier and McManus attempted to have Ferguson removed from his position as manager, and the board responded by approaching investors to attempt to reduce the Irishmen's majority.[152]

text: In May 2005, Malcolm Glazer purchased the 28.7 per cent stake held by McManus and Magnier, thus acquiring a controlling interest through his investment vehicle Red Football Ltd in a highly leveraged takeover valuing the club at approximately £800 million (then approx. $1.5 billion).[153] Once the purchase was complete, the club was taken off the stock exchange.[154] In July 2006, the club announced a £660 million debt refinancing package, resulting in a 30 per cent reduction in annual interest payments to £62 million a year.[155][156] In January 2010, with debts of £716.5 million ($1.17 billion),[157] Manchester United further refinanced through a bond issue worth £504 million, enabling them to pay off most of the £509 million owed to international banks.[158] The annual interest payable on the bonds – which mature on 1 February 2017 – is approximately £45 million per annum.[159] Despite restructuring, the club's debt prompted protests from fans on 23 January 2010, at Old Trafford and the club's Trafford Training Centre.[160][161] Supporter groups encouraged match-going fans to wear green and gold, the colours of Newton Heath. On 30 January, reports emerged that the Manchester United Supporters' Trust had held meetings with a group of wealthy fans, dubbed the "Red Knights", with plans to buying out the Glazers' controlling interest.[162]

text: In August 2011, the Glazers were believed to have approached Credit Suisse in preparation for a $1 billion (approx. £600 million) initial public offering (IPO) on the Singapore stock exchange that would value the club at more than £2 billion.[163] However, in July 2012, the club announced plans to list its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange instead.[164] Shares were originally set to go on sale for between $16 and $20 each, but the price was cut to $14 by the launch of the IPO on 10 August, following negative comments from Wall Street analysts and Facebook's disappointing stock market debut in May. Even after the cut, Manchester United was valued at $2.3 billion, making it the most valuable football club in the world.[165]

text: Players

text: First-team squad

text: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

text:
No.

Position
Player

1

GK
David de Gea

2

DF
Victor Lindelöf

3

DF
Eric Bailly

4

DF
Phil Jones

5

DF
Marcos Rojo

6

MF
Paul Pogba

8

MF
Juan Mata

9

FW
Romelu Lukaku

10

FW
Zlatan Ibrahimović

11

FW
Anthony Martial

12

DF
Chris Smalling

14

MF
Jesse Lingard

15

MF
Andreas Pereira

16

MF
Michael Carrick (captain)

17

DF
Daley Blind

No.

Position
Player

18

MF
Ashley Young

19

FW
Marcus Rashford

20

GK
Sergio Romero

21

MF
Ander Herrera

22

MF
Henrikh Mkhitaryan

23

DF
Luke Shaw

25

DF
Antonio Valencia

27

MF
Marouane Fellaini

31

MF
Nemanja Matić

36

DF
Matteo Darmian

38

DF
Axel Tuanzebe

40

GK
Joel Castro Pereira

45

GK
Kieran O'Hara

—

FW
James Wilson

text: Out on loan

text:
No.

Position
Player

24

DF
Timothy Fosu-Mensah (at Crystal Palace until 30 June 2018)[167]

32

GK
Sam Johnstone (at Aston Villa until 30 June 2018)[168]

43

DF
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (at Leeds United until 30 June 2018)[169]

text: Reserves and academy

text: Former players

text: Club captains

text: Player records

text: Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year

text: Club officials

text:
Owner: Glazer family via Red Football Shareholder Limited[170]
Honorary president: Martin Edwards[171]

tag: ul

text:
Co-chairmen: Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer[172]
Executive vice chairman: Ed Woodward[172]
Group managing director: Richard Arnold[172]
Chief financial officer: Cliff Baty[173]
Non-executive directors: Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Robert Leitão, John Hooks and Manu Sawhney[172]

text:
Directors: David Gill, Michael Edelson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson[174]
Club secretary: John Alexander[175]
Club ambassadors: Andy Cole,[176] Gary Neville,[177] Bryan Robson,[178] Peter Schmeichel,[179] Bobby Charlton,[180] Alex Ferguson,[180] Park Ji-sung,[181] Dwight Yorke,[182] Nemanja Vidić[183]

text:
Senior club staff

Director of Group Operations: Alan Dawson MBE
Director of Communications: Phil Townsend
Director of Legal and Business Affairs: Patrick Stewart
Director of Finance & IT: Steve Deaville
Director of Venue: David French
Director of Partnerships: Sean Jefferson
CEO of Media: Phil Lynch
Ticket office manager: Sam Kelleher[184]
Safety officer: Charlie Coxon[184]
Stadium manager: Ian Collins[184]
Grounds manager: Anthony Sinclair[184]

Coaching staff

Manager: José Mourinho[185]
Assistant manager: Rui Faria[186]
Coach: Silvino Louro[186]
Coach: Ricardo Formosinho[186]
Goalkeeping coach: Emilio Alvarez[186]
Fitness coach: Carlos Lalin[186]
Tactical analyst: Giovanni Cerra[186]
Head of first-team development: John Murtough[187]

Scouting Staff

Chief scout: Jim Lawlor[188]
Head of global scouting: Marcel Bout[189]
Scouts: Gerado Guzmán,[190] Sandro Orlandelli,[191] Tommy Møller Nielsen,[192] Javier Ribalta[193]

Academy coaching staff

Director of youth academy: Nicky Butt[194]
Academy operations manager: Nick Cox
Under-23 manager: Ricky Sbragia[195]
Under-23s team assistant manager: Tommy Martin
Under-18 head coach: Kieran McKenna [196]
Under-18s coach: John Cooke
Under-18s coach: Colin Little
Head of Academy Coaching: Tony Whelan [197]
Under-16 Head Coach: Neil Ryan
Under-12-14 Head Coach: Hasney Aljofree
Under 12s Head Coach: Lee Unsworth
Under 10s Head Coach: Eamon Mulvey
Under 9s Head Coach: Eddie Leach
Academy goalkeeping coach: Alan Fettis[198]

Medical & sports science staff

Head of sports medicine & science/club doctor: Dr. Steve McNally[199]
Assistant club doctor: Dr. Tony Gill
Head first-team physiotherapist: Richard Merron [200]
Assistant first team physiotherapist: Jon Picot [201]
Head of academy physiotherapy: Neil Hough[202]
Senior academy physiotherapist: Mandy Johnson
Academy physiotherapist: John Davin
Masseurs: Gary Armer, Rod Thornley & Andy Caveney
Club dietician: Trevor Lea
Head of performance: Tony Strudwick[203]
Head of strength & conditioning: Dr. Gary Walker[204]
Head of human performance: Dr. Richard Hawkins[205]

text: Managerial history

text:
Dates[206]
Name
Notes

1878–1892
Unknown

1892–1900
 A. H. Albut

1900–1903
 James West

1903–1912
 Ernest Mangnall

1912–1914
 John Bentley

1914–1921
 Jack Robson

1921–1926
 John Chapman

1926–1927
 Lal Hilditch
Player-manager

1927–1931
 Herbert Bamlett

1931–1932
 Walter Crickmer

1932–1937
 Scott Duncan

1937–1945
 Walter Crickmer

1945–1969
 Matt Busby

1969–1970
 Wilf McGuinness

1970–1971
 Matt Busby

1971–1972
 Frank O'Farrell

1972–1977
 Tommy Docherty

1977–1981
 Dave Sexton

1981–1986
 Ron Atkinson

1986–2013
 Alex Ferguson

2013–2014
 David Moyes

2014
 Ryan Giggs
Interim player-manager

2014–2016
 Louis van Gaal

2016–
 José Mourinho

text: Honours

text: Manchester United are one of the most successful clubs in Europe.[207] The club's first trophy was the Manchester Cup, which it won as Newton Heath LYR in 1886.[208] In 1908, the club won its first league title, and won the FA Cup for the first time the following year. Manchester United won the most trophies in the 1990s; five league titles, four FA Cups, one League Cup, five Charity Shields (one shared), one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup.

text: The club holds the record for most top-division titles (20) – including a record 13 Premier League titles – and FA Community Shields (21). It was also the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968, and, as of 2017[update], is the only British club to have won the Club World Cup, in 2008. United also became the sole British club to win the Intercontinental Cup, in 1999. The club's most recent trophy came in May 2017, with the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.

text: In winning the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, United became the fifth club in history to have won the "European Treble" of European Cup/UEFA Champions League, European Cup Winners' Cup/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League after Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.[209][210]

text: Domestic

text: League

text:
First Division/Premier League[nb 3]

Winners (20): 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 (record)

Second Division[nb 3]

Winners (2): 1935–36, 1974–75

text: Cups

text:
FA Cup

Winners (12): 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2015–16

Football League Cup

Winners (5): 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17

FA Charity/Community Shield

Winners (21): 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 (* shared) (record)

text: European

text:
European Cup/UEFA Champions League

Winners (3): 1967–68, 1998–99, 2007–08

European Cup Winners' Cup

Winners (1): 1990–91

UEFA Europa League

Winners (1): 2016–17

European Super Cup

Winners (1): 1991

text: Worldwide

text:
Intercontinental Cup

Winners (1): 1999

FIFA Club World Cup

Winners (1): 2008

text: Doubles and Trebles

text:
Doubles

League and FA Cup: 2

1993–94, 1995–96

European Double (League and European Cup): 1

2007–08

League and League Cup: 1

2008–09

League Cup and Europa League: 1

2016–17

Trebles

Continental Treble (League, FA Cup and European Cup): 1

1998–99

text: Especially short competitions such as the Charity/Community Shield, Intercontinental Cup (now defunct), FIFA Club World Cup or UEFA Super Cup are not generally considered to contribute towards a Double or Treble.[211]


document_title: Simba

question_text: who played the voice of young simba in the lion king

text: Simba

text: Name[edit]

text: Simba is a Swahili word for lion. It also has other definitions, such as king.[1]

text: Development[edit]

text: Conception[edit]

text:
Simba was framed for this terrible murder, and on the one hand you can say it wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t a stand-up guy, so a little bit of the theme of the movie is you have to stand up for yourself if you know you’re right. So that idea of redemption, that idea of that day in your life that you have to take responsibility for yourself, that you’re no longer a child, you’re an adult, all those themes resonated with us when we were making the movie and, thankfully, the audience appreciated them, as well.
— Producer Don Hahn on Simba's role in the film.[2]

tag: div

text: The idea for The Lion King originated from Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1989[3] and was originally conceived under the title King of the Jungle.[4] The story, which has been compared to Bambi (1942),[5] was jokingly referred to as "Bambi in Africa" because of the similarities between the two films and their respective main characters.[6] Co-director Rob Minkoff said that both films are "more true-life adventure than mythical epic."[6] Though considered an original[7][8] coming-of-age[9] story that follows the life of Simba as he grows up and "tak[es] on the responsibility of adulthood," co-directors Roger Allers and Minkoff drew inspiration from other sources. In particular, the biblical figures Moses and Joseph served as creative inspiration for the character.[10] Producer Don Hahn said that, like them, Simba is "born into royalty, is then exiled, and has to return to claim [his] kingdom."[11]

text: Several film and entertainment critics have noted similarities and parallels between the stories of The Lion King and William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, and their protagonists.[12][13][14][15] Allers said that these similarities were not initially intentional and came as a surprise to the filmmakers themselves; they noticed the similarities only after the story was established and they eventually decided to pursue it. According to Hahn, "When we first pitched the revised outline of the movie ... someone in the room announced that its themes and relationships were similar to Hamlet. Everyone responded favorably to the idea that we were doing something Shakespearean, so we continued to look for ways to model our film on that all-time classic."[11]

text: Screenwriter Jonathan Roberts said that, in a musical, songs are used to convey a character's emotions and "I wants." Composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice wrote the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in order to give Simba a medium through which he can express his desire to become King of the Pride Lands. Roberts said, "It's a way for storytellers to move the story and deliver the direction of the character."[16]

text: Voice[edit]

text: Matthew Broderick provided the speaking voice of adult Simba.[17] The first actor to be assigned to The Lion King,[8] Broderick learned of the role while he was on vacation in Ireland, where he received a telephone call from his agent informing him that the directors were interested in casting him as Simba.[18] At the time, Broderick was well known for portraying the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). The directors decided to cast him as Simba because they felt that he was "perfect" for the role; according to producer Don Hahn, Broderick's voice resembled "the kind of character who could be irresponsible and likeable, but you also felt that he could come back in a very heroic way."[19] Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was starring as Randy Taylor on the television sitcom Home Improvement at the time,[20][21] was cast as the speaking voice of Young Simba.[22] His appearance and personality would later serve as creative inspiration for supervising animator Mark Henn.[7]

text: Though Broderick is a trained Broadway singer, he was not up to the task, and neither was non-singer Thomas, so Toto lead singer Joseph Williams and actor Jason Weaver were hired to dub their respective singing voices.  Williams' voice is heard on the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".[23] Impressed by Weaver's performance as a young Michael Jackson in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice recruited him to record "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata"[24] while the film was still in its early stages of production.[25] As directors, Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff worked closely with the actors in order to ensure credible performances.[26] As is frequently done in animated films, the filmmakers videotaped the actors while they recorded their dialogue, allowing the animators to incorporate their specific mannerisms into the designs of their characters.[27]

text: Characterization and animation[edit]

text: When The Lion King was green-lit, its concept and story were not well received by studio employees. To guarantee the release of at least one successful film, Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg divided the studio into two separate projects: The Lion King and Pocahontas (1995), with Pocahontas expected to be the more successful of the two. Because of this assumption, the majority of the studio's more seasoned animators gravitated towards Pocahontas because The Lion King was deemed a "risk", while less experienced animators were assigned to work on The Lion King.[28] Co-director Rob Minkoff received this positively, saying that this decision "gave a lot of newer animators a chance to step up to leadership roles."[29]

text:
You can't just use your house cat as a model, thinking, "I can just draw him, only bigger." You need to know why a lion is a lion, the difference in movements between a lion, a tiger, a leopard or your house cat. We looked at this film as our Bambi. They had the same approach. Look at the way the deer are drawn in Snow White and the way they drew the deer in Bambi just a few years later. They look like real deer because the artists did their homework.
— Supervising animator Mark Henn on animating Simba.[30]

text: The role of animating Simba was divided between Mark Henn and Ruben A. Aquino. While Henn served as the supervising animator of Simba as a cub, credited as Young Simba,[31][self-published source] Aquino was placed in charge of animating the character as he appears as an adult.[32] The Lion King was Disney's first animated feature film to feature absolutely no humans since Robin Hood (1973). According to Aquino, animating four-legged creatures is difficult because the artists are faced with the task of drawing "twice as many legs ... as you do with human characters" and must also attribute to them both human and animal-like qualities. For assistance, Aquino drew influence from previous animated films that feature four-legged creatures as their main characters, citing Bambi, Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Jungle Book (1967) as his main sources of inspiration.[33]

text: Before The Lion King, Henn's experience as a supervising animator was limited to predominantly female characters;[5][34] he had just recently completed work on Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989), Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Jasmine from Aladdin (1992).[30] When he became involved with The Lion King, Henn initially expressed interest in animating the film's villain, Scar, because he wanted to do "something different."[5] However, producer Don Hahn felt that he was better suited for animating Simba.[35] Henn approaches animating new characters by "put[ting himself] into the character’s situation." Simba proved to be a challenge because Henn was faced with the task of creating an animated character who would both appear and behave like a real lion cub. To achieve this, Henn visited zoos, sketched and studied live lion cubs that were brought into the studio for research, and frequently consulted with wildlife experts.[36]

text: When it came time to animate Simba during the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence, Henn felt it essential that the character remain on all fours at all times, despite the fact that he is meant to be dancing.[34] In terms of personality, Henn aimed to depict Simba as a "cocky, confident character" at the beginning of the film, who must eventually mature and learn to take responsibility.[5] The animators would often observe and document the voice actors while they recorded their dialogue, using their movements and mannerisms as a visual aid. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who provided the voice of Young Simba, served as inspiration for the design and personality of Simba. Henn said, "I loved watching Jonathan Taylor Thomas when he was a boy on Home Improvement, and getting to meet him and observe him."[37] Although Aquino was responsible for animating the majority of Simba's adult sequences, Henn animated the character's first appearance as an adult that occurs near the end of the "Hakuna Matata" musical number.[38]

text: Appearances[edit]

text: The Lion King[edit]

text: Released in theaters in 1994, The Lion King marks Simba's first appearance. All the animals in the Pride Lands gather at the foot of Pride Rock to commemorate the birth of Simba, who will eventually succeed to the throne and take his father Mufasa's place as king. Furious by the fact that he is no longer next in line, Simba's jealous uncle Scar refuses to attend the ceremony. While Simba grows into a rambunctious lion cub who frequently boasts about the fact that he will someday rule over the Pride Lands, Scar secretly plots against him.

text: Scar plots regicide and familicide against Simba and Mufasa by luring Simba into a vast gorge, where he triggers a wildebeest stampede. Notified by Scar that Simba is in danger, Mufasa rushes to his aid and manages to place him safely on a ledge. Weakened and unable to pull himself up the steep slope to safety, Mufasa asks his brother for assistance. However, Scar's true nature is revealed and he betrays Mufasa, throwing him into the gorge where he is killed by the fall.

text: Convinced by Scar that he is responsible for his father's death, Simba runs away to a distant jungle where he is befriended by Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to ignore his past and avoid his responsibilities. There, he grows into an adult lion, while Scar wreaks havoc on the Pride Lands. When Simba is discovered by his childhood friend named Nala, she confronts him, warning him of Scar's tyranny and begging him to return home. Afraid of facing his past, Simba refuses until a wise mandrill named Rafiki leads him to Mufasa's ghost, who convinces him to return home and reclaim his kingdom from Scar.[39]

text: Simba returns to the Pride Lands with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa and finds them barren because their natural resources have been squandered and abused by Scar. After witnessing Scar strike his mother Sarabi, Simba orders Scar to resign. At first thrown by the fact that he is alive, Scar soon regains composure and forces Simba to reveal that he is responsible for Mufasa's death, while cornering him at the edge of Pride Rock, hoping to subject him to a similar fate as his father. Having grown overconfident, Scar finally reveals to Simba that he killed Mufasa. Furious, Simba tackles Scar and forces him into announcing this to the pride, initiating a battle between Simba's pride of lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa and Scar's army of hyenas. Simba eventually defeats Scar and throws him into a pit, where he is cornered and killed by the hyenas, who overheard Scar blame them for what he'd done. Simba then takes his rightful place as king. When the kingdom returns to its former glory, the animals welcome the birth of King Simba and Queen Nala's firstborn.[40]

text: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride[edit]

text: A direct-to-video sequel released in 1998, Simba's Pride takes place shortly after the events of the first film, depicting Simba and Nala as king and queen of the Pride Lands. In a ceremony at Pride Rock, the Pride Lands commemorate the birth of Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara, whom Simba is overprotective of. He discovers that Kiara has disobeyed him by visiting the forbidden Outlands, home to an enemy pride of Scar's followers known as the Outsiders, and befriending a young member of the pride named Kovu. After a close confrontation with Kovu's mother Zira, the leader of the Outsiders and Scar's most loyal follower, Simba separates the two and reminds Kiara of her responsibilities as the future queen. Meanwhile, Zira plots to manipulate Kovu to exact revenge on Simba for Scar's death.

text: Several years later, Simba grants an adolescent Kiara's request to embark on her first hunt, but has Timon and Pumbaa follow her in secret. Realizing this, Kiara rebels and pursue her hunt outside of the Pride Lands, where she nearly falls victim to a wildfire. Kiara is rescued by Kovu, who returns her to the Pride Lands, which is actually part of Zira's plan to overthrow Simba. Saying that he has left the Outsiders, Kovu asks Simba to let him join his pride. Simba reluctantly accepts, but distrusts Kovu because of his similarities to Scar, and continues to treat him ruthlessly. That night, Simba has a nightmare about attempting to save his father Mufasa from falling into the stampede but is stopped by Scar who turns into Kovu and throws Simba off the cliff into the stampede.

text: While Kiara and Kovu's friendship continues to grow, Simba, encouraged by Nala, attempts to show Kovu kindness by spending a day with him. Realizing that Kovu is beginning to side with Simba because of his love for Kiara, Zira ambushes and attacks Simba. Convinced by Zira that Kovu is responsible for the ambush, Simba exiles him and forbids Kiara to see him, but she makes her father realize that he is acting irrationally, before leaving to find Kovu. When a battle ensues between the Pride Landers and the Outsiders, Kiara and Kovu arrive and stop them, with Kiara telling them that they are one. When a furious Zira attacks Simba, she is intercepted by Kiara, causing the two to fall over the edge of a cliff. Having landed safely on a ledge, Kiara offers to help Zira, who is struggling to hang on. However, Zira, consumed by her resentment towards Simba, falls to her death. Simba finally approves of Kiara's love for Kovu and reconciles with his daughter, and accepts the two lions as the future king and queen of the Pride Lands.[41]

text: The Lion King 1½[edit]

text: In The Lion King 1½, a direct-to-video followup released in 2004, Simba appears as a less prominent character because the film's primary focus is on Timon and Pumbaa's behind-the-scenes role and involvement in The Lion King,[42][43] in which they appear as supporting characters. Although the two films technically share the same story and timeline, the plot of The Lion King 1½ focuses more on Timon and Pumbaa. The meerkat and warthog unknowingly coexist alongside Simba, and the story fills in the two characters' backstories and events that led up to their long-lasting friendship, coinciding with and often initiating the events that affect Simba's life during the first film. These events include the commemorative bow that occurs during the opening "Circle of Life" musical number and the collapsing of the animal tower that takes place during "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."[44] The film also explores, in further detail, the relationship among the three characters as Timon and Pumbaa struggle to raise Simba as adoptive "parents" and disapprove of his relationship with Nala, portraying Simba as he grows from an energetic young lion cub, into an incorrigible teenager and, finally, an independent young lion.[45]

text: The Lion King (2019)[edit]

text: In mid-February 2017, Donald Glover was cast as adult Simba.[46] On November 1, 2017, JD McCrary was cast as young Simba.[47]

text: Timon & Pumbaa and television[edit]

text: The success of The Lion King and popularity of its characters led to the production of Timon & Pumbaa, an animated television series starring Timon and Pumbaa. Simba makes several appearances, including one episode in which Timon drags him out to try to revive Pumbaa's lost memory.

text: In the episode "Congo On Like This," Timon and Pumbaa (especially Timon) suspect that Simba has reverted to his carnivorous nature. The episode "Shake Your Djibouti" again features Simba, when Timon and Pumbaa are forced to train him to protect them from a laboratory monster. Another episode, entitled "Rome Alone," shows Simba being captured by Romans and forced into gladiatorial battle with another lion named Claudius. Simba makes brief appearances in "Once Upon a Timon", "Zazu's Off-By-One Day", and "Beethoven's Whiff". He also appears in a music video of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

text: Simba was featured as a guest in the animated series House of Mouse, in which he alternates between cub and adult.

text: The Lion Guard[edit]

text: In January 2016, a new series called The Lion Guard premiered, following a television pilot film The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in November 2015. Set within the time gap in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride,[48] it features Kion who is the son and youngest child of Simba and Nala, who as the second-born cub, is tasked with assembling a team to protect the Pride Lands.[49]

text: Broadway musical[edit]

text: The success of The Lion King led to the production of a Broadway musical based on the film. Directed by Julie Taymor, with a book by Irene Mecchi and Roger Allers, The Lion King premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 13, 1997, where it ran for nine years until being moved to the Minskoff Theatre on June 13, 2006.[50] The role of Simba was originated by Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize, with Irby-Ranniar portraying Young Simba and Raize portraying Adult Simba.[51]

text: Raize auditioned for the role of Adult Simba after hearing that Taymor was looking to cast an actor who was of "unidentifiable ethnicity."[52] Raize revealed in an interview that there was a lot of competition for the role because the musical required "triple-threat work -- singing, dancing and acting -- that you don't get to such an extent in other shows. It was more the sense of who can take the challenge and not be daunted by the task." Raize, who instantly felt that he "had a connection with Simba," eventually won the role with the approval of Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan,[53] with Fagan admiring the fact that Raize was "willing to try, to fail, and then to try again."[9] Once cast, Raize found it difficult to maintain Taymor's "sense of duality" because Simba is "both man and beast." He said, "The tendency is to sacrifice one for the other, but you can't."[54] Although hundreds of children auditioned for the role of Young Simba,[55] the casting process was far less grueling for Irby-Ranniar who, according to Taymor, simply "walked in and he had the part."[56]

text: Miscellaneous[edit]

text: Books[edit]

text: In 1994, a six-volume book set titled The Lion King: Six New Adventures were released. Set after the events of the first film, they featured a cub named Kopa, who was the son of Simba and Nala.

text: Merchandising and video games[edit]

text: As part of the franchise's merchandising, Simba has appeared in various The Lion King-related products.[57] The character's likeness has been used in and adapted into a variety of items, including plush toys and figurines, clothing, bedding, household decor and appliances.[58] The success of the Broadway musical has also led to its own line of merchandising,[59] including the Simba beanbag doll, based on the character's appearance and costume in the Broadway show.[60][61]

text: Since the film's 1994 debut, Simba has appeared as a playable character in a variety of video game releases, both directly and indirectly associated with the franchise. The character's first appearance as a video game character was in The Lion King, which was released by Virgin Interactive on November 1, 1994, for the video game platforms Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo Entertainment System and PC.[62] The game follows the plot of the original film and features Simba as both a cub and an adult.[63]

text: On December 28, 2000,[64] Activision released The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure for Game Boy Color and PlayStation.[65] The game encompasses 10 levels and incorporates the plot of both The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as "Simba ... matures from a precocious cub to an adult lion."[66] Simba also appears as a playable character in Disney Interactive Studios' Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, released on September 3, 2003, for Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox,[67] and Disney Friends , released for Nintendo DS on February 26, 2008.[68]  Additionally, Simba appears in the Square Enix Kingdom Hearts video game franchise as a friend and ally of the series' main character, Sora.[69][70][71][72][73]

text: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts[edit]

text: Live versions of Simba appear in the Lion King musical and in the parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

text: Simba was also the main character in "Legend of the Lion King," a former Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which retold the story of the film using fully articulated puppets. Other Disney attractions that have featured Simba include the Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show and the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World.

text: He appeared as one of the main characters at Epcot's Land Pavilion 12-minute edutainment film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, until its closure in 2018. He currently appears in animatronic form in Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

text: Reception and legacy[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Although The Lion King itself has garnered universal acclaim from film critics,[74] reception towards Simba has been generally mixed. The Christian Science Monitor's David Sterritt hailed Simba as "a superbly realized character," specifically praising the scene in which the character "faces discipline by his dad after his adventure with the hyenas."[75] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Simba "has been given a marvelously expressive face" to the point of which "He seems more human than the Ken and Barbie types featured in Aladdin and The Little Mermaid."[76] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described "the father-son relationship" shared by Simba and Mufasa as "movingly rendered,"[77] while About.com's David Nusair wrote, "it’s the touching father/son stuff that lies at the heart of the movie that cements The Lion King's place as an utterly timeless piece of work."[78] James Berardinelli of ReelViews enjoyed the fact that the film focuses more on the story of Simba himself as opposed to the romantic relationship developing between the character and Nala. However, Berardinelli criticized Matthew Broderick's vocal performance, describing it as "nondescript."[79] Rob Humanick of Slant Magazine hailed the fact that "it's never laid on [Simba] that his time as king will directly correspond with the eventual passing of his father" as one of the film's "most important facets." However, he criticized The Lion King's characters, describing them as well-designed but "lazy and troublesome."[80] The Austin Chronicle's Robert Faires felt that Simba and the other Lion King characters, though "true", were simply unoriginal retreads of preceding animated characters who were "swiped from other Disney cartoons."[81]

text: Hal Hinson of The Washington Post gave the character a negative review. Labeling Timon and Pumbaa the only interesting characters in The Lion King, Hinson questioned Simba's role as the film's hero.[82] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times agreed, "A movie's heroes may have their names above the title, but often as not it's the sidekicks who get the real work done." Turan went on to pan Simba, describing him as "irritatingly callow."[83] Chris Hick of the Deseret News complained about the fact that Simba and the other "characters in The Lion King are not as warm and fuzzy as other Disney animated features," crediting this with making "the film a bit tougher to warm [up] to."[84] ComingSoon.net strongly panned Simba as a lead character, writing, "typically for Disney animated fare, it's the hero who is the weak link being both blandly designed and blandly performed."[85] Acknowledging the character's Shakespearean origins, The Baltimore Sun's Stephen Hunter gave Simba a negative review, writing, "Alas ...Simba stands in for Hamlet, but he's a lot less complicated; in fact, he's less complicated than Morris the Cat or Sylvester." Hunter continued, "Simba the Exile is even less interesting than Simba the Prince."[86] Christopher Null of Contactmusic.com was critical of Weaver's performance as the singing voice of Young Simba, writing, "If there's anything annoying about the film, it's the singing. Young Simba sounds like a young Michael Jackson ... You almost don't want him to succeed." However, Null reacted more positively towards Broderick's performance.[87]

text: Despite the character's mixed reception, several critics have awarded specific praise to Broderick for his portrayal of Simba, including the San Francisco Chronicle's Peter Stack and The Washington Post's Desson Howe.[88][89] Annette Basile of Filmink described Broderick's performance as "excellent,"[90] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "sumptuous." Digital Spy's Mayer Nissim described Broderick's portrayal of Simba as "wonderful."[91]

text: Impact and popularity[edit]

text: During the film's opening number, "Circle of Life", Rafiki introduces a newborn Simba to the crowd of animals gathered at the foot of Pride Rock by holding him high above their heads while parents Mufasa and Sarabi look on.[10] Since the film's 1994 release, this scene has grown to iconic status.[92] In November 2002, singer Michael Jackson sparked controversy by holding his son over the protective railing of a hotel balcony in Berlin. The event was witnessed by a large crowd of spectators who were watching from below.[93] Some sources have claimed that Jackson was harmlessly attempting to emulate the scene from The Lion King.[94]

text: When Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge went into labor with hers and Prince William's baby in July 2013, the idea that the couple should reenact the famous scene from The Lion King became quite popular among Twitter users.[95][96] Radio journalist Darren Simpson reportedly tweeted, "when your baby arrives please re-enact the scene from the Lion King".[97] Shortly after Middleton gave birth to a boy, England native Tommy Peto initiated a petition asking the couple to welcome their baby by having the Archbishop of Canterbury emulate the scene by holding him over the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Ultimately, the idea was deemed "outside the responsibility of the government" and was declined.[98]

text: The scene has found itself the subject of both reference and parody in various forms of media, such as in the film George of the Jungle (1997).[99] In what is almost an exact replica of the scene, George, portrayed by actor Brendan Fraser, takes the place of both Rafiki and Mufasa by standing at the tip of Pride Rock and presenting his young son to a crowd of onlooking animals, accompanied by wife Ursula, portrayed by Leslie Mann.[100]

text:
During the third season finale of Once Upon a Time, the main character Emma Swan asked her parents Snow White and David Nolan if they were going to hold up her yet unnamed baby brother like in The Lion King.[101]
Since the release of The Lion King in 1994, the name "Simba" has increased in use and popularity among dog and cat owners. According to Comcast in 2010, the use of Simba as a dog name reemerged in popularity in 2009 after experiencing a noticeable decline in 2001, ranking the name ninth out of 10 on its list of "Top 10 Trendiest Dog Names of the Year."[102] In May 2013, Yahoo! Lifestyle included the name on its list of "Trendiest Dog Names."[103] According to YouPet, Simba is the 17th most popular cat name out of 100 candidates.[104] Care2 included Simba in its article "All-around Cool Cat Names,"[105] while DutchNews.nl reported that Simba ranks among the country's most popular cat names as of July 2013.[106] In its list of "Top Popular Pet Names," BabyNames.com placed Simba at number 64 on its list of most popular dog names out of the 100 that were considered.[107]