8 July 1991 - A Pretty Good Bit Of Business, That

On 8 July 1991, sixteen-year old David Beckham signed his first contract with Manchester United, joining the U-18s as one of "Fergie's Fledglings."

He had been associated with the club for over two years, having signed schoolboy forms with them on his fourteenth birthday, but the 1991 contract formalized his position at the club under the Youth Training Scheme, intended as a type of apprenticeship program to provide post-educational opportunities for 16- and 17-year olds.

Although he remained with the U-18s that first season, he nonetheless got his first piece of silverware, helping the club win the 1992 FA Youth Cup. His teammates on the winning team included Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville. That group formed the core of manager Alex Ferguson's second attempt to invigorate the club with youth players brought up through the ranks, nicknamed by the press as "Fergie's Fledglings" in comparison to the "Busby Babes" of former manager Matt Busby.

Beckham cracked into the first squad for the 1992-93 season, but made only one appearance over the next two years, then went on loan to Preston North End. He returned in 1995 and became a regular starter, making a total of 394 appearances before moving to Real Madrid in 2003 for a transfer fee of £25M which was, at the time, the club's record received fee. Before his departure, he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and one Champions League trophy.

6 August 2003 - That's How You Make A First Impression

On 6 August 2003, Manchester United lost to Sporting in a friendly that introduced them to the Portuguese side's dynamic young winger, Cristiano Ronaldo.

United were in Lisbon to help Sporting inaugurate their new home, the Estádio José Alvalade. The Red Devils had just completed a four-game tour of the United States and seemed to be suffering from tired legs as the hosts romped to a 3-1 victory with goals from Luís Felipe (26') and João Pinto (62', 81'). Even United's consolation goal came courtesy of the Portuguese, as defender Hugo put the ball into his own net with two minutes remaining.

The day wasn't a total waste for United, though. Afterward, several players spoke to manager Alex Ferguson, raving about the performance of Sporting's 18-year old midfielder, Ronaldo, and urging their boss to sign him. Although Ronaldo had already attracted the interest of Arsenal and Liverpool, United swooped in and signed him that summer for a fee of £12.24M.

Ronaldo remained at Old Trafford for six seasons, making a total of 292 appearances in which he scored 118 goals. Along the way, he helped the club to three consecutive Premier League titles from 2007 to 2009 and won the Champions League in 2008.

In the summer of 2009, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for the world-record transfer fee of £80M, a profit of almost £68M for United.

24 July 1958 - Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Leighton, He's A Keeper

On 24 July 1958, goalkeeper Jim Leighton was born in Johnstone, Scotland. He had a lengthy career that saw him become the oldest person to play for the national team and reach second on Scotland's all-time appearances list.

He started his career with non-league Dalry Thistle, then joined Aberdeen in July 1978, signed by their new manager, Alex Ferguson. He made 438 appearances, winning three league titles, four Scottish Cups, and the European Cup-Winners' Cup, before leaving with Ferguson in 1988 for Manchester United.

After two seasons at United, he fell out of favor with Ferguson and spent a year on loan at Arsenal, then later played for Reading, Dundee, Sheffield United, and Hibernian before returning to Aberdeen in 1997. He played there until his retirement in 2000, becoming the oldest player to appear in the Scottish Premier League at the age of 41 years, 302 days (St. Mirren's Andy Millen broke that record in 2007).

Leighton received his first call-up to the national team in 1982 and manned the posts for Scotland at the 1986, 1990, and 1998 World Cups (the Scots failed to qualify for the 1994 tournament). His final appearance for Scotland set the age record at 40 years, 2 months, and 6 days (though that was later broken in 2010 by David Weir). His 91 caps are the second-most of any Scottish player, just behind Kenny Dalglish (102).

12 May 1990 - One Touch Was All It Took

On 12 May 1990, Aberdeen outlasted Celtic in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim their fifth Scottish Cup in nine years.

After winning their first two Scottish Cups in 1947 and 1970, Aberdeen dominated the tournament in the 1980s under manager Alex Ferguson, winning it in 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1986 (along with three league titles under Ferguson in 1980, 1984, and 1985). For the 1990 Final, however, the Dons were led by Alex Smith, appointed in 1988.

They faced a familiar opponent, having played Celtic five times already that season. They met four times in the league, resulting in one win each and two draws, and also played against each other in the Scottish League Cup semifinal (which Aberdeen won to reach the final against Rangers, which they also won).

In the Scottish Cup Final, played before a crowd of 60,493 at Hampden Park, the two teams finished extra time in a scoreless draw to force the match into penalties. In the shootout, they couldn't stop scoring, so the tally rose to 8-8 before Aberdeen keeper Theo Snelders dove to his left to block the attempt from Celtic defender Anton Rogan. Defender Brian Irvine then stepped up and drove the decisive shot home to give the cup to Aberdeen, 0-0 (9-8).