The club was formed in 1880, under the name of St. Mark's, after an initiative by Arthur Connell (the rector of St Mark's Church). After calling them self Gorton FC and Ardwick AFC for shorter periods, they would change their name to Manchester City in 1894. Combined with moving to the spacious grounds of Hyde Road a couple of years later – saw Manchester City become the most popular club in the city, with an enthusiastic fan base that followed them wherever they went. This rise in stature led to the club earning promotion to the First Division in 1899.
