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 Welcome to the
Football United fanzine
Editorials
Like many fans I settled down in front of the
television last Sunday night to watch United,
the BBC drama retelling the story of the Mu-
nich air crash, which as we all knew killed 23
people including eight Manchester United
players. The programme has come in for criti-
cism from some corners, most notably from
the families of those depicted in the 90 minute
show. Sir Matt Busby’s family were rightly
dismayed by the performance of Dougray
Scott who played the United manager. Consid-
ering, like Busby, Scott hails from Scotland
himself, I found his accent would have been
more appropriate had he been playing a sinis-
ter Spanish matador. The whole demeanour of
Scott came across quite uncomfortable view-
ing, an assertion that appears to be favourable
with most fans who watched the programme.
That said, it would be wrong for me to be
overly critical of a programme which I actual-
ly found both emotive and fascinating (for
great want of a better term). As with many
fans, due to my age I never experienced life
after the crash, so reading books and accounts
of the incident and aftermath is really all I
have to fall back on. However after United I do
feel like I understand it a little better. By no
means was it a documentary (and it never
advertised itself in that way), I do believe the
sentiment of the tragedy was spot on. Whilst
many have criticised some ill-informed inci-
dents in the programme I revert back to what
it said at the beginning, based on true events.
The word ‘based’ says all that needs to be said
on the matter.
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I was most impressed with the performances
of both David Tennant and Jack O’ Connell
who starred as Jimmy Murphy and young
Bobby Charlton respectively. I found the mo-
ment that Tennant/Murphy was told about
the crash by the club secretary one of the most
spine tingling scenes within the whole show.
Prior to the programme, like many United
fans, I was nervous as to how the BBC would
portray the incident, after all they’ve got it
badly wrong with Munich broadcasts in the
past. However on this occasion I was pleased
with the outcome. United was hugely emo-
tional, a quick glace on Twitter during the
show compounds this with many fans openly
admitting they cried throughout most of it. An
action I shared. Possibly, however, the emo-
tion rendered most forcibly was one of pride.
After what Manchester United overcame in the
years that followed that fateful day, I feel
proud to be a fan. Not just a United fan, but a
supporter of football in general. Unfortunately
the night following United’s airing the ugly
side of our sport reared its ugly head once
again at Ewood Park.
Within minutes of Blackburn and our classy
neighbours kicking off, City were joined in
unison singing about the Munichs. Oddly on
this occasion it wasn't just a small, disgusting
minority either. Anyone who watched the
match would have heard the singing quite
explicitly through their own television sets.
The songs were sickening. Even more so when
you consider the effect the crash had on Man-
chester as a whole. City lost one of their own
in Munich and yet still feel it appropriate to
sing these songs. I’m not sure whether it’s
stupidity or sheer uneducated fools.
I’m under no illusion that United fans are
perfect either. Not so long ago a group of reds
were rightly criticised for their Hillsborough
chants during the club’s FA Youth Cup victory
over Liverpool at Anfield. I find both Hills-
borough and Munich chants equally sickening
and offensive. I came in for some stick not so
long ago when I compared the two but in my
eyes (which I don't expect everyone to agree
with), singing about either is quite simply
wrong. Innocent lives were lost on both occa-
sions, whether it was players or fans, people
still died. As a result of my day to day job I’ve
had to watch the footage of what happened at
Hillsborough a few times over the years. Those
who say the fans deserved it, or some rubbish
like that are very, very wrong. If you’re read-
ing this believing that those who lost their
lives in Sheffield deserved it I urge you dig out
the live footage, you might change your mind.
I don’t live in a fantasy world where I believe
all the bad things in football will be eradicated
from the game. Of course that wont happen.
But I would like to see those who partake in
these type of chants severely reprimanded by
the authorities. Will it happen? Probably not,
but it doesn't stop me from hoping. A deroga-
tory Carlos Tevez chant is one thing, a chant
about people who have lost their lives is an-
other. Here’s to hoping that football fans focus
their attention to what is happening on the
pitch.
Steph (editor)
@stephdoehler

Contributors
Liam Scott
Chris Bennett
Alan Monger
Brett Burgers
Keith Woodford
Paolo
Tony Park
Will Davenport
Alex Wardrop
Tom Clare

A special thanks to
Olly Murs
Ambuj Gupta
The Chelsea Blog

As this is an exclusively online magazine we do not offer printed copies.

However if you would like to receive a PDF file of the magazine, so you can
print it off yourself, please send an email to: editor.fub@live.co.uk and we
will happily email a copy over to you.

Page 4
 currently 6 points and 9 points clear of Contents
Editorials respectively, with four matches to
play (if you can still call Arsenal title
rivals!). We can no longer dream of
Page 3: Editorials

Page 6: Hot Topic

I ended my last editorial with two partying like its 1999 but I will definite-
wishes. One, for us to start April better Page 7: Captain Legend?
ly be happy to party like its 2008 by
than we did March, which we succeeded completing the league and Champions Page 8: United Against
in with four victories in a row. I also League double. If we can get past The World
wished to still be talking about United Schalke we will obviously have the not
winning the treble this season, which so easy task of defeating Barcelona or Page 11: Tweets From
I’m not, following our FA Cup semi-final The Terrace
Real Madrid in the final. Hopefully, if we
defeat to City. I was of course disap- make it, we can get a better Wembley Page 12: Bye Bye Berba?
pointed, as we all will have been by that result. It could be a repeat of the 2009
game, but hopefully you all got some final which United lost to a wonderful Page 13: The Gossip Tree
nice Easter eggs to cheer you up. I got a Barcelona side or it could be a Ronaldo
Manchester United birthday cake the Page 14: Blast From The
reunion with the familiar Mourinho
day after the City game and made sure I Past
factor. Either is a highly exciting pro-
ate Berbatov and Scholes first. I felt it spect, but we do of course actually have Page 16: Olly Murs
was fair punishment for Berbatov miss- to get their ourselves first. interview
ing a sitter and Scholes seeing red. Let’s
hope that Stoke can rustle up another 5- We have been criticised all season Page 18: Micky Owen PI
0 victory on the 14th of this month when from all angles yet here we are, top of
the final is played at Wembley. If Bir- Page 19: The Great De-
the league and the only English team bate
mingham can do it against Arsenal, still standing in Europe. Everyone it
Stoke can do it against City. seems is so desperate for us to fail. I for Page 22: Overseas Reds
one just hope we can finish the season
All in all April wasn’t a bad month with some silverware so we can stick Page 24: Youth Watch
though. Those four victories I men- two fingers up to all the other fans, the Page 26: Views From The
tioned obviously included back to back media and the FA who no longer allow Stretford End
wins over Chelsea in the Champions opinions or emotions from our players
League, taking us through to the final or manager. The hate (jealously in the Page 28: Simply The Best
four. No Terry or Anelka comedy mo- most) will just make it all the sweeter if
ments this time, but still no Champions Page 31: The Ones That
we can finish strong. The final league
League win for the blues either, so hap- Got Away
table never lies and if we have been so
py days. We then also managed to take poor this season, what does that say Page 33: April Round-Up
an advantage over Schalke in the semi about all the teams who finish below
final with a 2-0 victory in the away leg. I us? Page 35: Meeting The
felt it was one of our best performances Enemy
of the season and gives us a great I’ll leave you with that thought. Enjoy
chance of making the Wembley final. We Page 38: It’s All In The
the rest of the magazine and the all- Mind
have also not conceded a single away important final month of the season.
goal in the competition this year which Let’s hope it’s a great one for United. Page 39: May Predictions
is a brilliant achievement.
Rachel (Deputy Editor) Page 41: Legends—
A big final month of the season there- Allenby Chilton
fore ahead of us, with the second leg
Page 44: Pretenders To
against Schalke at Old Trafford and a The Throne
title run in featuring clashes with title @Rachel_jj2011
rivals Chelsea and Arsenal who we are Page 46: The Final Word

All material unless otherwise stated, is copyright to the Football United Fanzine. The views expressed are not
necessarily those of the editors, however you have the right to reply to the following email address:
editor.fub@live.co.uk
The Football United Fanzine is completely independent of Manchester United Football Club. The Football United
Fanzine accepts no responsibility for services offered by advertisers.

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 It should mean more to them than money.
Let’s be honest, most can no longer be called profes-
sional footballers. Being a professional footballer used
to be about being the elite of the world. For very few,
they live the alternate life and spend every day playing
the game we all hoped we could. And, for their talent,
they don’t have a bad life out of it. Flash cars, house,
totty on the arm, not to mention the spare couple of
quid they have lying around after paying for all of that
- in some cases that includes the totty too.
On top of this they have sponsorship deals, image
rights, appearance fees, all flooding into bank de super-
stardom. And ok, this isn’t about the money they pick
up, albeit an overly exuberant figure, why shouldn’t
they, most outfield players only play until they’re, at a
maximum 36, goalkeepers until they’re 40ish- why not
set themselves up for life- it’s what we’d do, right?
Actually no, this is something bigger than all of that. As
was covered in the last issue, the ticking time bomb that
is our nation’s greatest sport. Incorrect decisions might
be one reason to think the game is at the point of implo-
sion, but this is a much more pressing issue. Footballers
thinking they are above the laws and traditions of the
game they are paid to play. So why do they think they
are above the game? And what can be done to stop it?
Hot topic to initiate discussion- Rooney shouting exple-
tives into a camera during a live broadcast. Lets get my
view out there straight away so there’s no confusion- no
amount of heat of the moment, wasn’t directed at any-
one in particular, but swearing is part of the game, will
cut it. What Rooney did WAS WRONG. He knew it and
the club knew it because let’s face it, the apology made
afterwards wasn’t written by Rooney himself was it?!
And yet, in defiance of the rules, Rooney and Manches-
ter United began a quest, to have the penalty reduced,
stating that it was clearly excessive. Which can only lead
me to one real conclusion on the individual- Wayne, if
you know what it means to be ‘clearly excessive,’ why
are you swearing into a camera- isn’t that also ‘clearly
excessive?’
The topic seemed to divide the footballing masses into
three groups, those who agreed with the penalty, those
that didn’t, and the non United fans that thought he
should of being hung from a yardarm. So why the big
issue with what he did? Footballers swear, everyone
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knows it. Unfortunately for parents watching the game
with their children, it’s quite difficult to explain to the
aspiring footballing sprog watching with you, that
Rooney was actually shouting about his pet duck!
“What ducking what,” when he was 3mm away from
the lens. Doesn’t leave much to be lost in the crowd
chants does it? And whether Rooney likes or accepts
the fact, he is to many youngsters, a role model.
So the FA saw sense, which Rooney’s penalty should
now serve as a big shout out to all Premier League
players. We all know swearing happens on the pitch
and it is accepted. The test will come when the next
muppet tries it. If the FA are able to clearly define in
their punishments what is classed as on fieldand off
field I think the etiquette improvement will be there
for everyone to see. If they don’t and their decision
making is as fluctuant as referees match to match
variance, the newspapers, managers and players
won’t be able to help themselves lining up to take a
pop at the system - much to the destruction of the
sport.
My other thoughts on this are the example on disci-
pline that rugby gives. Teams disciplining their own
players before the leagues or competition organisers
have to get involved. Why? Because there is a better
sense of fair play in rugby, which runs not only through
the individual teams, but through the leagues. The idea
that Rooney would have been first banned by Manches-
ter United, and the FA’s ban reflect the punishment the
club have handed down. Could you imagine the impact
clubs self-regulating themselves would have? How many
matches would Chelsea of banned Torres from - for
diving in the first leg of the Champions League quarter
final? (Not that it would have made any difference to his
effectiveness).
If clubs took a bit of responsibility and stopped
worrying about player revolts, fan revolts and re-
sults, the sport would be a much more enjoyable,
less controversial, fairer game. Something that it
once used to be.
First and foremost, the FA, Premier League, all of
the Clubs, United included, must remember…
football: sport first, business second.
By Liam Scott
 low compared to other United players who have been
lucky enough to play in much better teams, for exam-
ple: Phillip Neville has 11, Nicky Butt and John O'Shea
have 10 each. Robbo wore the red shirt in an impres-
sive 461 competitive matches which still only puts
him 15th on the list of all-time appearance makers. His
goals, 99 of them, whilst an impressive haul for a
midfielder still only rank him 22nd on the all-time list,
albeit the majority of the 21 ahead of him are either
strikers or have played many more games for the
Recently, as you are probably aware, Bryan Robson
club.
was diagnosed with throat cancer, however, the prog-
nosis is good and he should make a full recovery.
Luckily, stats don't even tell half the story! Robson
achieved all the above despite suffering a list of inju-
It is generally considered by all that saw Captain
ries that would cripple mere mortals, how he man-
Marvel (and even by those who didn't, myself includ-
aged to play into his late 30's will baffle medical pro-
ed) that he was, and still is, a legend in every sense of
fessionals for generations. These achievements were
the word. A player that his colleagues and fans alike
also in a very mediocre team, cup runs were plentiful
looked to when the going got tough, the player that
but the holy grail of the league eluded the
would run through a brick wall to win a football
team, always in the top four (barring three seasons in
match and invariably get an injury in the process,
the late 80's and early 90's) but never lasting the
only to recover to reach the same standards he had
distance, much like the Arsenal team now just with
always set himself. To borrow an opinion from a mate
the ability to win the odd FA Cup and European Tro-
of mine, Robbo is the second best player he has ever
phy.
seen in a United shirt, the best being, well, Best!

This got me thinking about United legends and what

An all action, leave everything on the pitch, run
makes a legend? What separates a legend from the
through brick walls to win the tackle type of player,
good players? For other clubs, it would be
the man the fans and players alike turned too when
their highest appearance maker or highest scorer,
things weren't going well. If any of us got the
maybe the captain that led them to their first league
chance to play for United, we like to think we'd show
title or to the FA Cup final. But not at United. The
the desire and passion that Bryan Robson did. The
beauty of this club is that such a variety of players are
type of passion that we ask from all players that only
considered legends that you cannot set criteria for a
very few possess, that win at all costs attitude that
player to meet and then be considered one.
only the very best have.
As I have researched this in more depth I have come
Unfortunately for Robbo, but luckily for United, his
to realise that a legend for one supporter is not neces-
replacement was a certain Mr Roy Mau-
sarily a legend for the next, going back to my mate
rice Keane who ensured that we did not miss his
mentioned earlier, he does not count Bobby Charlton
influence on games as much as we could have done.
in his top 20, whilst other fans from this era have him
Still, this has far from diminished the fans memories,
in their top three or five. However, speaking
still recognised as a legend despite being the out-
to around 30 other supporters, covering every season
standing player in a distinctly average team.
from 1962-63 to the present day and asking them to
pick three legends, there are a lot of names that crop
I just wish that we could have seen Robson in his
up, but only two seem to be constant amongst all,
prime, alongside the likes of Scholes, Keane and Giggs,
Best and Robson.
alongside a team that was able to match up to his
ambitions.
Now, George Best needs no introductions from me,
so much has been written about him I would only be
Ah well, for now, get well Bryan Robson, Captain,
covering old ground. Whereas Bryan Robson is a very
Leader Legend!
subjective opinion, when looking at stats alone, these
point to no more than a good player. Eight major
honours (two being league titles in which Robson was
sadly, a fading force), whilst impressive is relatively By Chris Bennett

Page 7
 Last issue Alan Monger quashed the notion of the FA favouring United, as
regularly perceived. Today he looks at this notion from a historical
perspective. Sit back and enjoy...
In the eyes of a lot of non-United
supporting fans, United are treated
differently by officialdom, be it the
FA, UEFA, referees, the media,
whoever. And you know what,
they're probably correct. However,
whilst the ABUs bang on about
bias being shown towards United,
history actually shows that United
are more often than not the perse-
cuted party. To illustrate, just
looking at the two bans incurred
by Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne
Rooney since I wrote last month’s
article in FUFanzine would appear
to back this view up.
Literally within hours of finishing
my article came news that Sir Alex
had been given a five match touch-
line ban for his comments about
referee Martin Atkinson after the
Chelsea game. He'd said "You want
a fair ref, a strong one anyway....
when I saw who was reffing it I
feared the worst" His fleeting use of
the word 'fair' before he quickly
adjusted it to 'strong' was jumped
on by the FA who deemed him to
be questioning the integrity of
Atkinson. A good job really that he
didn't go the whole hog and call
him incompetent, biased and pret-
ty useless.
Compare Fergie's comments with
subsequent utterances of three
other Premier League managers:
"I’m too disgusted to speak about it.
These things can have an impact on
the Premier League. Justice has not
been done. The decisions punished
us severely. You do not want things
going against you, but it hap-
pened...The referees job is to make
right decisions" Arsene Wenger in
the wake of Arsenal's 0-0 draw
with Sunderland.
"When I saw he was reffing, with his
record against Stoke I was worried."
Tony Pulis talking about Mike
Dean.
"You need to have personality,
courage and character. Not always
do referees have these kind of skills"
Carlo Ancelotti after the Chelsea v
United UCL QF 1st leg.
None of Wenger, Pulis or Ancel-
lotti has been charged by either the
FA or UEFA for their comments.
Funny that. One rule for Fergie, one
rule for the others? Appears to be
so.
Quickly onto Rooney's ban. He
swore. He shouldn't have. He apol-
ogised. End of matter? Um no.
Actually a two match ban handed
down for "abusive, indecent or
insulting words or behaviour" (NB
nothing in there about swearing
into camera). Therefore, clearly an
FA statement of intent to "clean up
the game," to strengthen the Re-
spect campaign. So, in the interests
of fairness ALL subsequent in-
stances of "abusive, indecent or
insulting words" being picked up on
camera are now going to bring
forth a two match ban, yes? You'd
have thought so. But no. Already
we have seen the likes of Peter
Crouch in particular quite clearly
stepping over the newly estab-
lished parameters but with no
penalty.
So, United have been shafted
twice in quick succession. It's
nothing new though.
The issuance of bans, plus the
actual length of bans once issued,
has down the years invariably
Page 8
shown an anti-United bias by the
FA. Back in 1950 for example,
Charlie Mitten of United was
banned by the FA for the 'crime' of
having gone to play for leading
Colombian side Santa Fe of Bogota,
who in the time of the maximum
wage, offered riches too great for
the 'Bogota Bandit,' as he came to
be known, and many other players
to turn down. At the time however,
Colombia was outside FIFA, and
any player based there was consid-
ered an outlaw. One year on, the
South Americans were re-admitted
by the sport's governing body –
but only on condition that the so-
called rebels were sent home. So
Mitten returned and was handed a
six month ban, a £250 fine and a
transfer by United to Fulham for
his 'misdemeanours.' Two other
English players, Neil Franklin and
George Mountford, both formerly
of Stoke City, and who had actually
joined Santa Fe before Mitten,
were also banned on their return.
Six month bans for them too? Uh
no, four months for them. Incon-
sistency, but a sign of things to
come.
 Twenty years or so later, it was
George Best's turn to consistently
feel the wrath of the governing
bodies. Each mistake by him
(throwing mud at a referee was a
good one) brought forth longer
suspensions than any other con-
temporary player received (5-6
week bans compared to the norm
of 2-3). Maybe our sometime way-
ward genius would have been
treated the same by the stuffy
beaks at the FA had he played for
another club, but I doubt it. History
suggests merely being a United
player is usually ample enough to
raise their hackles.
As exemplified further by Eric
Cantona's ban for events at
Selhurst Park on 25th January
1995. No need to go into details
here, suffice to say that United
immediately, and in accordance
with FA wishes, suspended Can-
tona for the remainder of the 1994
-95 season (effectively handing the
title to Blackburn Rovers), and
fined him £20k. In most people's
eyes United's swift action was seen
as sufficient punishment and cer-
tainly United felt that the matter
had been dealt with fully. The FA
however had other ideas and in-
creased the ban up to 8 months
and fined him another £10k. It was
almost as if they were saying "hang
on, we can't have United being
‘happy' with this outcome, let's
screw them a wee bit more."
At this point let me say that the
Cantona 'Kung fu' attack was pret-
ty much without precedent, so the
ban can't really be compared to
any other likewise incident in
terms of how (un)fair the FA were.
Unlike the following examples
where if you look really closely a
trend can be seen to develop....
Actually I lie, you don't really have
to look THAT closely, the inconsist-
encies are about as obvious as the
results of Tevez's argument with a
kettle.
2003 Man City's Christian
Negouai misses drug test, having
been 'stuck in traffic.' No ban. £2k
fine. September 2003 Rio Ferdi-
nand forgets to take drug test
(though did provide a negative test
within two days). Subsequently
receives 8 month ban plus £50k
fine. He offers to take 'hair follicle
test' which would have given re-
sults for the past 6 months, dating
before his original test date, but
the FA declined his request. Both
the FA and FIFA sought to have the
ban increased to 12 months (half
the possible maximum). In 2004
Adrian Mutu, Chelsea, tests posi-
tive for Cocaine use. 7 month ban
plus £20k fine. 2011 Kolo Toure
suspended by Man City after test-
ing positive for carrying a
'specified substance.' FA have still
not officially banned him some two
months later.
August 2003 Liverpool pair Ste-
ven Gerrard and Neil Mellor both
sent off against Galatasaray in pre-
season Amsterdam tournament. No
ban for either, tournament outside
of FA jurisdiction. August 2006,
Scholes and Rooney sent off
against Porto in Amsterdam tour-
nament. Both receive three match
bans, with appeals against bans
rejected by the Football Associa-
tion. FA seemingly from nowhere
'acquire' jurisdiction.
January 2006 Robbie Fowler
scores for City against United, and
celebrates excessively in front of
United fans. No questions asked, no
complaints from United. No action
by the FA in respect of possible
incitement of United fans. The
following week, Gary Neville runs
from halfway line back to his own
goal and celebrates Ferdinand's
last minute winner in front of
Liverpool fans. Carragher bleats,
FA impose £5,000 fine for
'Improper conduct.’
2008 Patrice Evra receives four
match ban for altercation with
Chelsea groundsman during post
match warm down. FA ignore
separate witness statements stat-
ing Evra was racially abused, quot-
ing inconsistencies. Delicious irony
that the FA and 'inconsistencies'
Page 9
feature in the same sentence.
September 2009 Javier
Mascherano clearly elbows Jer-
maine Beckford in Leeds v Liver-
pool Carling Cup match. No action
at time, video evidence ignored. No
ban. January 2010 Ferdinand re-
ceives retrospective three match
ban for elbow incident against
Fagan in match v Hull. Ban in-
creased to four games after
'frivolous' appeal.
March 2010 Steven Gerrard gives
two fingers up to referee Andre
Marriner, and also mouths an
obscenity at the same time to him
during Liverpool's defeat to Wigan
Athletic. FA take no action. January
2011, Steven Gerrard visibly
mouths “fuck off Manc twats” to the
camera after being sent off in FA
Cup tie at Old Trafford. No action
by FA, despite viewers' complaints.
March 2011 Rooney swears at
cameraman who has invited him to
kiss the camera after completion of
a match-turning hat trick vs West
Ham. FA administer two match
ban.
Enough of disciplinary matters.
History shows that United have
suffered at the hands of the FA or
the old Football League in so many
other ways. Let's go back to the
mid 50's. The European Cup began
in the 1955-56 season, but the
English authorities had adopted a
sniffy attitude towards it and had
told Chelsea, the previous year's
English Champions, not to compete
and they duly complied. The fol-
lowing season
Matt Busby decided that United
WOULD play in it, telling his Chair-
man: "football has become a world
game...this is where the future of the
game lies." Opposition still came
from the Football League, who
wrote to United forbidding them to
enter. Busby however was ada-
mant: "at our next board meeting I
again proposed that if the Football
Association were willing to accept
and back us we should enter. This
was duly forthcoming... " Whoa,
hang on, the FA supporting United
in something? ..... Yes, but possibly
only to counter the Football
League's stance. And only briefly.
Roll on two years and this is clearly
shown to be a minor aberration on
their part.
In the aftermath of the Munich
disaster, and as a mark of sympa-
thy and respect, United were ex-
tended a special invitation to com-
pete in the 1958-59 European Cup
by the European Union, despite not
being English champions. Real
Madrid, the winners in 1958, were
fully supportive of this invitation
(NB they had actually proposed
that the 1958 competition be
scrapped once the disaster had
occurred), yet the English authori-
ties prevented such participation.
The Football League had immedi-
ately objected, and whilst the FA
initially gave their blessing, they
subsequently did a complete about
turn, Stanley Rous, the Secretary,
penning a letter to United saying
"as by its name this is a competition
of Champion Clubs, Manchester
United F. C. does not qualify to take
part in this season's Competition.
Consent is therefore refused". Shab-
by, heartless and completely disre-
spectful treatment by BOTH the
Football League and the FA to
United, and to the memories of
those who lost their lives in Mu-
nich.
So England’s football authori-
ties showing a complete reluctance
to afford any spirit of bon accord to
United is nothing new. And yet
they expect, nay demand, so much
in return.
Fast forward to 2000 for exam-
ple, and the FA in the hope of im-
proving their chances of being
awarded the 2006 World Cup,
applied extraordinary pressure on
United to participate in the inaugu-
ral World Club Championship in
Brazil. Taking place as it did in the
month of January, so United had to
pull out of the FA Cup that season,
a decision they've never been
allowed to forget, forever being
accused of devaluing the Cup by
not participating in it. As Sir Alex
said: "Perhaps we should not have
been too surprised to find that the
men from the FA and Government
who orchestrated that pressure
somehow faded into the back-
ground, and behaved like mere
bystanders once the media fastened
on to the issue and it became clear
that the absence of the trophy hold-
ers from the oldest knockout compe-
tition in football was being treated
as a national scandal. All the quiet
promises of official backing evapo-
rated and we were left on our own
as the convenient villains of the
piece."
With the massive benefit of
hindsight United would probably
have been best served by telling
them to stuff it. After all, the subse-
quent years' maltreatment we have
received at the hands of the FA
could hardly have been any worse.
One last example of United being
shafted by the FA, and particularly
relevant as we prepare for our
Champions League Semi Final
against Schalke. Can you imagine
one of our top players not being
Page 10
allowed to play in the forthcoming
semis because England are under-
taking a rather meaningless sum-
mer tour and have selected him to
go on that? No? Well, it happened
in 1958. Bearing in mind that the
Munich disaster occurred as the
team flew home from a successful
quarter final in Belgrade, thus
setting up a semi-final against AC
Milan, the two games taking place
in May 1958, a rather heartless
(again) FA decided to deny a cer-
tain Robert Charlton the oppor-
tunity of playing in this two legged
tie, instead selecting him to go on
their short tour of Canada, a tour
that preceded that year’s World
Cup. Barely believable, but true
nonetheless.
Finally, the FA are keen to push
the Respect campaign, and rightly
so. What I would say to them how-
ever is that respect is earned not
just given. Get your own house in
order, get rid of all of the inconsist-
encies and then maybe, just maybe,
you might actually merit some
respect yourself. At this present
time, and indeed for quite some
time now you just don't. Fact.
Alan has been a United fan ever
since his dad took him to watch
them play Spurs in 1972. He was
a Stretford Ender in the days
when you could turn up and pay
20 minutes before KO. He also
had a ST in North Stand before
work took him abroad. His best
memory was the trip to Barcelo-
na for the 1999 Champions
League final. His favourite play-
ers are Eric Cantona and Ryan
Giggs.
@almanuman
Is David De Gea the
right person to
replace Van der swear at the camera
Sar?
@dilynux:
Would prefer
Stekelenburg. Bit cheaper,
more experience (WC),
well with ball at feet,
Confident.
@aquelious:
Yes. Quality keeper, if
inexperienced. With Rio,
Vidic etc in front of him, he
will learn from the best.
@redracoon1:
kids and for them to see it
No he's not! He still hasn't
proven himself but then
again it will be difficult to
replace VDS anyway. Not
convinced.
like the kid, but think he is
@jharbert7:
Da Gea certainly one of the
most talented young
keepers in Europe,
but #mufc need someone
emotions or inappropriate.
with a bit more
experience.
Inappropriate of MOTD to
Was Wayne Rooney Home leg pending,
inappropriate to who would you like
to see United face in
or was it just the CL final?
emotion taking
over? @TheMancunianRed:
Barca, you want to beat the
best and I want to see
@AlexWylie:
Messi live again and also
Emotion taking over. It
want the world to see us
was a huge goal and I
attack Barca.
know that I would
celebrate in exactly the
@JackColeman7:
same way.
I wouldn't want to face
Ronny in a major final but
@mazymixer:
at the same time I fear
It was inappropriate and
Barca would murder us.
deliberate. Not great to
watch MOTD with your
@SpookeLuke:
Unquestionably Real. Bar-
straight at camera.
ca, are far too strong for
United currently. Our
@Spalletti:
chances of overcoming the
WR can't do anything
former are much greater.
without criticism. Don't
@gallifrey24:
being treated unfairly.
Barça for sure in the final.
to avenge our defeat in
@HoldAndGive:
2009 of course.
Didn't think it was
I actually thought it was a
well delivered satirical
comment #mufc
@AlGordon1980:
Emotions, that win may
get 19th & he knows it.
replay just to let Lineker,
etc be judgemental. IMO
Page 11

Despite having arguably his
best season at United since his
arrival from Spurs in 2008 the
speculation surrounding the
future of Berba continues to
linger in the air around Old Traf-
ford like an over cooked
Gyuvetch. He’s been linked with
rumoured moves to Real, Milan,
Fenerbache and more recently
Bayern Munich, Genoa and Juve.
I preface the question of
whether to pay a blind bit of
notice to the speculation by
reminding everyone of the
‘Tevez saga.’ A very popular
player on the surface of it, a very
successful player on the surface
of it, a very important United
player on the surface of it. Specu-
lation surrounding the future of
Tevez at United was rife for a
long time. The player kissed the
badge, gestured to the fans with
an overtly apparent appreciation
of a mutual devotion and then
buggered off for a wheelbarrow
full of money. We all know Kia
Joorabchian was without ques-
tion the person most responsible
for the whole messy affair, but
what is an agent’s job if it’s not
to make his client the most mon-
ey? In the end none of the things
that most fans think are im-
portant seemed relevant to
whether the deal went ahead or
not. It all came down to cold
hard cash.
Now to Berba. Many fans have
always appreciated his languid
style coupled with his
undoubted footballing ability
and he has won over his fair
share of doubters recently with
his goal scoring exploits. Howev-
er, there are still fans who right-
ly or wrongly suggest his body
language is that of a player not
giving it his all or 110% in foot-
ball speak. He has recently, with
the phenomenal break through
of Chicharito, been used as an
impact substitute or been
pushed to the fringes dependant
on your philosophy.
Now please, understand I am
only putting this in very simple
terms. My personal opinion is
that Berba is an integral part of
the squad, if not starting eleven,
and I would be for want of a
better word gutted if he were to
be sold in the summer.
Bearing in mind what hap-
pened with Tevez, a player who
with the greatest of respect for
Berba, appeared a more commit-
ted and popular player, left. It
would be silly to assume that
whatever the fans think or how-
ever popular he is in the dress-
ing room - he recently won a
rather dubious award for being
the most popular player amongst
active players in Europe - or
however many goals he’s scored
when the season is over, he is
anything more than a commodi-
ty to the PLC.
The rumours are rumours,
however continued speculation
tends to have a root somewhere.
Page 12
Then the weed grows. Whether
the manoeuvres behind the
scenes are being made by Berba-
tov’s agent Emil Dantchev or by
someone acting on behalf of
United to test the water as to
who might be interested if he
were to be made available we’ll
never know. But put simply
Berba is at a pivotal point in his
career, having just turned 30 and
just had, on paper, his best sea-
son in the Premier League he is
more than likely never going to
be in such a strong position to a)
Improve his terms at the club b)
Make a big money move.
Dantchev has obvious financial
gain from both. As for Berba, a
man who always speaks highly
of plying his trade here, I’m sure
would love to stay at United, but
he may not have a say in the
matter. We do know one thing
and it’s that United don’t like
being made to feel like they are
being held to ransom. His agent
recently stated his intent to see
out his career at United, but
statements like this, as we have
seen historically, are nothing
more than the early posturings
of contract negotiations.
Personally, I think he will leave
in the summer. I don’t think
there is any sentiment in football
for players like Dimitar. The
business of football can’t com-
prehend what happens inside
fans when Berba brings down a
60 yard hoof from Van der Sar
whilst performing a steadying
pirouette. I really don’t want him
to go. The brief glimpses this
season I’ve seen of Chicha and
Berba with Rooney in behind
(add Nani and Tony V on the
wings for good measure) have
been enough to bring on heart
yearning palpitations.
By Brett Burgers
It’s hard to keep up with the number of Manchester United related rumours
we hear each month. Here Steph takes a look at some of the transfer stories
that have come up in April.
* United are closing in on a £25m deal
for Aston Villa’s Ashley Young. The Sun
* Javier Hernandez is Jose Mourinho’s
top summer transfer target.
caughtoffside.com
* United are preparing a summer move
for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery.
caughtoffside.com
* United have held initial talks about a
£17.5m move for Atletico Madrid’s
David de Gea. Daily Star
* United will take advantage of impend-
ing cut backs at Everton by bidding for
Jack Rodwell. Various
* Bayern Munich will make a summer
move for Dimitar Berbatov. Various
Page 13
* Valencia midfielder Juan Mata could
move to either United or City this sum-
mer. Metro
* United are monitoring the form of
Juventus midfielder Claudio
Marchisio. talkSPORT
* Spanish legend Raul reveals that talks
were held between him and United dur-
ing lasy year’s close season. Daily Mirror
* Patrice Evra has vowed to sign up for
yoga classes following the recent perfor-
mances of team mate Ryan Giggs. The
Sun
* Oliver Bierhoff has urged Manuel Neu-
er to sign for United if he has the chance.
Sky Sports
* United will go head to head with Liver-
pool for the signing of defender Phil
Jones during the summer transfer win-
dow. The Sun
* Manchester United have opened talks
with Sporting Lisbon for £10million-
rated keeper Rui Patricio. Daily Mirror
* Sir Alex Ferguson will try to exploit
growing turmoil at Inter Milan by mak-
ing a concerted attempt to sign Wesley
Sneijder at the end of the season. Daily
Mail
 Having supported Unit- with three friends of the our accommodation and
ed since the 60’s I hadn’t time, that this would be set off in pursuit of tickets
been to a Euro away until our first foray into Eu- for the match. I still have
the opportunity arose in rope. Having decided that no idea how many United
the 1977/78 season. Hav- a ferry and rail would be fans went on that trip but
ing won the FA Cup in the our best means of travel the city centre was buzz-
previous season (and hav- we set off not knowing ing with supporters drink-
ing thwarted a possible what to expect. ing and singing but gener-
treble for the Scousers), ally in good humour. Hav-
the 77/78 season saw After a relatively une- ing settled in a pub for a
great optimism amongst ventful journey to Paris couple of beers we started
United supporters and we started to meet up to ask around about ticket
qualification for the Cup with more United fans availability. We were di-
Winners Cup. During the who were making the rected to a pub where a
70’s it wasn’t uncommon same journey. The train French guy was selling
for United to take 15,000 south to St. Etienne was a tickets for the home end.
or more fans to domestic lively one and a fair few Having been told that tick-
away games and like beers consumed. ets for the away section
many lads around my age were near on impossible
there was a desire to ex- It became apparent that to find we decided that
tend our adventures into many on the trip, includ- the home end tickets were
Europe. ing myself and mates, our best option.
were travelling to the
The draw for the Cup game without tickets, but After a bite to eat and a
Winners Cup matched us which nobody thought couple of drinks or more
with St. Etienne, who would be a problem. We we set off to the game
were enjoying the most arrived in St. Etienne just with a little trepidation
successful period in their after midday on the day of not knowing what to ex-
history. I decided, along the game. We booked into pect. Entering the

Page 14
stadium it became appar-
ent that a fair number of
United fans had also ob-
tained tickets for the
home end. What followed
I can only say was abso-
lute mayhem. Groups of
French supporters started
attacking any United sup-
porters that they could.
Many of them were armed
with knives and the
French police quickly in-
tervened firing tear gas
into the crowd to disperse
the trouble.
Fans started to spill onto
the pitch and United sup-
porters were trying to
make their way to the
away section. A few Unit-
ed supporters were
injured, many were eject-
ed from the ground and
the rest, including myself,
made it into the away sec-
tion. The match was com-
pleted in a very volatile
atmosphere and ended in
a 1-1 draw. After the game
I returned to my hotel and
met back up with my ma-
tes. We decided our best
option was to stay at the
hotel and have a couple of
drinks there and get a
good night’s sleep in read-
iness for the journey
home. When we arrived
back in England the pa-
pers were full of the pre-
vious nights “riot.”
The initial reaction of
UEFA was to expel United
Page 15
from the competition,
however thankfully were
allowed to continue after
an appeal but with the
proviso that the second
leg was played at a ground
more than 200 miles from
Old Trafford. United
played the game at Plym-
outh’s ground and won 2-
0. Unfortunately we were
eliminated in the next
round by Porto.
I have been to many Eu-
ro aways since that game
but it was a baptism of
fire to say the least!!
By Keith Woodford
Keith is a lifelong United
supporter born in 1955 and
grew up in the era of Best, Law &
Charlton.
What have you made of the season so far?
To be honest I think in all the years I’ve supported United
this has been the strangest. We’ve been unbeaten for most of
it and I don’t know how to be honest, I think every United fan
would agree. We haven’t played the best. It’s almost like, for
me, three or four United players have been playing well
every game whereas the rest haven’t. It always seems to be
the same players playing well, and the same who aren’t. At
this time of the season we always talk about consistency but
it hasn’t really been that way this year. I don’t know what it
is really, I don’t know if we’re lacking quality in the squad.
But I’m sure if you’d said to Sir Alex and the players, and the
fans that we’d be top of the league five points clear with
eight games left of the season we’d take that every year.
We’re always there or thereabouts and the fact that we’re
top of the league without really playing well this season
means we’ve got a great chance. Looking at the fixture list
there are really only a couple of games that pop out, that’s
Chelsea and obviously Arsenal. I think if we can come togeth-
er we can definitely win the league – Rooney’s coming back
to form, Hernandez is chipping in the goals and Berbatov too
of course. But I do feel that we’ve had a really odd season but
let’s hope we can get to the end and across the finishing line.
You mentioned Rooney, what did you make of the con-
tract saga with him earlier this season?
I think it hurt the fans obviously that Wayne wanted to leave
but he had a point in terms of the squad. I’m sure that Sir
Alex and the board know that they need to strengthen. Giggs
and Scholes can’t go on forever, we all know that. I think we
need to replace those players with quality and we haven’t
done that in recent summers. We’ve bought players in who
are looking good, Valencia is looking brilliant, Hernandez is
looking brilliant, Smalling’s been great as well. These players
have been great additions but we’re still lacking another
world class midfielder, maybe even two. Scholes is still doing
it for us but he can’t play forever. Wayne was at a point when
he felt the club was lacking ambition – not ambition in terms
of the club not wanting to win and be the best club in the
world, I don’t think he was saying that – but compared to
other clubs around the division like Chelsea and Man City of
course, they’re going out and buying big players. We aren’t
really buying anyone, we’re just buying the odd young play-
er. But I think that’ll change in the summer, I’m quite confi-
dent that Sir Alex and the board will bring in some quality
players again and strengthen the squad for next season and
we’ll be back with that kind of squad from 2-3 years ago with
Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney and these sort of players when it
was really exciting to watch. I think the Wayne situation was
a massive shock to everyone, no-one expected Wayne to
leave but now he’s signed and he’s playing well, he’s com-
ing back into form and he’ll have many great years at
United.
You’re one of the few United fans who have been lucky
enough to play on the Old Trafford pitch, I bet that was
a fantastic experience. How much did you enjoy it?
Being from Essex I know I’ll never be accepted in some
United circles because I’m not from Manchester so you
always feel like you’ve got to try and convince the United
fans that I truly am a massive fan but y’know, I’m very
lucky really that I got to play at Old Trafford. It’s been a life
long dream to play there. Professional football was some-
thing I wanted to get into and I’ve played at Old Trafford
twice, for club and country, it’s amazing. To play with the
treble team, the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole at United Relief was
amazing. It was great and I can say it was a dream come
true.
Come on then what was better, getting a number one
single or playing at Old Trafford?
Old Trafford.
Really?
Without a doubt, it’s not even a hard question. Getting a
number one was fantastic and it will always be amazing
but when you’ve grown up breathing, living and just want-
ed to play football everyday to actually finally get to play
at the biggest club in the world, at the best stadium, on the
best pitch was brilliant. I’ve grown up watching them and I
think of all the great players who have come out on that
pitch, it was amazing.

Page
Page16
16
Being an Essex-boy, what made you start supporting
United?
Basically it was all down to when Leeds won the old First
Division, just before the start of the Premiership. My dad is a
United fan and he bought us kits for the season so I started
supporting them. They were also one of the first teams you
could be on computer games as well so I sort of fell in love
with them. It finally hit home around 95-96 when Beckham
scored against Villa I think. Here was this blonde haired guy
coming through from Essex and people were talking about
him. Then he scored the goal at Selhurst Park from the half
way line. I fell in love with Beckham and United even more.
It was easier for me to go to school where people supported
the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham, Tottenham and I
was able to turn around and say “Well I support Man United
and they’ve got David Beckham.”
With some players coming towards the end of their
careers, the likes of Van der Sar, Scholes and Giggs,
which particular players would you like to see replace
them?
I think for Giggs the one player that everyone’s talking about
that plays left sided is Gareth Bale. He was someone United
were interested in when he left Southampton to go to Tot-
tenham and we didn’t quite pull it off but now I think Bale
would be a fantastic addition to the team. I’d love to see the
number 11 shirt never to be worn again but I don’t suppose
that will happen. I think for Bale it would be a massive
opportunity for him. He’s the kind of player who could go on
to prove he is the best left winger in the country and if he
comes to Man United he can achieve that. Scholes – you’re
never going to replace this player but for me personally
there’s three players, Modric would be fantastic. Wesley
Sneijder at Inter Milan and also Schweinsteiger at Bayern
Munich would be a great signing as well, so those three for
me. It would be great to get an English player to play
Scholes’ role but I don’t think there is anyone as good as him
in the league. I still think Jack Rodwell would be good but
we need somebody who has flair. Van der Sar, again, you’re
never going to replace him. But there are some good keep-
ers across the country. Y’know what I think, there’s some-
thing about Shay Given. A lot of people haven’t spoken about
Shay and I know obviously crossing Manchester to come to
United might be a problem, I don’t think it’ll ever happen,
but he’s a fantastic goalkeeper. He’s got great experience, we
could still get a good 5 or 6 years out of Given.
Page17
Page 17
Murs vs Giggs
Soccer Aid 2010
“It was great and I can say it
was a dream come true.”
You do quite a bit of work with the MU Foundation, can
you tell us a bit about that?
Yeah we did a bit last year, I did various different events for
them. It’s great to be involved to help the kids of Manches-
ter United, it’s truly fantastic. I’m always open to John
Sheilds, the chief exec, if he ever needs me he knows to get
in contact. For me it’s great to get involved with Manches-
ter United and there’s only certain things you can do to try
and help out the club in some way, shape or form. The door
is always open if they need me. I did a performance for
their open training session and all the money for that was
going to go to the Foundation. Obviously I didn’t get paid
for that, it was to help out the club.
As you’ve said you have played and sang on the Old
Trafford pitch, have you met many of the players?
I met Wayne Rooney last year at the Player of the Year
awards which was wicked. I met and trained with Giggs for
Soccer Aid. Van der Sar came up to me and I did some
autographs for his kids, which was truly weird! I’ve tweet-
ed Rio a couple of times and he’s replied so that’s good. I
performed at Darren Fletcher’s wedding last year which
was a really great night. Being a United fan and being asked
by Darren Fletcher to do it was wicked, I was really hon-
oured. Anytime I can get up to see United train or play, I’m
always there so it’s great.
Finally, who’s your favourite player in the current
squad?
(long pause), erm…I’d have to say…I’ve got allegiances so
I’d have to say Fletcher. What I love about Fletch is that he
works like an absolute horse, he works, works, works. He’s
got great ability and he’s become one of the sought after
players at Old Trafford in midfield and he puts a good shift
in. He’s been brilliant for United. I really think he’s been
one of our best performers. He’s been really consistent
when we’ve played. He’s been out lately but he’ll come back
strong for the run in. And if we win the treble, well, it’ll
probably be the best we’ve won. With the players we’ve got
it would truly be a shock to most fans to go all the way. I
think most United fans would be happy with just winning
the 19th league title.
You can get a get a copy of Olly’s debut album
Olly Murs on Play.com
@ollyofficial
After plying his trade in Europe’s shanty town, Liverpool, Micky Owen spent most of his
investigative career embroiled in English and Spanish gambling cartels. That was until Sir
Alex Ferguson found him, floundering on a park bench at St. James’s Park and offered him
a contract to protect the integrity of the players & staff of Manchester United Football Club.
It was a normal Friday evening like any other. I was
at the card table sipping on a Gin and Lucozade. It
wasn’t my night, so I decided to call it a day. I waved
farewell to Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew who were
playing craps together in the corner, they were al-
ways playing craps. Two guys, one cup, enough said. I
nodded to Roman Abramovich as I left; he was sitting
in a lower position at the ‘premier table’ throwing
money at the game but not winning anything. As I
stepped outside there was a screech of tyres break-
ing…It was the SAF Mobile! I instinctively knew
something was wrong. Wazza and Ravel Morisson
didn’t even hang out round here. Micky Phelan
wound the window down and Sir Alex poked his head
out, he was chewing so hard I thought he was going to
dislocate his jaw! He thrust some print outs from the
tinterweb in to my hand and gestured for me to read.
The article was discussing the recent ‘Respect’ cam-
paign launched by the footballing authorities and in it
they were lambasting managers who had bought the
game into disrepute by inappropriately commenting
on referees. I agreed with the sentiment, especially
when names such as Wenger, Redknapp, Coyle and
Warnock were mentioned …But STOP THE PRESS!!!
The article went on to accuse Sir Alex himself of being
one of the main perpetrators of this heinous crime…
This was tantamount to treason. “Michael, Michael?”
Sir Alex shouted behind me as I limped off into the
night, but I didn’t have time to say goodbye, some-
thing would have to be done and fast.
After calling in a few contacts I received word from
Andy McNab via a long piece of string with a paper
cup on each end that he knew of the whereabouts of
the evidence that would undoubtedly clear Sir Alex’s
good name. McNab had worked with the S.A.S on a
similar case (when Alan and Chris were still at Black-
burn) so I knew I could trust him. I’d rented my all
terrain wheelchair to Hargo for the weekend so had
to make my way on my bionic legs, sometimes re-
ferred to as ‘crutches’. Sir Alex had already put the
press off the scent, issuing a statement that I had
“aggravated my groin in training and would be out for
another 2-3 weeks.”
In no time at all (about 12 days), I arrived at the
address in Cheshire McNab had painstakingly found
for me. Something terrible was afoot, I could see
Page 18
Cathy Ferguson, Sir Alex’s wife inside the property…
cooking! I let myself in via a patio door round the
back and made my way to the study to find the box
files I was looking for. With my instinctive nature
inside the box, I soon found what I was looking for.
The colour coding and alphabetised system also came
in handy. But then, the lights flicked on! I turned to
see Sir Alex standing over me and with an almighty
hairdryer he said “Looking for this wee Micky”?! He
put the almighty hairdryer down, explaining his hair
had really needed a good drying and placed down
beside it a document entitled ‘Timetable of voluntary
work for The Samaritans’. Sir Alex explained that he
had been shouting me the other night to see if I want-
ed a lift round to his house, where we were now, so he
could explain to me what was going on, but I’d disap-
peared before he could get my attention. Being a life
long volunteer for The Samaritans Sir Alex had been
scheduled to work on Saturdays through April and
‘man the phones’. The Glazers, being very uncharita-
ble folk, had refused Sir Alex compassionate leave and
suggested that revealing his caring nature may be
seen in the media and with rival clubs as a weakness
and had suggested he find an alternative means of
operating the phone lines on match days. As a final
twist, Sir Alex introduced me to their dinner guest
that evening and fellow Samaritans volunteer…Martin
Atkinson. They had come up with the whole covert
plan together. Martin added, “Sometimes I can’t
switch off from my voluntary charitable work and
give decisions to the less privileged players and clubs
who need a helping hand against United!” We all
heartily laughed. Case closed.
Due to its sensitive nature this article will self de-
struct on completion of its reading…………Oh you’re
still reading? Ok I’ll try and get that function sorted
for next time. If you’ve downloaded it as a hard copy,
then just burn it. If you’ve saved it to your hard drive
then chuck your laptop in the nearest incinerator,
Thank you.
I will not rest until the integrity of Manchester Unit-
ed is upheld. Keep ‘em peeled!
Image courtesy of www.deemointernational.com
By Brett Burgers
There is two sides to every argument, right? Steph and Paolo
are going head to head in the first FUFanzine Great Debate:
Should United fans forgive and forget Wayne Rooney’s early
season contract saga?

Page19
Page 19
 I still remember the moment when Fergie confirmed
that our star player, Wayne Rooney, wanted to leave
Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, be-
cause they didn’t match his ambition. That’s probably
the only thing I would never expect a United player to
say. Lacked ambition? Surely there was more to the
story than meets the eye. I wouldn’t surprise me if we
never hear exactly what happened during those few
days between Ferguson’s press conference and
Rooney signing a new contract, maybe we’ll find out in
Rooney’s fifth autobiography released when he retires.
Though, in truth, I’m not entirely sure I really care
what happened. I know a lot of United fans have strug-
gled to forgive Rooney over the last few months, how-
ever I am not one of them, and here I will explain why.
We choose which football club to support, normally
from a young age, and we follow them for the rest of
our lives. For many of us, supporting a football team
(especially one like United) consumes us each and
every day. Quite simply, we live our football club. I am
one of those people, Manchester United possess this
strange quality which can either make or break my
weekend (and sometimes my week). The joy I have
from watching them is unrivalled. I am sure I share
those feelings with fellow fans. Wayne Rooney,
though, isn’t a United fan – he’s a United employee and
therein lies the difference.
So often we, and here I’m referring to football fans
across the world, are sucked in by our players. We
believe they feel like we do about their clubs. Maybe
some of them do, the likes of Giggs, Neville, even *dare
I say it* John Terry, but most players, those bought
into the club, are unlikely to harbour those feelings.
Case in point, Mr. Rooney – once a blue, always a blue
according to the t-shirt he wore when playing for
Everton. His feelings weren’t going to change just
because he had a new boss and it’s unfair for us to
expect them to. Fernando Torres looked to be Liver-
pool through and through, even before his move to
England, now he’s struggling to score goals at Chelsea.
Essentially speaking it is our fault that we have this
firm belief player’s love the club as much as we do.
One of the only things I’d criticise Rooney for is his
dishonesty about the situation, don’t claim to love us if
Page
Page20
20
you don’t – simple. We all knew it was Ronaldo’s dream
to one day play for Real Madrid and as much as it hurt
losing him, I think every United fan could understand it.
Yes, Rooney’s situation is a little different but I’m not
sure it’s fair to expect pure dedication from a player
who we not only purchased, but grew up supporting a
different team.
However, I’ve digressed somewhat here, in essence I
think it’s time for our anti-Rooney fans to move on, get
over it and realise that as long as he is a Manchester
United player, we should be supporting him. For the
Rooney bashers out there let me ask you a simple ques-
tions…you’re not happy with your current employer so
tell them you’d like to leave but before you can look for
another job they offer you a nice big pay rise and tell
you everything will be ok – does it make you a bad
person if you remain with the same company? You
might sit there thinking this is a completely different
situation but how is it? Rooney’s job may be a little
flashier than ours but it is still his job nevertheless.
Since the debacle Rooney’s form is on the up – he is
scoring goals, playing well and pretty much pulled us
back from certain defeat at Upton Park almost single-
handedly. Finally we are talking about his one field
actions once again (even if that does include an elbow
and some profanities). At this pivotal time of the season
let’s get behind each and every one of our players, yes
even Darron Gibson, and show them why we are the
biggest club in the world. Until Wayne Rooney leaves
United whether it be via transfer or retirement, we
must support him. I have never agreed with the notion
of booing one of our own and whilst it is a select few
who still bare grudges against the player, Wayne
Rooney is one of us for the time being – whether you
like it or not.
 From a very young age I can remember sitting at
family lunches and football would always be brought
up. Being an Italian meant that the likes of Zoff, Rossi
and Maldini were always brought up in the conversa-
tion. My Nonno (Grandfather) would always say that
these men played with pride, they played because they
wanted to play for the club and did it with passion.
Money was not an issue. Later on, I was told about
players like Best, Charlton and Law. Players who
wanted to be at United, players who played with pride.
I am sure we can all agree that since 2009 it has been a
hard time for United fans, taking into account Ronaldo
leaving, the Glazer situation and missing out on the
league by one point. During this hard time we needed
a leader. Someone who was going to stand up for us on
the field, someone we could rely on to bring us suc-
cess. Wayne Rooney seemed to be that man. He was
brilliant in 2009/10 and we all expected the same
from him in 2010/11 season.
When the news broke about Rooney wanting to leave
I couldn’t believe it. I was furious with the player and
the situation we were in. It felt as we had been kicked
when were down. Our leader had turned into a Judas
and money got the better of him. The one player we all
knew would take this club forward had turned his
back on us. What is worse is that he fed us garbage
about “wanting to stay till his late 30’s and emulate
Giggs and Scholes.” What a load of nonsense that all
turned out to be. We should have known that when he
so easily turned his back on Everton he would do the
same to us.
I suppose the reason for my anger is that before his
“I want to leave United... oh you will pay me more mon-
ey? I will stay now” saga I was proud to say that
Rooney could one day be a United legend. In 30 years
time I would tell my grandchildren of the great Best,
Charlton, Cantona and Rooney. Now I will tell him how
the ‘hero’ of Old Trafford stabbed us in the back.
How can he expect the fans to ever be on his side
again after he lied? Yes he is staying now, but he has
shown his true colours. Maybe the only positive this
could have brought for us is that the Glazers might be
forced to give Sir Alex Ferguson money to buy news
players. Even with that said, it still not justification for
Page 21
manipulating us like a bunch of sheep. I genuinely
don’t know where Rooney’s loyalty is anymore, and at
this stage I feel as if he doesn’t deserve to wear the
shirt - a shirt worn by greats that would frown down
upon him for his actions.
I have seen some articles justifying Rooney’s
“transfer in, transfer out” by saying he is an employee
of Manchester United and he is right in asking for
more money. The only problem here is that playing for
United is not a job, it is a privilege. If you can’t see the
difference you don’t understand, and will never under-
stand what the club is about.
The rise of Hernandez has confirmed by desire in
wanting to see Rooney leave. Here is a lad who really
wants to play for United. Never mind the glamour and
money, he genuinely wants to be a United player. His
body langue on the field and his comments off the field
confirm that.
I remember when United accepted an offer from
Spurs for Ole.The only thing left was for Ole to sign. He
never did, and said “I would rather play for United
reserves than Spurs first team.” He did play in the
reserves and the rest is all history. These are the char-
acteristics I look for in a United player: pride, passion
a desire to be a Red and the money issue coming last.
If a player doesn’t show these attributes, in my opin-
ion, they would be better off sipping cocktails in Spain
or Italy.
Let’s hope for the best and see Rooney leave in the
summer and to be replaced by a local Salford lad who
will be the backbone of the team!
 Overseas Reds
As we all know Manchester United are one of the
most widely supported clubs across the world. Each
issue the fanzine will interview an overseas fan and
discuss their experiences of supporting the club.
Introducing Ambuj Gupta from India
What made you start supporting United?
This is a question that I am asked frequently
by anyone who knows that I am crazy about
United. And rather than giving the stereotype
answers like “they play beautifully,” “they
win” or “they have good players”; I say “even I
don’t know.” I mean, it was like an infatuation.
The moment I started watching football, I
knew United is my team. The first United
match I saw was the UEFA Champions League
match against Porto in which Ronaldo scored
from a nearly impossible distance in the 6th
minute. Since then, I have read innumerous
books, articles related to United and watched
the old United matches, like the 1999 FA Cup
semi-final, Munich final, the official United
history and everything I could lay my hands
on.
How well known are United in India?
United are perhaps the most followed team in
India, followed by Arsenal and since the arri-
val of Abrahimovic, Chelsea. Barcelona and
Real Madrid are also a common name in India.
We have United cafe-bars over here. Indian
telecom company, Bharti Airtel, recently
agreed a 5 year deal with United and so now
we expect United soccer schools to open up
shortly. For most of the ‘fans,’ United =
Rooney. You will find a lot of them sporting
United jerseys but on being asked to name
even ten United players, they go quiet. When
Iactively started blogging about United I had
to face various people accusing me of being a
Page 22
glory hunter etc. Yes, most of the Indian fans
follow United just because they win but then
for others, it’s just an obsession.
How big is football in India compared to
your other big sport, cricket?
India is basically a cricket obsessed nation.
You will find the streets deserted if a cricket
match is going on. People here live and
breathe cricket. But ever since the arrival of
the Premier League and perhaps growing use
of internet, the popularity of football has
grown leaps and bounds. Now you will find
more and more people talking about football,
mainly EPL and La Liga.
How do you go about watching their match-
es?
Most of United matches are shown on the TV
channels. Though, different tournaments get
telecast on different channels. Like for Carling
Cup, there is a different channel, for the FA
Cup there is another. Watching Champions
League matches or mid-week Premier League
matches is a pain. They start early morning at
around 1:30 AM and end at 3:30 AM because
of the difference in time zones. But then, any-
thing for United.
Is it expensive to watch United in India?
Nah, I don’t think so. A basic cable connection
is enough. Though if you decide to go to the
United cafe-bar, things get a bit expensive.
 Does supporting them have an impact on
your life with regard to work and leisure
time?
Alot! When I am not doing anything, I am on
my mobile phone, accessing internet, getting
regular United updates, reading the articles on
various blogs etc. I avidly follow the Football
United Blogs (especially the 60 second round-
up) along with various others like 7Cantonas,
writtenoffmufc, therepublikofmancunia etc. I
also write about football on a website
www.sportskeeda.com where most of my
articles are United related and my co-writers
often pull my leg for my obsession with Unit-
ed.
Have you ever been to Old Trafford?
Not yet. But it is now like a dream to come
over there and feel what it is like to be in the
stands, shouting at the peak of your voice,
supporting, taunting. Heaven.
Do you support any team in the Indian
leagues?
The condition of football in India is very poor.
You can put the blame on poor administration,
corruption or the supremacy of cricket. But
still, there are a few football teams in India
like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal. But no, I don’t
support any Indian football team.
What's been your favourite United
moment?
Since I started watching United, my favorite
moment has to be Michael Owen’s winner
against Manchester City in the Premier League
and Wayne Rooney’s winner against the same
opponents in the Carling Cup. Also, when
Ronaldo was here, every moment was special.
You just couldn’t take your eyes off the televi-
sion set. The guy would do impossible things
with the ball. Also, I know how joyous the year
1999 was for United fans. I have seen the Mu-
nich match tape over and over again and I
could still feel the chill running down my spine
whenever I hear the words, “Beckham into
Sheringham and Solskjaer has won it….”
Who is your favourite United player and why?
Considering the plethora of stars that United
have produced over the years, it’s impossible
for me to pick up a single player. From the
current players, Gary Neville (yeah I know he
is retired now) is my favorite. The guy gives
his all whenever he wears the United shirt and
Page 23
never gives up and that is what United is all
about, never giving up. From the youngsters,
Anderson is my favorite. Although at the mo-
ment he is not performing up to the mark but
he has enormous potential to become the best
midfielder in the world. He just needs to be a
bit more consistent. Also, Macheda is another
youngster I simply adore. I just wish he re-
turns to Old Trafford from Sampdoria at the
end of the season. Though I haven’t watched
him play live, Roy Keane is one player I ad-
mire. I was reading his quotes the other day
and I couldn’t help but smirk when I read this:
“Patrick Vieira is 6 foot 4, and he starts having
a go at Gary Neville, so I said come and have a
go at me. Simple as that. He's trying to intimi-
date my players and I’m not having it." I mean,
he was a fantastic leader, the kind of player
that we don’t see much often now days.
Indian players have yet to force their way
into the English Premier League, why do
you think that is?
The only reason is the poor administration
and the lack of facilities. Just the other day, I
read about a 15 year old Indian boy who was
selected to play in American Soccer League
but the boy had no money to buy decent foot-
ball kit. The website I write for took the initia-
tive and started a campaign to collect a partic-
ular sum of money for him. The nation is simp-
ly obsessed with cricket and a very little atten-
tion is paid to other sports. Even then, there
are a few who have performed well. Sunil
Chhetri is in MLS team and played against
United when they visited USA for the pre-
season.
Name: Jesse Ellis Lingard
Born: Warrington, 15th December 1992
Position: Midfielder
When I first started watching the Manchester Unit-
ed youth teams the first thing I noticed was how big
the opposition were in comparison to our lads. Sides
like Blackburn, Wolves, West Brom, Birmingham,
Derby and particularly Manchester City were full of
giants!
“Check his birth certificate!”
I wish I had a pound every time some wag from the
sidelines yelled that one out…but it was true, visiting
teams seemed to select players not on their foot-
balling ability, but on how big they were!
While at U/18 level our boys had developed suffi-
ciently to compete, at the lower levels it was men
against boys. The bigger, more physical lads of Leeds
or Huddersfield used their strength to win games…
and believe me, even at 15 years old every visiting
team wanted to beat Manchester United.
Of course we have always had a different philoso-
phy, focusing on technical skill, passing, movement
and teamwork. An ethos reinforced by Rene Muelen-
steen and now integrated across our Academy.
So back in 2007 I had the shock of my life when I
saw three boys take the field who looked about ten
years old. Brad Byrne, Larnell Cole and Jesse Lingard
lined up for the U/16’s after being promoted from the
year below. Comedians would have had a field day…
most people on the sideline did! Yet when the game
kicked off, all three boys just got on with it…passing
the ball the Manchester United way, asking for the
ball, moving into position.
Page 24
I would like to tell you that football won that day…
but the smaller boys were completely knocked out of
their stride and Leeds won comfortably. I asked a few
people afterwards and it became clear that United
valued all three lads very highly.
“Just wait until they get older…they will come into their
own!”
Although Brad moved on to another club, both
Larnell and Jesse proved that skill can win over
brawn.
So when I was at Stamford Bridge a couple of weeks
ago for the FA Youth Cup semi-final, I allowed myself
a wry smile as Larnell Cole ran the Chelsea midfield
ragged and Jesse Lingard scored a peach of a goal to
put the Reds back in the game.
Their time had most definitely come!
Born to a Jamaican father and English mother, Jesse
Ellis George was in born in Warrington some sixteen
miles west of Manchester. A pupil at St. Margaret’s
Infant School, his natural ability with a football was
evident from an early age despite his size. Crewe
Alexandra offered him a ten-year deal, however, after
being ‘spotted’ at a youth tournament at Great San-
key, he originally joined Liverpool for a year when he
was six years old.
Twelve months later, Lingard, who had taken up his
mothers name after his parents separated, joined
Manchester United, the team he had always support-
ed and he started progressing through the junior
 ranks. At the same time he played local football
for Beechfield JFC and later Fife Rangers turning
out in the Solvay Hilden League. Meanwhile the
United coaching staff were not phased by Jesse’s
lack of physical presence, as his technical ability
and willingness to ‘get stuck in’ were the types
of qualities they wanted.
Jesse was named ‘Player Of The Year’ in his
last year at William Beaumont Sports College
and was soon a regular in the United U/16 side.
In 2007/08 he was offered a scholarship and
joined his MUFC teammates at Ashton-on-
Mersey School.
At the beginning of the term he impressed the
England U/16 manager Kenny Swain enough to
be invited for the schoolboy trials at Burton but
was overlooked for the final squad. For most of
that campaign Lingard was a mainstay of the
U/16’s, often captaining the team, a clear sign of
how well he was regarded within the set-up.
Then as the season drew to a close, he was sur-
prisingly called up into the England U/17 squad
to participate in the Nordic Tournament in
Sweden. Jesse featured in three of the national
sides four matches and while he was not able to
help England win the competition, it was invalu-
able experience.
The 2008/09 campaign saw Lingard continue
his development in the U/16’s while the more
developed lads such as Tunnicliffe and Morrison
moved up into the U/18’s. Although slight, Jesse
had a complete range of passing, good vision
and wonderful temperament. He made his Acad-
emy bow in the final league game against Black-
burn Rovers on the 6th of May, scoring the Reds
first goal in a 3-2 victory.
Page 25
2009/10 saw Jesse move up into the U/18’s
and he became an integral part of Paul McGuin-
ness’ team, making 20 appearances…albeit most
of those were from the substitutes bench. It was
also from the dugout that he made his FA Youth
Cup debut, replacing Davide Petrucci in the 5-1
away win over Burnley.
In a recent MUTV interview, Eamon Mulvey
(Technical Skills Development Coach), talked
openly about the clubs policy to focus on tech-
nical development and be patient with boys
such as Lingard and Cole. That patience has
certainly paid off as Jesse has been an invaluable
member of this years successful FA Youth Cup
team that has reached the final where they will
play Sheffield United over two legs. Jesse has
made three starts, scoring that all important
goal at Chelsea and it is hoped that he can add to
his tally before the season is out. He has also
been a regular in the U/18’s all term, vying for
his place in a very competitive midfield. While
Tunnicliffe brings the steel and Pogba the
prescence…lads like Jesse bring the free flowing
football of pass and move…the Busby way. In
fact, Matt Busby once said…if you are good
enough then it doesn’t matter how old you are!
When Busby introduced Eddie Colman into the
first team I seem to recall him also saying…if you
are good enough then it doesn’t matter how big
you are!
Step forward Jesse…you are following in some
great footsteps!
By Tony Park
Tony has been a season ticket holder for 20 years.
He has been following the youth side since the late
1970’s. Tony is currently co-writing a book on the
history of the United youth team.
 The Stretford End, officially named the West Stand, has long been
known as United’s premier area on matchday. Here, two season
ticket holders discuss their recent experiences.
Here we are, the business end of the season.
Squeaky Bum Time as the now famous saying
goes and we got to witness two games of foot-
ball that could not be more different if you
made them wear helmets and use an oval
shaped ball.
First of all we had Fulham. The thing that
struck me about this was the weather, strange-
ly enough, beautiful sunshine enabling me to
break out the floral shorts for the first time
since I care to remember. However, for a hugely
important game that was just as much a 'must-
win' as the following two games, it lacked the
nervousness and tension that the teams of old
have created, there was no going behind, no
wasted opportunities and as a contest was over
when Valencia scored our second just after the
half hour, and boy you could tell.
There are not many games I have attended at
Old Trafford that have been instantly forgetta-
ble, Bursaspor earlier in the season was possi-
bly the first due to sheer lack of anything hap-
pening but this game is now part of the not-so
illustrious club. Against a Fulham team that
were clearly there just because they had to be,
the team and fans seemed to make the most of
the sun, topping up our tans and waiting for the
Grand National result to come in.
Then came Chelsea, with all that money they
took from that big Russian crook (and they'll
never win three in a row), in the Champions
League, with a vital away goal brought back to
Old Trafford you could sense the confidence.
However, for such a big game the atmosphere
was terrible in comparison to the heights it has
reached for similar games in recent years. After
two minutes you knew it was going to be a
Page 26
constant battle with 'Steptoe,' the steward from
our block, ordering people to sit down, thus
ruining the momentum our block had gathered,
and if you read my first article, you know how
strongly I feel about the whole crowd momen-
tum issue.
After a while a large proportion of the stand
decided to ignore him and stand regardless,
allowing the 'prawn-sandwich' brigade to up
and leave, some with 25 minutes left on the
clock! Oh well, these prawn sandwichers also
missed the sheer euphoria or watching Park
bang one in past Petr Cech to virtually seal the
tie.
So, with two home games played, my heart
hasn't been put under half as much stress in the
previous seasons with late winners and come
from behind wins. Which means one of two
things, the team has learnt how to get ahead
early in games and stay there, or, there is a lot
of drama to come in the final weeks of the sea-
son. I'll take a guess at the latter and get my
cardiologist on speed dial!
As with last month’s article, I have one final
word, aimed at the stewards who earn their
money parading the concourses and stairwells
at Old Trafford.
We're Man United, we'll stand if we want!
By Chris Bennett
Chris has been a season ticket holder for two years
and a regular matchday goer for eight. His favourite
former players are Eric Cantona and Denis Irwin.
Although his favourite current player is Paul
Scholes he is, in his own words, developing a man-
crush on Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.

I’m not going to lie. That really hurt. A fantas-
tic day spoilt by a lapse in concentration. It just
didn’t seem fair yet we got what we deserved.
The Wembley Manchester Derby Experience
was an odd one to say the least. Driving down
to London, it was astonishing to see the amount
of coaches travelling both United and City fans,
even more astonishing to see a car with a Unit-
ed AND a City scarf hanging out the window!
As for the game itself, I’m still at a loss as to
why we simply never came out for the second
half. The momentum that you usually feel when
we’re attacking and chasing a game just wasn’t
there. It all felt a bit flat really. Walking away
from the stadium, it was hilarious to find nu-
merous City fans taunting us with “You can
shove your treble up your arse!” True, we can,
but at least we’ve won one you bitter bastards.
So the unlikely treble dream may be dead but
we’re still fighting on all fronts. By the time this
goes to print, we will be in the middle of our
Champions League semi-final with Schalke.
Everything is set for a memorable night at Old
Trafford as we look to book our place in our 3rd
European final in four years; a simply incredi-
ble achievement if we can pull it off. Make no
mistake, what we are on the brink of achieving
doesn’t happen often and it’s even more special
considering we have been written off all year
by pundits, journalists and opposing support-
ers. It’s hard to blame them for writing us off
though. Who would have thought we’d be here
after dropping points at Fulham & Everton,
blowing a two goal lead at home to West Brom
and going through the Wayne Rooney saga?
Page 27
Speaking of Rooney, how good has he been
lately? His hat-trick at West Ham was season-
defining in the same way that Macheda (v Aston
Villa), Hargreaves (v Arsenal) & Kettleneck (v
Blackburn) were in previous title-winning cam-
paigns. My friends & I often talk about those
moments. Moments which feel absolutely huge
and make you feel unbeatable. Here’s to a cou-
ple of them in the upcoming games against
Arsenal & Chelsea.
Enough has been written about Wazza’s goal
celebration at Upton Park and subsequent two
match ban by the Football Association. It was a
mind-boggling decision and had more than an
air of skulduggery about it. All of these things
will just make any success we have this season
all the sweeter. The same can be said about
losing to the bitters. While I love the FA Cup
and value it highly as a trophy, it would pale
into insignificance if we can get to #19 and
make it back to Wembley at the end of May. For
this team to do that would surely rank as one of
Fergie’s greatest achievements.
The atmosphere against Chelsea was brilliant.
We need to keep that level of noise up for the
remainder of the season, home and away to
help the lads finish the job. It feels like we’re on
the verge of something special and I think that’s
why the anti-Glazer chants have quietened
down somewhat. Everybody seems to be focus-
ing on the team and what they can achieve. I
think this is a good thing. I also believe this kind
of support is down to the “them versus us” atti-
tude that United have created. We’re all rallying
around the lads and showing that nobody is
going to stop us winning this title.
So Martin Atkinson, David Bernstein, Man-
chester City; enjoy your moments in the spot-
light. It won’t last. We’re Man United. And we’ll
never die.
By Will Davenport
Will is 24 and been going to Old Trafford for ten years,
however this is his first as a Season Ticket holder.
Despite being from the Wirral, on Merseyside, his whole
family are United fans and his uncle, Peter Davenport,
played for the club from 1985-89.
Simply The Best
On 22nd May George Best would have been
65 years old. Many argue he was United’s
greatest ever player. Sadly most of us who
work on this magazine were not fortunate
enough to witness him play first hand.
Rachel has written a moving tribute to the
Northern Irish winger.

Page28
Page 28
 “I think I’ve found you a genius,” Manchester
United scout Bob Bishop’s telegram pro-
claimed to United manager Sir Matt Busby
when he discovered George Best at the age of
just 15 in Belfast. He wasn’t wrong. The wing
wizard was phenomenal with the ball at his
feet and is widely regarded as one of the
world’s best ever footballers. He could beat
players, score goals and use both feet in a way
that few, if anyone else, could. Republic of
Ireland and Leeds midfielder Johnny Giles
described Best as “the most naturally gifted
player I have ever seen. He had the lot: balance,
pace, two good feet, he was brave, strong and a
good header of the ball. Pele wasn’t as gifted as
George Best and I would definitely put George
above Johan Cruyff because he had more heart.”
Best would have been 65 on the 22nd of the
this month if he hadn’t unfortunately passed
away on the 25th of November 2005 due to
multiple organ failure in relation to his ongo-
ing alcohol problems. To celebrate the birth-
day of a United legend I have taken some time
to have a look into his life.
Best grew up in Cregagh, Belfast. His local
club Glentoran had deemed him too small and
light to become a footballer but Manchester
United thought differently. He was given a
trial and signed up before making his debut
for the club in September 1963 at the age of
17 against West Brom. He got his first goal for
the club in his second game in December of
that year against Burnley. The youngster went
on to make 26 appearances for the club that
season, scoring six goals. United were howev-
er pipped to the league by Liverpool, but
would win the title in Best’s second season
which ended in 1965. He played 59 games that
season, scoring 14 goals, 10 of which came in
the league. He won the league again with Unit-
ed in 1967. That season he made 45 appear-
ances, scoring 10 goals, all of which came in
the league. He scored over 20 goals in each of
the next five seasons for the club.
The season he really shone was however
1967-68. United failed to win the league but
Best made 53 appearances and scored an
impressive 32 goals. That season United be-
came the first English team to win the Europe-
an Cup with a 4-1 victory against Benfica. The
game entered extra time with the team’s level
at 1-1. Best then scored United’s second be-
fore they added two more. His pace saw him
Page 29
beat the last defender before he took the ball
around the keeper to slot home. A goal worthy
of winning any cup final. That year he was
voted European Footballer of the Year and the
Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the
Year. The victory was particularly special for
the club having come just ten years after the
Munich air crash tragedy that had killed eight
of Sir Matt Busby’s brilliant young team. Denis
Law, another United legend, who played
alongside Best has stated of the Irishman
“from 1964 to 1969 he was the best player in
the country.” He was the club’s top scorer for
six consecutive seasons and was the top scorer
in the league for the 1967-1968 season. Sir
Bobby Charlton, who also played with Best has
said “anyone who witnessed what George could
do on the pitch wished they could do the same.
He was on a par, at least, with anyone you can
name.” It’s been said that they have a saying in
Northern Ireland “Maradona good. Pele better.
George Best.” Even Pele himself named George
Best as the greatest player in the world. Sir
Matt Busby also once said “he was able to use
either foot, sometimes he seemed to have six.”
You don’t get much bigger praise from such
great names in the football world.
Best quit United in 1974, aged just 27. He
had made 470 appearances for the club and
scored 179 goals over the 11 seasons he had
been there. He spent the rest of his career at
various different clubs including teams from
South Africa, Ireland, USA, Scotland and Aus-
tralia. In England he had brief spells at Ful-
ham, Bournemouth and Stockport. He also
scored nine goals for the Northern Ireland
national team from 37 appearances. Best has
many memorable goals, arguably none more signifi-
cant than the one in the European Cup final. One of
his greatest goals was for American side San Jose
Earthquakes in 1981 against Fort Lauderdale Strik-
ers, intricately weaving his way through a multi-
tude of defenders in the box before netting. Most
impressive of all, Best also managed the quite
astonishing achievement of netting six goals in one
game for United against Northampton Town in the
1970 FA Cup fifth round.
The football world was rocked when Best died,
even if it wasn’t a huge shock. His difficulties with
alcohol had gone on a long time, ultimately leading
to his death. It had impacted his career as well as
his personal life. Denis Law said “It’s sad as hell but I
don’t think we saw the best of him. He went on the
blink at a time when he could have got even better.”
Alex Ferguson also paid tribute to him explaining
“he was a fantastic player. Everybody at United re-
garded George as being one of the greatest of all
time. It’s very sad because he was a wonderful per-
son, who was very likeable.” Sir Bobby Charlton
stated after he died “he made an immense contribu-
tion to the game, and enriched the lives of everyone
that saw him play. It is a very sad day.”
Only being 25 myself, I obviously wasn’t around
when George Best was playing. I asked my dad, a
lifelong United fan, if George Best was really as
good as they say and he simply replied “absolutely.”
I guess we will never know how much more Best
could have achieved if his career hadn’t gone into
decline following his departure from United. He
lived a flamboyant lifestyle that led to his alcohol-
ism which was always going to impact on his ability
to remain a top player. I’m not however here to
criticise the mistakes he made in his life but to
acknowledge and celebrate his ability and success
at United. He might not have won the most trophies
of all United’s players but he is a massive part of
our clubs history and had a hand in helping the
team back to the top. A fantastic, exciting footballer
who lived life to the full.
Happy birthday George, a genius with a football,
the very best.
Page 30
OH HOW I MISS GEORGIE BEST
By John White
Well young Georgie was living in Burren Way on the south
side of Castlereagh,
And the folks around there thought for football he was an
awesome sight,
One day that skinny kid will make it I heard someone say,
Coz he’s out kickin’ ball against the gable wall halfway
through the night.
And his teacher thought he was crazy as he described his
lunchtime lob,
For Georgie knew it was gonna be the same old line or two,
Georgie do this and Georgie do that or you’ll never get a job,
The words were different but they still did not get through.
One day this man approached him, said son Bob Bishop is my
name,
I’ve been watching you play, you’re the best boy in the side,
So I’d like you to travel to Old Trafford and have yourself a
game,
And Georgie asked him if his mate Eric could go along for the
ride.
All the world loved Georgie Best, for he was the Belfast boy,
Men, women and children, of Georgie they were in awe,
And when he played for United, Georgie gave the fans so
much joy,
Coz he played alongside the greats, Bobby Charlton and Denis
Law.
Bob Bishop thought he could make it and that’s good enough
for me,
So United watch out coz the Belfast boy’s comin’ to town,
Matt Busby said when they got there someone would pick
them up at three,
But all Georgie could think of is don’t let the family down.
It was hard when the two boys got there, all they had was one
another,
And after only a few weeks, Georgie and Eric grew homesick,
Lying alone in bed at night Georgie longed to be with his
mother,
When he left Manchester some said there goes a kid whose
only got one trick.
But Matt Busby called his dad and said Georgie could make it
in the side,
He said your son is a genius, and I’ll make sure he’s just fine,
So Georgie went back, and his mum and dad were full of
pride,
Don’t worry said Georgie you’ll see, I’ll make it this time.
But now George is no longer with us, for he’s playing in
heaven’s team,
As he skips through the clouds putting defenders to the test,
Georgie’s playing with the greats, every schoolboy’s dream,
Oh, how I miss Georgie Best.
 Over the years there have been a number of players who we hoped would
sign for our club. Some of them have come pretty close, some agonisingly so,
but for a variety of reasons it was not to be. Here Steph takes a look at a
selection of footballers who could have so easily been donning the famous
red shirt of Manchester United and plying their trade at Old Trafford.
with United but it wasn’t all doom and gloom…
Ronaldinho instead of signing the Brazilian United moved for a
different player, a Portuguese teenager, you may
There is no more logical place to start than with the remember him – Cristiano Ronaldo.
Brazilian who, at the time, was set to become one of
the best players on the planet. In 2003 French side,
PSG, finished a lowly 11th position in Ligue 1 thus
failing to qualify for European competitions. Ronaldi-
nho, understandably, declared he wanted to leave the
club. United had been linked with the player for some
time and no more so than during the summer of 2003,
having just sold David Beckham to Real Madrid. Unit-
ed faced stiff competition from Spanish giants, Barce-
lona, who has just appointed Jan Laporta as the club
president. Lapora brought in Brazilian Sandro Rosell
to the Barca board. Rosell had previously been Nike’s
representative in Brazil and made a number of signifi-
cant contacts including Ronaldinho and his agent
brother. When both United and Barca made their
interest known in Ronaldinho PSG officials had both
Rosell and United Chief-Executive, Peter Kenyon, at
Michael Essien
neighbouring hotels in Lyon (unbeknown to one
Maybe not the most obvious but Essien actually had a
another). PSG officials, quite literally, walked between
trial at United as a teenager. In 2000, 17 year old
the two hotels as the clubs continued to outbid one
Essien, travelled to Manchester for a week’s trial in
another. The price found its way up to €30m (£20m)
which he trained with the youth side. A move never
before Rosell pulled out of the running. Kenyon soon
materialised due to issues with Essien’s work permit
met the asking price and he returned to Manchester
and instead the player moved to French side, Bastia,
on the premise that the deal was done. A few days
before transferring to Lyon. As we all know Essien is
later PSG received United’s official offer from Kenyon
now employed by United’s rivals Chelsea, following
via fax, stating €28m as opposed to the originally
his £24.4m transfer in 2005. Of his time at United,
agreed fee. Francis Graille, PSG President, wasn’t
Essien says: "I remember being there and thinking
impressed with Kenyon and offered Ronaldinho to
'Wow, this is the biggest club in the world’.”
Barca for their offer of €27m. Kenyon called Graille
directly and made a last ditch offer of €30m however
he Frenchman felt insulted by Kenyon and refused his
offer. The Manchester United squad were on a plane
to America at the time for a pre-season tour and they
believed that the transfer was almost finalised. By the
time they landed they discovered Ronaldinho was
due to sign for Barca. Ferguson was furious at Kenyon
and the latter moved to Chelsea two months later. We
can all wonder what Ronaldinho might have achieved

Page 31
 Paul Gascoigne
Perhaps the biggest what if? Not just for what Gazza
could have achieved on the pitch had he joined United
but what may or may not have happened to him off it.
By 1988 Gazza was looking to move from Newcastle
United, where he had begun his career. Both United
and Spurs has put offers in for the player and Gazza
had told Ferguson he would joined United. Ferguson
went on holiday safe in the knowledge that Gazza
would be a United player for the start of the 1988-89
campaign. However he was soon met with the news
that the midfielder has signed for Spurs after the
London side had offered to purchase a house for Gaz-
za’s family. Gazza sought a move to Old Trafford in
1995 when he was playing for Lazio however by this
point Fergie wasn’t interested. Both Gascoigne and
Ferguson have since talked of their regret at not
forming a football partnership.
Alan Shearer
Shearer was first linked with United in 1991, when he
was still playing at Southampton however the for-
ward vowed to remain at the club for the season.
United moved for the player again the following sum-
mer, however were outbid by Blackburn Rovers, who
paid £3.3m for him. United tried to sign Shearer once
more in 1996 following his impressive display at the
European Championships. Newcastle were also in the
frame and Blackburn accepted bids from both clubs.
It is thought that Shearer was set to move to Man-
chester however Keegan persuaded the striker to sign
for the Magpies following an 11th hour plea. Shearer
has since revealed that he would have moved to Unit-
ed first time around whilst as Southampton but they
took too long to get the deal done. “There was inter-
est from Manchester United, but I was told I had to
wait three or four weeks for them to get the money
together. I felt if they really wanted me then they
would come and get me immediately.”

Zinedine Zidane
Admittedly United weren’t actually close to ever sign-
ing the greatest footballer of his era but Eric Cantona
revealed that Fergie did have the opportunity to sign
the Frenchman in 1996. Cantona recommended
Zidane to United officials in 1996, prior to his move to
Juventus. “Yes he was in Bordeaux, he was young, he
was free and I recommended him of course. They went
to see him in a few games and maybe he wasn’t in his
best form. I think so because Ferguson knows football
perfectly.”

Do you collect Manchester United programmes & memorabilia?

Then why not join the Manchester United Collectors Club?

You will receive six, 20 page newsletters per year covering every
type of
memorabilia.

For further details send a SAE to -

IAIN MCCARTNEY, 7 CARTHA ROAD, LOCHVALE, DUMFRIES DG1 4JB

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Page32
Page 32
 April form: WWWWLDWW
10 points taken from a possible 12 in the Premier League
A trip to Wembley
And one step in the door of the Champions League final
Rachel takes a look at United’s performances in April

02/04/2011
West Ham (A) - Premier League – 4v2 - win
Goals - Rooney (65, 73 and 79) Hernandez (84)
Attendance - 34, 546
Two first half penalties saw West Ham take the lead at
Upton Park. Noble tucked both away to give United an
uphill struggle for points. Vidic was also fortunate to escape
a red card. Rooney however gave United hope 25 minutes
from time, converting a free kick from just outside the box.
He then scored again to bring United level. A great touch in
the box saw him take the ball away from the West Ham
defenders before he hit a powerful shot into the goal.
Rooney then completed his hatrick and United’s comeback
with a penalty. Hernandez scored with 6 minutes remain-
ing to top off a glorious turn around from the reds.

06/04/2011
Chelsea (A) - Champions League quarter final 1st leg -
1v0 - win
Goals - Rooney (24)
Attendance - 37,915
United took a precious one goal lead into the second leg
courtesy of a very much in form Wayne Rooney. The goal
was brilliantly worked, with Carrick finding Giggs with a
pinpoint long pass out to the left wing. Giggs took a won-
derful first touch which saw him beat Bosingwa. He then
played a perfectly weighted ball into Rooney who stroked
the ball past Cech and into the goal with his first touch.
Chelsea had their own chances with Drogba hitting the
post, Evra having to clear off the line from Lampard and
Van Der Sar making a great save from Torres. Chelsea could
also have had a penalty late on. United however more than
matched Chelsea throughout and defended very well, par-
ticularly with Ferdinand back.
09/04/2011
Fulham (H) - Premier league - 2v0 - win
Goals - Berbatov (12) and Valencia (32)
Attendance - 75,339
United made 8 changes to the team that faced Chelsea 3
days before this game with Rooney serving the first game of
his two match ban. The changes didn’t however stop them
taking the lead 12 minutes into the game through Berbatov.
Nani assisted the Bulgarians 22nd goal of the season having
initially beaten two players himself, although there was
certainly a hint of offside. Valencia doubled United’s lead
before half time with a close range header following a de-
flected Nani cross. Fulham improved in the second half but
United finished the game comfortably extending their lead at
the top to 10 points.
12/04/2011
Chelsea (H) - Champions League quarter final 2nd leg -
2v1 - win
Goals - Hernandez (43) and Park (77)
Attendance - 75,000
United had a goal disallowed for offside before Hernandez
gave United a lead on the night just before the interval. John
O’Shea played a great pass to Giggs on the right wing who
broke into the box and played an inviting ball across the goal
for Hernandez to smash in from close range. Ramires was
sent off in the second half for his second bookable offence,
making Chelsea’s fight back even harder. The ten men did
however find an equaliser through Drogba who had come on
at half time for the ineffective Torres. Chelsea had barely
finished celebrating when United scored again to all but end
the tie. Giggs found Park who slotted the ball past Cech to
book United’s place in the semi finals.
16/04/2011
Man City (N) - FA Cup - 0v1 - defeat
Attendance - 86,549
United started the game the brighter with Joe Hart making a
great stop from a Berbatov shot following some slick United
passing. Berbatov then fired over the bar from point blank

Page 33
range. City improved as the half went on, creating chances of
their own with Balotelli testing Van Der Sar from distance.
Neither team could however break the deadlock in the first
half. A mistake from Van Der Sar then Carrick led to City
however taking the lead early in the second half. Yaya Toure
took advantage, stealing the ball before slotting it between
Van Der Sars legs and in. City pushed hard for a second
before Hart pushed a Nani free kick onto the bar. Paul
Scholes was then sent off with 20 minutes to go making
United’s task even more difficult. United unfortunately could
not find an equaliser with their ten men.

19/04/2011
Newcastle (A) - Premier League – 0v0 - draw
Attendance - 49,025
United started well with Tim Krul making a good save from a
close range Hernandez shot following a nice ball over the top
for Rooney to cross. Newcastle then showed some attacking
threat, creating some good chances in an open start to the
game which was dominated by Newcastle. United continued
to look off the pace, giving the ball away too easily and creat-
ing very little. The first half ended goalless. United improved
in the second half and Giggs should have put them ahead
with 20 minutes to go. Both teams had penalty shouts, with
missing a great chance when free in the box. Hernandez did
Hernandez harshly booked for diving in stoppage time.
get the ball in the net early in the second half but it was
Neither team could find a breakthrough with a draw a fair
deemed offside. Finally, after more pressure, United took the
result given how well both had defended. The draw took
lead through Giggs. He ran onto a delightful Rooney through
United 7 points clear of Arsenal having played a game more.
ball and scored past Neuer. Rooney then doubled the lead
barely 2 minutes later. Hernandez passed to Rooney who
23/04/2011 calmly slid the ball into the goal. Evra almost made it 3 late
Everton (H) - Premier League - 1v0 - win on but United finished with a two goal advantage to take
Goals - Hernandez (83) back to Old Trafford in the second leg.
Attendance - 75,300
United rested some key figures in preparation for the up-
Player of the month
coming Champions League game but still dominated the first
The fan vote was a close one this month with Rooney and
half. They had lots of possession but continued to fall short
Hernandez getting 25% of the votes each. Giggs however
in the final third. This was a combination of good defending
won the poll with 29%. He has been sensational this month
from Everton and poor final balls from United. Everton
as he has been all his career. He became the oldest player to
chances were few and far between and it did feel like they
ever score in the Champions League with the crucial first
had come to Old Trafford for a draw. With less than ten
goal against Schalke. He has also been involved in a large
minutes to go it looked like United were going to draw a
portion of Uniteds other goals this month. He assisted Her-
blank for a third game running despite hitting the post and
nandez’s goal against West Ham in the league and even more
Howard making some good stops. With 83 minutes played
importantly all three Champions League goals against Chel-
however, Valencia whipped in a cross to the back post which
sea in the quarter final. Not bad for a 37 year old. No one
was brilliantly headed in by Hernandez. It was the Mexicans
would deserve some silverware this season more than Unit-
19th goal of the season and what a crucial goal it could prove
ed’s most loyal servant. Although I expect he is running out
to be. United played out the last few minutes without con-
of room for all his medals. He is irreplaceable.
ceding, taking them one step closer to the league title.

Goal of the month

26/04/2011
Rooney’s second goal against West Ham and Giggs’ goal
Schalke - (A) - Champions League semi final first leg - 2v0 -
against Schalke received 16% of the fan vote each this
win
month, but Rooney’s goal against Chelsea was deemed goal
Goals - Giggs (67) and Rooney (69)
of the month with 35%. The goal was not just beautifully
Attendance - 54,000
worked but it also gave United a crucial away goal in the tie
United completely dominated the first half of the game,
which we know can be so important at this stage of the
creating chance after chance. Unfortunately Schalke keeper
Champions League. It also won the game which showed we
Neuer was in excellent form, keeping out Rooney, Park,
can win at Stamford Bridge again. Carrick, who has taken a
Hernandez and Giggs on more than one occasion. United
fair bit of stick this season, played a great ball out to Giggs on
were somewhat wasteful as well, missing chances that could
the wing. The Welsh wizard then took a wonderful first
have given them a vital away goal. Schalke had a few chances
touch to take the ball beyond Bosingwa. His pass in the box
of their own but none really tested Van Der Sar. The second
was then perfectly placed for Rooney to stroke home.
half saw more great saves from Neuer as well as Giggs

Page 34
Having already faced Chelsea three times in the space of six weeks during
March and April, United are gearing up to a climatic Premier League
finale facing the reigning Champions on the 8th May. The Chelsea Blog
gives us an insight into life as a Chelsea fan plus why the Torres bashers
need to lay off him.

We have to start with the
Champions League, what did
you make of the two legs?
I think it would have been nice if
we’d played for more than half
an hour over the two legs. In a
weird way though, losing the
first leg made it easier to take
when we went out because I’d
more or less accepted that was
how it would go.
Chelsea have been afforded
quite a bit of luck against Unit-
ed in recent games prior to the
European matches, would you
agree with that?
If I have my arguing head on, I
might go for the ‘black is white’
approach to that but yeah, it’s
fair to say we’ve had a few be-
nevolent refs. I’m one of those
fans who think these things do
tend to even themselves out
though and whilst the oppor-
tunity to come away from the
first leg with a 1-1 might have
made that difference for us in the
Champions League, we probably
did owe you a decision.
It's been an up and down sea-
son for Chelsea, you started so
well, what instigated the col-
lapse in November?
Most supporters would point to
Ray Wilkins’ departure and
whilst that definitely had an
effect, I think there’s been sever-
al contributing factors. We’d had
a clear out in the summer and
left ourselves without enough
depth, so injuries to key players
had a greater impact. That clear
out probably should have started
a couple of years earlier, with
say, just a couple going at a time
over a longer period, giving us
more time to phase new players
in. As it is, we’ll probably be
facing the same situation again
at the end of this season because
age again, has been a factor this
season.
What position would you be
pleased to finish in now?
The ideal now would be second
but realistically, I’d have to be
happy with third.
Looking at your current crop
of players, where do you think
Chelsea need to invest in over
the summer?
Width is a problem for us in that
we don’t have any and obviously
we need to look at players like
Drogba, Malouda, Lampard,
Anelka, Ferreira, amongst oth-
ers. That’s not to say we need to
buy a new player to replace each
one because we have players like
Sturridge, Borini, McEachran,
Kakuta, etc we should be consid-
ering for places. Cover for Cech
is a must though.
Fernando Torres - discuss...
Isn’t he the Spanish defender
you fielded in Europe? Joking
aside, clearly it’s not going his
way yet but the service he gets is

Page 35
questionable. Most of our play-
ers are pretty poor on a regular
basis and have been since he
arrived, so the bloke hasn’t had
much to go on to be fair and he
hasn’t exactly had luck on his
side either. I’m confident he’ll
come into his own again next
season.
What are your feelings to-
wards Roman Abramovich at
present?
They haven’t changed. Whether
he really does get over-involved
or not, only him and the manag-
ers know but when you spend so
much of your own money on
something, is sitting back and
just looking at it without touch-
ing enough? That doesn’t mean I
agree with it, or think it’s in our
best interests but am I going to
start slating the man who saved
us on the eve of obscurity?
Would you agree with what
Fergie said about Chelsea be-
ing obsessed with winning
Europe?
Yes and no. I mean, we hear so
much about Roman’s ‘obsession’
yet the man never speaks so it’s
all assumption but the flip side I
guess is that having invested so
much of his money and repeat-
edly missed out in Europe, it’s
bound to frustrate Roman – and
therefore, the club.
Seven managers during his
tenure, surely Chelsea just
need a little stability?
Nice idea, won’t hold my breath
though.
In your opinion, should Carlo
Ancelotti remain at the club
next season?
That’s probably the hardest
question you’ve asked. On the
one hand, I wasn’t his greatest
fan when he came but fair play to
him he brought us the double, so
he got something right. Having
said that, I’ve often wondered
just how big a part having Wil-
kins around contributed to Ance-
lotti’s initial success. I have real
issues with our manager’s re-
volving door though and whilst
I’m not convinced he’s the right
manager for us, I’m also not
convinced there’d be anyone
better available right now either.
Who do you think will be Chel-
sea's main rivals next season?
Obviously United because unless
Arsenal do get investors in and
Wenger out, I can’t see anything
changing for them. Liverpool – I
don’t care whether Dalglish is
there or not, I still don’t see them
as serious challengers - he’s a
bottler anyway, the slightest sign
of a crisis and he’ll bail. As for
City, it really does take more
than just money thrown at a club
(as we know from experience)
and Mancini isn’t special enough.
Moving onto the rivalry, it's
certainly more based on the
fact both clubs are challenging
for honours rather than pure,
would you agree with that?
I’m not sure everyone would
agree – our inheritance has nev-
er helped – but yeah, I think it’s
about honours. To be honest,
there’s loads I’d say I hate about
United although the truth is
probably that it’s more jealousy
than hatred.
What have been your high and
low points as a Chelsea fan?
How long have you got? Lows
have to be relegations and it
goes without saying promotions
counteract that. More recently
though, Mourinho’s first title has
to be up there with the highs and
of course, Avram Grant’s ap-
pointment sums up the lows
perfectly.
And what about your best and
worst moments from Chelsea/
Page 36
United matches?
I’d have to say taking an unbeat-
en run off you with a 5-0 win
was pretty satisfying, as for the
worst, well let’s just say the idea
of JT taking penalties still gives
me nightmares.
Taking away from your feel-
ings about United as a rival,
what do you think of the club?
Are you trying to get me
lynched? Ok, as a club I have a lot
of respect for United. You don’t
get to be as successful as United
without getting stuff right and
that’s something United do con-
sistently. Whether it’s quietly
bringing in unknown players and
turning them into household
names, keeping their players
grounded or just keeping their
players! Obviously the Glazers
have been a thorn in United’s
side but Fergie’s been left alone
to do his job for like 90 years or
something and it’s been to the
club’s benefit. As for the support-
ers, hmmm, ‘not arrogant just
better’ right? Enough said.
United won at the Bridge for
the first time in 2002 last
month, what is it about that
fixture that Chelsea have dom-
inated for so long?
Sheer bloody-mindedness prob-
ably! I don’t know, for a long
time we had the mentality for it,
the fire in our bellies especially
against United. We’ve lost that
this season.

You can win one trophy next

year - which one?
One? Well that’d be a bonus in
itself. Obviously the Champions
League would be a dream but I’d
love the Premier League.

Predictions for the Old Traf-

ford match?
Oh, I think since it’s the league,
it’s fair to predict a shit ref – I
just hope he’s on our side again.
OldTrafford Book is the first football social networking site in
history. They are a non-profit organisation who hope to bring
You can visit the Chelsea Blog should together Manchester United fans from all across the world.
you so desire at:
www.thechelseablog.org www.oldtraffordbook.com
Or follow on Twitter for some good,
old fashioned football banter Follow them on Twitter @OldTraffordBook
@TheChelseaBlog

When Manchester United’s home shirt for

next season was leaked on the internet last
month we invited the fans to vote on
whether or not they liked it and we can now
reveal the results based on the 234 fans who
took part:

58% of you LIKED the shirt.

42% of you DISLIKED the shirt.

Despite the results most fans were in unison

when stating they wouldn't be purchasing
the new shirt as a protest to our owners.
Many fans were also unimpressed that Unit-
ed were to release a new home shirt three
seasons running. Money matters, remember!

Page 37
Former United player, Alan Tonge, offers an insight into
the psychological demands of a professional footballer.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “what was
it like to be a professional footballer?” When supporters peer
into the goldfish bowl, the lifestyle appears to be fantastic,
the rewards seem immense and the adulation phenomenal.
If we are to delve deeper, however, I can categorically state
the professional footballer’s life is a tough one, where, for the
majority of time, expectations and pressures are huge. To
counteract this most people would cite “but they are paid so
well.” Very true, however what we seem to forget that these
modern day gladiators are flesh and blood like you and I,
where similar emotions and feelings are primary factors of
their daily existence.
To cope with the constant performance expectations and
public exposure, the mental skill sets of a modern day player
need to be high functioning. There are many issues to be
overcome that supporters seem to forget, or bypass. A few of
these in the modern climate are de-selection, strained rela-
tionships with the manager or coaching team, motivation
problems, arrival from another club and confidence. These
are faced on a consistent basis by the majority professional
footballers.
In dealing with the concepts noted above, a player needs to
be exceptionally mentally strong and committed to a cause.
People often speak about differing club cultures, philosophies
and aims. The goal at Manchester United is a simple one! Win,
win, and win! In this respect, I believe Sir Alex Ferguson has a
very fixed idea of what constitutes a player. If you have a
winning mentality, you are ok. If your winning mentality dips,
or you don’t demonstrate what he is looking for, you are
quickly discarded! To consistently operate under these de-
mands, your mental toughness needs to be well established.
For me, the most prominent identity of our football club is
the ability to dig deep and find extra when required. Factors
like this are not always associated with common mental
themes within text books, such as imagery, decision making
and motivation e.g. but deeper concepts such as sprit, cour-
age, character and belief. In reflection, this is how much of
our success has been fostered since Sir Alex Ferguson came
to the helm in 1986. Sure, it is important to have high func-
tioning psychological skills, but the resolve and never die
attitude is a unique part of the recipe that separates “us” from
the rest.
This demand to be mentally tough and dig deep, performing
at your maximum levels, week in, week out over a season is
huge at our club. Some players I have encountered seem to
Page 38
Ryan Giggs & Alan
Alan signed for the club in 1988 and turned professional in
1990. He made his professional debut in a friendly against
Histon. Alan moved to Exeter City in 1991 before having to
retire from the game in 1994 after a serious back injury. He is
now a Sports Lectuer in Manchester. You can follow Alan on
Twitter @alan_tonge
ooze confidence; however this is not the case for the majority.
Confidence, many people cite is “everything” however this
can be greatly affected by results, negative media coverage
and the criticism of supporters. Often, I have observed play-
ers that sometimes believe their own press and start thinking
they are better than they are. One of the key principles of Sir
Alex Ferguson’s psychological methodology has been to keep
everyone grounded and make sure that results are treated
with caution. As many players will tell you, winning runs can
just as quickly turn into losing runs, if attitudes and psycho-
logical approaches to games are not taken seriously.
The regular working domain (i.e. the training ground) can
be a brutal and harsh environment. It has been well docu-
mented that a football dressing room is full of ridicule and
mickey-taking, affectionately known as “banter.” Quite often
apprentices are subjected to acts that cause embarrassment
or things which take you out of your comfort zone (e.g. sing-
ing or telling jokes in front of first team players). I guess to
overcome this is to demonstrate a mental toughness in a way.
Only later on have I fully understood the rationale behind
doing it. If you struggle with things like this, how are you
going to cope at Anfield or Stamford Bridge, where abuse and
personal attacks are buoyant?
In conclusion, the psychological approaches to playing
football are often the most overlooked. For me, it is the most
important fundamental aspect of elite sport. If your mindset
isn’t right, your performance will ultimately suffer. From
research I have conducted, it is not necessarily typical psy-
chological skills however, that may separate the elite from
the average. Cognitive skills at the top level, such as imagery
e.g. are high functioning and are readily being employed.
Sport psychologists need to be aware of this. This leads me to
suggest whether our culture somehow develops mental
artillery that somehow other clubs don’t develop. This is the
artillery of digging deep, overcoming adversity, showing
character, demonstrating mental toughness and ultimately
having a deep rooted belief to win football matches, even
when odds are stacked against you.
As my old youth coach Eric Harrison used to tell us, “what is
there to be frightened of, we are Manchester United.”
 After an improved April, Alex has returned for the final time this season to cast his
predictions over our matches in May. If they come right we’ll all be smiling by the end of
the month and celebrating our 19th league title!
Sunday 1st May – Arsenal (Away)
This is a massive game for both
sides. Arsenal will know that this
will
provide them with the perfect op-
portunity to stall any title momen-
tum that United have, and also give the Gunners a
huge boost of confidence going into the last three
league games of the season. Sir Alex Ferguson has
had the upper hand over his old sparing partner,
Wenger, over the last couple of years and it probably
wouldn’t surprise many if that run continued. Arse-
nal’s form at the Emirates this season has been poor
by their standards. Their quest for ‘the perfect goal’
can be breath-taking and frustrating in equal
measures. The Liverpool equaliser in ‘Fergie
time’ (and some) is a perfect example. Fergie will no
doubt place Rooney up front flanked by Nani and
Valencia, with Park in the mix as he always performs
well against the bigger teams.
Prediction – A draw would be enough but I’m going
for United 2-1
Sunday 8th May – Chelsea (Home)
Chelsea were knocked out of the
Champions League by a very impres-
sive United display and will surely by
looking to have a better showing in
this league encounter. The last few
league matches between these two sides have often
ended in some form of controversy, mostly swaying
the games in Chelsea’s favour. With the potential for so
much to be riding on this game, United will be looking
to continue their fine form and capture a priceless win
over the reigning Premier League champions. There is
also the added thought that Fernando Torres may not
yet have scored for Chelsea, and the Old Trafford fans
are sure to make it an interesting occasion for him.
Prediction – A point a piece in this encounter, 1-1
Page 39
Wednesday 4th May – Schalke 04
(Home)
When the draw for the Quarter and
Semi Finals for the Champions League
were made I, like many others, hoped
that United would draw Schalke.
Languishing mid table in the German top division, it
seemed like a no brainer. When they were drawn
against Inter, it seems logical that a trip to Milan would
surely be on the cards. Cue an incredible night in the
San Siro, where Schalke were a goal down within 3
minutes but finished the night 5-2 winners, against the
reigning champions. 5 away goals, stunning. From that
point Inter were out. Schalke have a good team, with
some very good players. Klass Jan Huntelaar seems to
have settled down after his disappointing shows at
Real Madrid and Milan. Keeper Manuel Neuer has been
linked with a move to United for some time. But for
me, the player that stands out the most is Raul. 135
European matches, 70 European goals, the guy is a
legend.
Prediction – United to run out comfortable winners 3-
1 on the night and progress to the final.
Saturday 14th May – Blackburn
(Away)
Blackburn have had a rather topsy
turvy season. A high profile takeo-
ver, the sacking of Sam Allardyce, the
appointment of Steve Kean as his
successor, the countless high profile names they were
linked with in the winter transfer window, and yet
they still manage to put in a performance every now
and then as well. The emergence of David ‘junior’
Hoilett has been a huge plus for the Rovers faithful.
The young Canadian has arguably been Rover’s best
player in 2011 and is a potent threat down the wings.
The problem they have is they no longer have the
Shearer/Sutton style front line that guarantees them
goals. This would explain why they have been dragged
into the relegation battle this season. United should be
too strong for them though, as they search for the
points to secure title number 19.
Sunday 22nd May – Blackpool Saturday 28th May – Champions League
(Home) Final (Wembley)

Blackpool’s first season in the
Premier League has been a
rollercoaster one to say the least.
Flying high early in the season,
Ian Holloway’s men have come
crashing down to reality as the season has progressed,
and are now fighting for survival. Should they go down,
they will be fondly remembered as a team that play
very attractive football. United fans will have a fond-
ness for them as they did the double over Liverpool
this season. Charlie Adam has been their outstanding
player and there will be a lot of interested parties in
him during the summer, potentially even United. Fergie
lavished glowing praise on him after United’s 3-2 win
earlier in the season. I think this will be party time at
Old Trafford for United, but Blackpool may still need to
get something from the match, so it makes for an inter-
esting last day fixture.
I have predicted that United will reach the
final of the Champions League, but we
won’t know this until the start of May, and
obviously we won’t know the opponents
either. Personally, I would love for Real
Madrid to reach the final to give us an
opportunity to face Ronaldo. He has been a
fantastic player for Real, but I personally believe he
was better at United. If Barcelona make it through,
then we have the opportunity to avenge the 2009
defeat when United really didn’t perform.
Prediction – Can United win it? YES. Will United win
it? This is one prediction I will not tempt fate with.
Fingers crossed everyone!!
You can follow Alex @aquelious

Set your place at the podcast table as the FU team spoon

feed you a bellyful of mouthwatering United issues served
up with a soupcon of wider debates.

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secret ingredients...tune in weekly for discussions to get
your teeth into.

www.football-united-blogs.com

Page 40
 Some of you may have come across the fantastic work by Tom Clare before. He has written
extensively about Manchester United history—the players, the events and much more. Tom has
been kind enough to resubmit some of his articles for the magazine and over the coming issues
you’ll find his overview of some of the best captains Manchester United have been fortunate to be
led by. Today we’re looking at Allenby Chilton, club captain between 1953-55.
Which player did Manchester United
sign from Liverpool, and then after
making his first team debut, had to wait
a more than six years before he played
in the first team again? It is a trivia
question that is often asked during
football quizzes and for the most part,
has Manchester United fans scratching
their heads in bewilderment.
Allenby Chilton was born on 16th
September 1918 in the Sunderland
suburb of South Hylton. Like most kids,
Allenby’s energies were spent on the
sporting front. Sprinting, boxing and
playing football. As he grew his abilities
in the boxing ring and out on the foot-
ball pitch improved significantly. On
the football front he began playing at
centre half for Ford School as a nine
year-old. By the time that he was four-
teen he was deemed to good enough to
represent the Sunderland Boys team –
but not at centre half. As Allenby re-
called in an interview with Charles
Buchan’s Football Monthly magazine in
April 1955: “The centre half berth was
more than adequately covered, but I was
considered worthy of inclusion in anoth-
er defensive position – full-back. In the
Sunderland Boys team at that time,
about eight of us were actually centre-
halves with our schools teams. As dis-
placed centre-halves, we were lucky to
step into positions where there hap-
pened to be a shortage of talent.”
On reaching the age of sixteen, Chilton
moved to the Seaham Colliery club and
they played in the tough Wearside
League. It was a league littered with ex-
professional players and it was here
that he gained invaluable experience
playing against, and alongside, many
of these players who had years of
experience playing in the Football
League. His game improved and
progressed immensely and it wasn’t
long before he was the Colliery’s first
choice centre half. It was also no
coincidence that scouts from the
Football League clubs were noticed
watching Seaham’s games.
It seems strange that given the
abundance of top class clubs in the
North East, his club would arrange
for him to have trials at Liverpool. It
has been said in the past that Liver-
pool actually turned him down but
that is far from the truth. He did play
as an amateur in the Liverpool ‘A’
team but at that particular time he
was certainly not enthusiastic over
the prospect of living in the Liverpool
area, and was not too inclined to
leave his home in the North East.
George Kay, who was the then the
Liverpool manager, saw what a good
prospect the 20 year old Geordie was
and tried on several occasions to get
Chilton to sign as a professional. After
a Central League game at Preston,
Kay made one last effort with the
young Geordie, but was once again
rebuffed. Also watching that game on
that day was Manchester United’s
assistant manager Louis Rocca. He
too saw the potential in the lanky
Liverpool centre half. A few days later
he made contact with Chilton and
talked to him about joining Manches-
ter United as a professional. Whatev-
er he said did the trick for Chilton
agreed to sign for the club if Rocca
Page 41
could get Liverpool to release him
from the amateur forms that he had
signed with Liverpool. This was done
without any fuss and in November
1938, Allenby Chilton began a career
at Old Trafford.
Chilton’s Old Trafford career began
in the Reserves in the Central League.
He was understudy to the first team
centre half, George Vose. United
cemented their position in the top
flight that 1938/39 season by finish-
ing in 14th position. However, war
clouds were gathering once again
throughout Europe and this was a big
fear with the British people. On 2nd
September 1939, United played
against Charlton Athletic at the Valley
and Chilton made his first team debut
for the club in, United losing 2-0.
Sadly, the following day, Great
Britain declared war on Germany.
The Football League season was
abandoned after just three games and
the results expunged from the rec-
ords. For this reason, appearances
made, and goals scored in those three
league matches have never contribut-
ed to a player’s appearance or goals
scored record. For the young 22 years
old Chilton, it was to be a little over
six years later before he played in a
first class match for United again.
When the War ended in 1945, he
returned to Old Trafford at the age of
27 to continue his football career. The
big change he saw upon that return
was that Matt Busby had taken over
as manager. Totally different than
how things had been pre-war, Busby
was the first of the “track suit manag-
ers” and loved nothing more than to
be out on the training ground with his
players. He played his first official
competitive match since his debut in
1939, on 5th January 1946 at Peel
Park, Accrington, in an FA Cup 3rd
round match that ended in a 2-2
draw. Slowly but surely the senior
players had returned back from the
War and there was a more than
useful team in the making. Jack
Crompton was now in goal, Johnny
Carey was at full back, and had also
been made the club captain.
As the 1946/47 season drew to its
climax in May, four teams: United,
Wolves, Stoke City and Liverpool,
were all in with a shout of winning
the Championship. It ended with
Liverpool pipping the other three by
1 point on the final day of the season
with United finishing runners-up on
goal difference.
Johnny Morris the former United
inside forward used to tell an old
story about Allenby Chilton that
relates to that part of that particular
season. “Because of the poor start,
Matt (Busby) called a special meeting
with the players one Friday morning.
He called us all into the dressing room
instead of training and said "We can't
go on like this. We've got to sort it out.
What are we going to do about it?" So
Allen Chilton says to Matt, "You sit in
the corner and be quiet, and we'll sort
it out." In the team talk, Chilly got onto
one or two players - I won't mention
names - but he told them, "If I was
picking the team, I'd leave you in
t'bath!" Allen was like that. Next day
we were playing at Wolves, who were
near the top of the league and we beat
them 6-2. That's when we knew we
had a good side. Of course, Matt got all
the credit."
The 1948 FA Cup final at Wembley
is often described as a classic of a
football match. United’s opponents
were Blackpool. It was a feast of
attacking play from both sides, and
that doyen of reporters, Geoffrey
Green, remembers it thus: “Blackpool
have recognised Chilton as the possible
weak link in the Manchester chain.
Obviously (he) is going to be ham-
mered at every possible moment….”
And so it turned out. United were
under early pressure. "After only a
quarter of an hour, Manchester had
their first real shock when Mortensen,
gathering a long pass down the mid-
dle, swept past Chilton. Mortensen was
just clear when a despairing tackle
from behind by the centre-half
brought him down. The referee....
decided it was inside the penalty area
and Shimwell duly shot past Cromp-
ton."
In fact, photographic evi-
denceshows quite clearly that the foul
took place well outside the area, the
first contact being made in the D, and
Mortensen's momentum only taking
him over the edge of the area as he
fell. Another example of what Busby
called Chilton's "shocking luck." Nev-
ertheless Chilton, and United, recov-
ered to secure a 4-2 victory.
It was Chilton’s first major honour
for United. In 1948/49 they finished
runners-up to Portsmouth by 5
points, in 1949/50 they finished 4th
3 points behind Portsmouth again,
who retained their Champions status,
and in 1950/51, were runners up to
Arthur Rowe’s Tottenham Hotspur
team who finished 4 points in front. It
seemed as though they were never
destined to win the First Division
Championship.
Things were starting to happen Old
Trafford that were going unnoticed as
the new decade started. Busby and
Jimmy Murphy had sowed the seeds
of a youth plan when they took over
the reins at Old Trafford in 1945. By
1950/51, the signs were there that
Page 42
some of the youngsters were starting
to emerge as first team contenders.
However, in 1951/52, United were to
win the First Division Championship
for the first time in 41 years and for
only the third time in the Club’s
history. Crompton, Carey, Aston,
Chilton, Cockburn, Rowley, Pearson
and Mitten, were still the mainstay of
the team, but players like Roger
Byrne, Billy Redman, Don Gibson,
Tom McNulty, and Jeff Whitefoot had
started to come through. Johnny
Berry had been signed from Birming-
ham City and Johnnie Downie from
Bradford Park Avenue so the team
had started to get younger.
Chilton’s consistency was unbeliev-
able and he made it so difficult for
Busby to leave him out of the team.
He was an iron man – the epitome of
the solid stopper centre half. Waiting
in the wings to displace him was a
young giant of a Yorkshireman, Mark
Jones, a former England schoolboy
international.
In the autumn of 1953, Stan Pearson
had an illness and the club captaincy
was passed over to Allenby Chilton.
Chilton was a very strong character
and a strict disciplinarian. With so
much youth and precociousness
about, Busby knew that Chilton
would keep the young boy’s feet
firmly on the ground. Chilton wasn’t
averse to using the back of his hand
to make a point known. Out on the
field, players like himself, Jack Row-
ley and Henry Cockburn were able to
mind the younger players that were
coming through. They made sure that
opponents didn’t take liberties with
the kids in the team. These three
players could see what the future of
Manchester United was going to be
like, and they did an invaluable job
for the manager in that they were
able to help school these youngsters
in the right way.
Scanlon & Chilton in training, 1954.

For Chilton and Rowley, season
1954/55 was to be their last at Old
Trafford as time finally caught up with
them. Busby had tremendous replace-
ments for them in Mark Jones and
David Pegg. Both of them were now
ready for regular first team football. On
19th February 1955, United met Man-
chester City in an FA Cup fourth-round
tie at Maine Road, United lost by 2-0.
Chilton was sent off mid-way through
the second half of the game for using
foul and abusive language towards the
referee. Chilton vehemently denied this
and said that his words were directed
at the City player. For Rowley, it was
his last first team game for the club that
he had served so well. The following
week, United were beaten 2-4 at
Wolves, and that game also turned out
to be Chilton’s last for United. He would
have been suspended after the Wolves
game, but Mark Jones came in and it
was inevitable that the lovable York-
shireman would keep his place from
then on. There was a bright new era
dawning at Old Trafford.
It is amazing to look at Chilton’s
record with Manchester United. Not-
withstanding the fact that he lost al-
most seven years of his career to the
War, he still managed to amass some
391 appearances and in a period of 9
years, he missed just 13 games. Chilton
was so highly thought of not only by
both Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy,
but by fellow team mates and fans
alike.
After leaving United, Chilton went to
Blundell Park as player/manager of
Grimsby Town. He retired from playing
for Grimsby in October 1956 after 63
league games) but continued as manag-
er until April 1959, when he retired
from the game, ostensibly to become a
publican in York. Within a month,
however, he had noticed the vacant
manager's job at Wigan and decided to
go back into football.
Chilton managed Wigan Athletic for
less than a full season (1960-61) and
was sacked after 27 games in charge, of
which the Latics lost only 5. He re-
mained in the game a little longer, first
as a scout (1961-62) and then manager
(1962-1963) with Hartlepool United.
His first match with Hartlepool as
manager was against Newport on 18
August 1962, his last against
CALLING ALL
Gillingham on 1st April 1963.
Chilton died on 15th June 1996 in
IRISH REDS
Southwick, aged 77.
Tom was born in 1945 in
Chorlton, Manchester. He grew up
in the era of the Busby Babes and Manchester United author,
his book Forever A Babe Tom tells John White, is
the story with passion and
describes the events that helped
looking for Irish fans to help
shape the club. On leaving the him for his latest book: Irish
services in 1985 he had a season Devils, How The Irish Fell In
ticket until the treble season of
1999, at which point he emigrated
Love With Manchester Unit-
to Houston, Texas. His favourite ed.
player of all time is Duncan
Edwards.
John wants as many Irish
fans as possible to send him
their stories of how they fell
BATTLE OF in love with our great club.
MANCHESTER
MAGAZINE OUT You can contact him at:
NOW whitedevil@btopenworld.com
John White books:
* The Official Manchester
United Quiz Book
* The Official Manchester
United Book of Lists
* The Official Manchester
United Miscellany
A magazine put together by
our very own editor, Steph,
* The Red Devils Quiz Book
was released prior to the * The Official Manchester
United Almanac
Manchester derby in Febru-
ary. Written by both sets of
fans, including articles with Available at all good book
Pete Boyle, Andy Mitten and stores.
David May amongst others.
There are still a handful of
copies of this limited edition
magazine available for just £3
to fans in the UK. If you
would like a copy please pay
via Paypal to:
editor.fub@live.co.uk
If you live outside of the UK
please use the above address
to discuss postage.
Page 43
 The true gravity of the situation, replacing a manager
who after 25 years (and rising) has created a football
club in his own image, may only be truly felt when
Fergie’s wife finally stops “throwing him out the door
at 7am.” There are a few managers’ names that surface
when this subject rears its head, unfortunately though
there is only one Sir Alex and whoever tries to fill his
shoes will need to be more than ‘just’ special…

By Brett Burgers

Jose Mourinho he took over at Old Trafford and like Ferguson

Hardly a conversation about Sir Alex’s replace-
ment takes place without the mentioning of
the self enunciated ‘Special One’ Mourinho and
with good reason. Mourinho’s record speaks
for itself having won domestic titles in Portu-
gal, Italy and most importantly, for his creden-
tials as a replacement, in England. He has of
course won the Champions League twice, an
honour only bestowed on a select few. He
without doubt has a winning mentality and it’s
not really rocket surgery to suggest he is the
main contender in most people’s eyes, so there
is not really much to add that we haven’t all
heard before.
Pep Guardiola
After successfully shaping Barcelona into argu-
ably the best footballing team in Europe over
the last couple of seasons, Guardiola has a
strong case. He has pitted his wits against
Mourinho and been more than a match. Argu-
ments over his lack of experience are undoubt-
edly with some foundation, having only man-
aged one team. Barcelona were already win-
ning titles before Guardiola took over and he is
a Barcelona man i.e. having played his career
there he’s entrenched within there history and
therefore naturally knows how the club func-
tions. Ferguson was only in his early 40’s when
at United, Guardiola stamped his identity on
Barcelona from day one. Something that would
need to be done at Old Trafford when Sir Alex
steps down.
Louis Van Gaal
He was, according to reports, actually lined up
to replace Fergie in 2002 and with his experi-
ence around Europe, managing in Holland with
a very successful Ajax team, it’s to some not a
surprise. He is in the Champions League club
having won it in 1995 (with Ajax) and has won
domestic titles with Barcelona and Bayern. But
it is his footballing philosophy most appreciat-
ed when turning Ajax in to a massive force in
the 90’s that he get’s most of his plaudits. The
problem with Van Gaal is that now at almost 60
years old, he isn’t potentially a long term re-
placement for Sir Alex, however if you’re good
enough, age shouldn’t really be an issue, should
it?
David Moyes
Probably surprisingly for some ear marked by
Sir Alex himself as a manager who he believes
would be a strong replacement for himself.
With only a second division title under his belt
and having only managed two clubs, he’s hard-
ly got a glittering C.V. But almost everyone is

Page 44
aware of the work he’s done at Everton despite
their lack of funds and the comparisons Fergu-
son has made with Moyes’ principles and his
own make him a contender.

The ex-players club…

Laurent Blanc
An outside bet having won the French domes-
tic title in his first job at Bordeaux and being
all round acclaimed for his managerial style.
Showed in the wake of the embarrassing
World Cup for the French national team, by
excluding the ‘trouble makers’ that he has an
exceptionally strong mentality. He claims he
learned a lot under Ferguson at United.

Mark Hughes
Widely regarded as a solid premier league
manager, if not spectacular. He has certainly
learned from the best at United. However, has
yet to win a single trophy as a manager and
therefore would represent a huge risk. Sir Alex
maybe tellingly once said he, “never in a mil-
lion years” expected Sparky to go into manage-
ment.

Steve Bruce
Again, a good manager, not necessarily a top
one. With no silverware in the cabinet as of
yet, would take a rather large leap of faith to
employ Brucey as the successor to Fergie. Also,
having made a few rather ill judged decisions
during his early managerial career, ‘swapping
clubs like playing cards’, he’s hardly decorated
himself in glory.

Darren Ferguson
Have to mention him because he is a manager
with a relatively good reputation, despite a
difficult time at Preston. Being Sir Alex’s son is
probably the only real factor that gives him an
outside chance of stepping up. But this would
be a very bad choice, the comparisons alone,
similar to Nigel Clough taking over at Notting-
ham Forest, would be detrimental to the devel-
opment of the club.

And finally…

Rafa Benitez
AS IF!!!!

Page 45
 It’s been a crazy month. Eight matches which have
generated a pretty positive feeling as we move into
the final month of the season. And what a season it’s
been. Many football fans (including our own sup-
porters) wrote us off at the start of this season.
We’ve lost count of the number of times we heard
“United haven’t got a hope of winning anything.”
Well bollocks to them! This time next month we
could be talking about another historic double. At
worst, we’ll probably be talking about a certain rec-
ord being broken (are you watching Merseyside?!).
Enjoy the month ahead, it’s set up to be a cracker.

Issue 4 is out onPage 46 1st June 2011

Wednesday