Let’s get one thing straight right away. I am not a Manchester United fan. Many people have accused me of being so when I write praise about their side, but I am not, definitely not, a fan. OK?
Recently I wrote an article in which I selected my Premier League team of the year. In the team I put in a few United players. That caused outrage amongst the various people who commented on the article. Typical Manchester United fan they said. Well I hope I’ve answered that one. Typical idiot who only sees the top four clubs, said another. Well, if you’re picking the team of the year aren’t a majority of them likely to come from the four most successful teams?
Actually, as a NEUTRAL I have spotted that Manchester United have more points than anyone else, have scored more goals than anyone else and have conceded less goals than anyone else. I would say that there is an arguable case for United to supply all eleven players for the team!
I didn’t do that though, I looked at the situation without bias and with total objectivity. That, of course, is where I went badly wrong. You cannot be objective about football at all, and don’t ever try to be objective about Manchester United.
So why do Manchester United cause so much discussion? Why are they so loved by millions of people all around the world and so hated by many more? There is a great old joke that says that the only three teams in England with a swear word in their name are ARSEnal, S****horpe and F****ng Manchester United.
Clearly I understand why Liverpool fans and Everton fans and Manchester City fans might hate them. It is only right that you hate your local neighbours. I have an irrational hatred of Luton simply because it is located twenty miles up the M1 from my beloved Watford.
I suppose I can understand why Chelsea and Arsenal fans might hate them because they are in direct competition with them to win the only two major competitions.
Apart from that though, why do the club provoke such extreme emotions in people?
Many people hate their fans. They are portrayed as arrogant and conceited. With due respect to everyone, it is difficult for me to be arrogant and conceited as a Watford fan, but if we became the most successful club in England I might not be able to avoid it. Are Liverpool fans not just a wee bit arrogant and conceited about their historical dominance of England and historical and recent successes in Europe?
Many people hate Sir Alex Ferguson. I’m the first to admit that he doesn’t always come over as being a likeable, jolly fellow. I get as upset with his constant harassing of referees, looking at his watch and gruff manner as anyone else.
Despite having no particular liking for the public character of Sir Alex, I have absolute respect and admiration for him. I don’t really see how it is possible not to, however grudgingly. The thirty-seven trophies he has won over the past thirty years, together with the twenty-one manager of the month awards, seven manager of the year awards and three World Soccer manager of the year awards, tend to make it hard to dismiss his ability.
So is it the players? Well, most people seem to have total admiration for Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. They have had fabulous careers and even the most fervent hater of Manchester United must recognise the contribution they have made to the game.
What players cause the controversy? Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand seem to be the most despised and of course, by many, the most loved. As an England fan I believe that Rio is one of the best defenders in the world and Wayne Rooney is one of only very few players we have that can win a match with a piece of brilliance. As a football fan, forget the whinging and the diving, watching Ronaldo this season has been a joy.
A look at the club’s history produces past greats like Dennis Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best. It shows them to be the first English team to win the European Cup, and for an England fan, again, on the day we won the World Cup there was Nobby Stiles and Bobby Charlton from United right there in the hub of the team.
There was the Munich tragedy of 1958 which was a terrible tragedy to anyone who is not emotionally challenged. They could easily have won that European Cup years before they eventually did.
I’m still no closer to establishing the reasons for this irrational hatred of Manchester United found all over the country. One of the main things that is constantly brought up is that United fans don’t come from Manchester and that all people from that area support City. Of course, that is a myth. They do have many thousands of fans from outside Manchester but a majority of their match attending supporters come from the Manchester area. Everton fans accuse Liverpool of not having any fans from the City. Of course, this is another myth.
I went to school in Watford back in the sixties and seventies. A lot of my mates and I supported Watford but there were many others who supported Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and United. If young people don’t support their local team they are quite likely to pick a team that is successful. Like it or not, over recent years that is quite likely to be United.
People say that most United supporters have never been to a game. Probably true, they have millions of fans worldwide and the ground only holds 77,000 or so. That doesn’t mean that there is very often a spare seat at Old Trafford though!
I’m a Watford fan. I am not a United fan, I have no feelings for them either way. It is just that as a football fan I enjoy watching their team play and admire their record. Why do so many people have such a problem with them? It isn’t jealousy is it?
Graham Fisher writes at Views of a fan.
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