Not you personally, soft lad. You know what I mean, but I have to be honest with you... I honestly do hate your club mate. I'll tell you why... it's not what you'd think. I agree with you, you are fierce rivals and actually deserve to be. I'll always have more respect for you than City or Chelsea. With your record, history and fan base, you actually deserve it. You've earned it. What I always hated was the press you recieve. I find it amazing when Man U fans moan about the media. They actually believe the media is biased against them.
I went to your first game in the 2nd division.... Leyton Orient away. I was working in London with a few Manc lads, good lads, old friends, I sadly haven't seen in years. I've got mates in Manchester. Me aunty used to own an alehouse in Salford, The Griffin Inn. I used to pull pints behind the bar when I was a kid and being a hard faced little fucker, I used to have a laugh with the dockers that went in there and kop a few pennies and tanners off them. No problem with ordinary working class people mate.
I honestly got kicked into a coma at Anfield by your lot. Four days I was out for. I didn't bother mentioning it, love, peace and understanding an all that. But I was only 12, a little skinhead kid going the match on he's todd to meet he's mates. Was unlucky enough to cut through a jigger were your skins was meetin up to plot an ambush... just the way it was in them times. I'm not bothered about it. But I can honestly say, I was never into that footy violence melarkey. I remember one poor City fan getting the same treatment, about 40 shithouses queing up to boot him. I tried to stop them and near got it meself.
So, honestly it was none of the usual things. It was winning European Cups, and having to dig through 4 pages on Man U the great 2nd division team before coming across a snippet on us. It was all that media darling stuff, and your out of town support did my head in. I could never understand why there was such a thing as Cockney reds. I know it's changed now. We wouldn't be able to compete with out our own out of towners, and I have nothing against OOT support now. I just couldn't get me head round it at the time, and it helped cement me view of Man United. And I also hate that horrible old bastard that manages you. Can't take the success away from him. That's some record he's got but the way is arse is kissed, even by the BBC, well, nah. Not for me. But just being straight with you. I'm glad you come in here, and I enjoy what you have to say, sound working class lad in my opinion... but that club divide. Well, that's just the way it is for me. I don't mean it to be offensive to you though.
No offence taken neither lad - I don't care much meself for the media shite that accompanies things United either so we're in the same camp there as well.
I hate hearing about the violence and thuggery that used our game - and fucked it well and truly - in the 70's. Personally, I'd have horse-whipped any of the bastards who'd been caught at it because of the gratuitous manner in which those twats laid into anyone with boots, knives and chains.
What am I telling you this for ? You'll know first hand what I'm talking about - very angry and very sorry to hear what happened to you when you were a nipper. C*nts like these are nothing whatsoever to do with fans of my club, your club or anyone's club. They're shite from the bottom of everyone's shoe that jumped onto the football bandwagon as it happened to pass by.
Bad days they were Fats - but of course, being an auld bastard of 65 with my first game at Old Trafford being in 1952, I saw the finest of transformations for English football unfold with the coming of Matt Busby's youngsters in the mid-50's. The only fighting that went on back then was fighting to get down and into the ground to see 'em! Great days that heralded the changes that swept through our game as others followed suit in team-building a la Busby.
Your own wonderful manager Shanks openly commented that he followed what Matt had achieved with bugger all after the war and those two together with Jock Stein were in my opinion the finest man -managers and motivators these islands have ever produced. The great Bob Paisley continued those very same traditions in fine style - though it was pretty hard for this United fan to have to watch it all unfold 38 miles to the west of us...
Great days of the game FS and days the like of which I fear we'll not see again. Players multi-millionaires who know fuck-all about the fans that pay their wages - and even if they did used to know at one time, they've now "moved on".
Busby used to tell his players that the fans who'd worked hard all week to earn their corn in MetroVicks in Trafford Park and had chosen to shell some out to come and watch United play deserved to be entertained because in his view playing football wasn't a real job like having to work for a living. I never forgot that and it's the prime reason I view today's game as a game played by and large by journeymen millionaires far too full of themselves with love for neither fan, the game nor the club shirt they wear. I hope I'm proven wrong over time but I remember the days when players, managers and fans were of a kind and who shared the camerarderie of their class. All sadly gone and replaced by nowt better in my view.
Anyroad enough of my yesterday views - they won't hold much sway in today's game. But one final comment, when players start telling their clubs whether they'll condescendly continue to play for them or not as in the Rooney fiasco and then they convince themselves that there's nothing wrong with the fans reading all about how their side is without ambition and that to re-sign they need assurances that money will be spent my fucking blood boils. In my world shit-for-brains players would never wear the shirt again - no matter who thought they were world-beaters. Give me integrity and honour anytime - that's what great teams are made of.
