Comments on: Hitting the fan with United (Part II.I): Getting a Kick out of Eric Cantona

By: Oooodz

Oooodz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:54:03 +0000

Giles, that stuff was brilliant. Well done

By: Mes

Mes — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:53:47 +0000

“…master of time and space and perhaps even the Universe…”

A statement of pure genius that.

Thanks for a brilliant read.

God I love Eric.

By: confoundedbridge

confoundedbridge — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:56:07 +0000

Giles, you’re a very gifted writer, it’s always a pleasure to read your work. You should write a book on United.

By: Giles Oakley

Giles Oakley — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:55:14 +0000

I’ve only just seen my piece was up as our server has been ‘out’ since yesterday affecting quite a wide area. Once again a big thank you to Scott for inviting me to contribute stuff and allowing me so much space. I hope you all enjoy the next 2 pieces which cover the immediate aftermath and then what happened to United without Eric for the rest of that season….I really must chip in some short pieces!

Anyway, thanks to all of you for all the kind comments. I’m really pleased the younger ones among you such as Fze123 and Sam the Kenyan, find these memories interesting. I envy you Muggaz having grandparents who used to see United. I guess your blood really must run Red!

King Eric, aigalex is god, and boogeyman, thanks for asking about my health. The treatment is really knackering (which is why it’s taken so long for me to write this Eric piece) but so far the results are good. They have invited me to take part in a clinical trial for a new form of radiotherapy which , if successful, could make a big difference to people like me with a very aggressive form of the cancer. It will start in November. The consultant reckons I should cope reasonably well as I’m very fit from playing football (It amuses him that I keep asking when will I be fit to play again). My ‘third eye’ operation went OK but I can’t see properly until I get new glasses in a week or so. They have detected some new retinal damage which is annoying. Plus they have found the early stages of a cataract in my ‘good’ eye. Health, eh? Bloody hell!

Yes Boogeyman I did help produce the series The Devil’s Music- A History of the Blues for the BBC back in 1976. I also wrote a book of the same title at the same time. You see I’m one of the few people who love the Reds and the Blues…

GHTT, I loved that video from Emily. There are two sounds I love, Old Trafford when United score, and when children laugh. There’s nothing in this world to beat it, so long may you and Emily have fun together! Speaking as the father of a daughter I think it’s brilliant. Soon I hope to describe the first time I took my Kath to see United…and Eric, as promised.

By: exiledred

exiledred — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:21:51 +0000

Excellent read Giles – thanks for capturing the emotions at the time so well.

I was working in London in 95 so managed to get to the game. It’s weird but Giles is right in that there was an electric atmosphere outside and in the ground. Utd and Palace still had some history after the 1990 FA Cup Final and this had turned this fixture into a far more intense affair that it should have been. Anyway, the events of the game have been well-documented by Giles and I too thought this was the end of Cantona at Utd. Even now I wonder whether we’d have won the league in 95 if Eric had been available meaning a potential 5 on the spin as things turned out.

But you know what really irked me after that incident. Scousers coming to me saying it was the worse thing they’d seen at a football match. Err, excuse me. Heysel, Hillsbrough…..

By: theboogeyman

theboogeyman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:34:05 +0000

Redmegleeker-Understood mate.
Although last time someone insulted his daughter.Called her all sorts of things.I just don’t want to see anyone insult a 3 year old for no fault of hers.

By: King Eric

King Eric — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:21:54 +0000

*show*

By: King Eric

King Eric — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:21:26 +0000

Have just read it Giles. Absolutely superb . Why oh why don’t they ahow a re run of games like these on MUTV instead of the same ones over and over?

By: King Eric

King Eric — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:03:19 +0000

Megleeker – Fair play, each to his own. However the majority of people on here quite like seeing his daughters latest video offererings. Nothing odd at all really seeing as she is now famous and on the United website.

theboogeyman – Yes I had noticed that mate.

By: willierednut

willierednut — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:01:30 +0000

There was something in the air that nite wen eric went bruce lee on the palace fan, i was listening to it on the radio cud’nt believe wat i was hearing. I diffo think that cost us the league that season, even andy gray said that. oh ah cantonaaaaaaaaaa!