The other day I commented on the tedious “I support my local team” chant, after watching a Spurs vs Wigan game. Logic told me the chant must have been coming from the Wigan fans, although I imagine all people in the ground that day were local to their respective clubs.
Regardless, when we took on Wigan last night, I was expected more of the same. These small time clubs having a pop, as if none of us in Old Trafford are Manchester lads.
However, the Wigan fans didn’t have the nerve to sing such a chant to us!
With the players lined up on the pitch it’s clear to see just how few Wigan fans showed up last night. Granted it was a midweek game but christ, we’re only half an hour down the road! The away end restrictions were smaller than usual anyway, with the stewards sitting closer to the South Stand than usual, yet there were still masses of empty seats.
“We love you Wigan, we do!” and “come on Wigan!” was about as creative as their chants got.
This is of course in contrast to the team, who played arguably the best football we’ve seen at Old Trafford this season. Whilst Hull scored plenty of goals, Wigan’s passing and movement were spot on, no longer a side we could trounce 4-0 when in the mood.
Palacios, Valencia, Melchiot and Zaki all looked pretty handy and as a team they were certainly not afraid to pass the ball about. Lovely one-touch passing at times and bags of potential. Frustratingly for them though, they lacked end product, shooting wildly off target on numerous occasions. But at least they were shooting, something the second placed team in the league couldn’t claim to have done three days earlier!
Hats off to Bruce though, he’s done a great job there. They’re currently 7th in the league, 4 points behind Everton and just 7 points behind Arsenal. It is a massive achievement and I’d love too see a good finish to the season for them.
Had Wigan scored in the second half we couldn’t have begrudged it. United surrendered position far too easily, with Wigan winning most of the 50/50s and for their effort they will have felt hard done by leaving with nothing.
A bit of a come down after our scintillating display against Chelsea but at the moment I’m far more concerned about the three points than I am the performance. We can wait until we’re top of the league before we start getting picky!
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I dont mind Wigan at all, While Bruce is there i’ll have respect for them and they play decent football Valencia/palacios are top class players Zaki wasn’t as good as i thought he would be but we’ve seen him terrorize other teams.
Didn’t hear the Wigan fans all game but to be fair the area around there club have United,city and bolton to compete with for fans, so they arent going to attract MASSIVE support.
It was a very important win last night, now roll on Saturday!
Haha, and half of *them* used to support the rugby team!
cant wait to hear the dippers quotes and comments when we go top, please post a wind up report so they all start barking on here, rat face bastards!
Looks as though Brucie has learnt from the Master……. had his team playing well last night causing a few problems for us….hope they finish above the Arse-nil
I don’t mind Wigan, especially with Brucey at the helm. They are actually looking a pretty useful side this season, and I do hope they finish well this season.
(Off topic) Congrats on being named ‘Best Football Blog’ at UK2.net.
Away fixture wise Old Trafford’s not a biggy for me, too pricey, I can go to 2-3 other away fixtures for the same price.
I always feel like, as a United fan I really don’t dislike Wigan at all really. I feel the same about Aston Villa, two teams I can watch and say “I’d prefer they beat the other team”, unless the other team is us
. Only other team I ever root for is Everton when theyre playing the scouse 
.
All I’m going to say is FORTY TWO POUNDS PER PERSON. For that price I’ll stay at home thank you, I’m not made of money. I pay £196 for a SEASON TICKET! Whats the attraction with paying nearly a quarter of the price of my season ticket to go to the most horrible away ground (your stewards are a bunch of thugs) in the country other than the Riverside?
Brucie doesn’t get enough credit for the sterling job he’s done, wherever he has managed with little or no budget. Makes you wonder how he’d have done with the sort of funds Keano had. Anyway, as far as the fans go, half of Wigan are Utd supporters, always have been!
erm i’m quite disagree with zaki not as good as expected.. he was very good, in fact i think we should consider him for much cheaper and less high profile option..
I mean, he IS good… but that night, it;s just our defence too strong haha. The usually terrorising Valencia was kept quiet that night, even though it’s just O’Shea, not Evra.. I never thought we could keep him that far at bay without Evra..
And to Steve Bruce, a big salute. It was a good game to watch, although a Hull’s was more interesting because of number of the goals..
nice one from bruse. he is really holding his own in the league of coaches. the three points is more important than the fancy football expected from the lads. with one game less, we rae second in teh standings. with one game less, we are 2 points behind the scouse pretence. i do not live in england but i do not agree that old trafford is the worst away ground in that country. at least i have not read or heard anything to that effect. please someone should put Gaz in order so he will watch his running mouth.
olusanjo, that is based on personal experience from my first, last and only visit to Old Trafford when a number of stewards assaulted a gentleman sat directly behind me. This gentleman had done nothing wrong other than attempting to grab a steward who was passing as a man further down the row had fallen ill(turned out to be a mild heart attack). The stewards response was to spin round and punch him, other stewards soon piled in and a small fight ensued. As a result of this I believe a number of stewards and fans were charged with assault but I seem to remember most of the charges were dropped after recieving written apologies from those involved.
You can tell me to watch my running mouth all you want but I’ve been to a number of grounds down the years and Old Trafford and the Riverside are the only grounds where I have felt uncomfortable watching games. First impressions are lasting impressions they say and I will not go to either grounds again if I can help it.
I have a ST stretford end and tend to agree with Gaz about our stewards, their either bruts or smart arse pussies, if you answer them back when their telling you to sit down they call for the police straight away and get people thrown out.
last few matches they have ruined it for every one round us, they take the attention away from the game and singing. just leave us be to enjoy the game and atmosphere, nobodies bothered about people standing infront of them are they?
Gaz is right about the stewards, there like that with us home fans mate thats the whole problem at Old Trafford! if you stand up and try and get a song going if you dont do as they say they will drag you out or give you a warning and depending on how much of a dick they are they might even take your season ticket off you, unless its a match against one of the top 4 when they decide they will leave you alone.
klauq, i agree that Zaki is a really good player but i just expected more from him on the night but like you said Vidic/Evans kept him quiet all match, but he’s shown against other teams what a class player he is, wouldn’t mind him playing at United.
Before your big club ego lead you t write the blog article above, surely your expert football knowledge shouldnt have forgot that…
1. Wigan is one of the smallest towns to have a Premiership team therefore were going to have less fans.
2. Were probably the least established Premiership club having only been around since the 1930′s and in the football league just over 30 years….therefore were going to have less fans.
3. Why pay £40 for a midweek game when we can pay £19.50 for a more entertaining game the following weekend.
4. We did actually sing the local club chant. Yeh you probably didnt it but it was definitely chanted, to which your lot nearby stuck your fingers up etc too.
5. About your quote “as if none of us in Old Trafford are Manchester lads.” An educated guess wouldnt be far wrong by me saying you probably have more fans even who go the games than dont live within 15 miles of your ground out of anyone in the country. In percentage of course. On Wednesday i genuinely heard more cockneys, irish and scandanavians than mancs. Obviously you have local fans and fair play to them but its the non mancs that give you a bad reputation for jumping on the bandwagon.
Mike, United are a national institution, years and years of history. People move away from Manchester, and their kids and grandkids stay supporting United (this goes for most if not all clubs). Munich was huge in gaining United fans all across the world and adding to its appeal.
And on top of that we have so many Cockney, Irish, Scandanavian and worldwide fans because we have a history of having so many Cockney, Irish, Scandanavian and worldwide players. Your club also has had Cokney, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Scandanavian and worldwide players, which Im sure you loved having, but you question anyone supporting a club that isnt within a 15 mile radius of their home? That argument doesnt wash anymore. Football, and especially the English Premier League, is a global business. Take your head out of your arse…
People only give our fans abuse cos they can’t find anything to say bad about our team obviously cos we are champions (of just about everything), that said we must have more songs than any other club and certainly our away support must be up there with the best out there, i have’nt heard anything better come to us apart from on european nights and usually minows like Allborg and other small scandinavian teams (hats off to them), as for the premiership, teams like Wigan and Fulham are a disgrace as far as fans go, they don’t sing for half an hour then tell us how shit our support is, get a life.
Mike your stadiums always half empty at the weekends too, so next time you want to sing your support is fucking shit, why not sing to your sister who’s also your auntie and lover sat next to you. Now off you pop for some scraps with pea wet.
North Stand if you really really believe what you wrote maybe your just disillusioned. You do not have so many Cockney, Irish, Scandanavian and worldwide fans because you have a history of having so many Cockney, Irish, Scandanavian and worldwide players. Its utter rubbish. All top club have had wordwide players yet dont get anywere near even 30k a week. Its purely down to your success as a club. They are glory hunters. They have no connection to Manchester, no connection to Manchester United. They follow United because of the lure and temptation of the constant success and glory you have. And then they can go away from it and boast. Its all so fake. The japanese are a good example. Their 2 favourite clubs are Man United and Real Madrid. Is it really because of Park Ji Sung or is it down to the clubs success? You decide. The excuses from southeners for example such as my dad/grandad supported them just doesn’t work as we all know if United were an average League 1 team these people wouldn’t be interested. Reasons behind being a real football fan will always remain the same, and they are down pride and passion. When you spend season after season following your local team home and away through shit times and good times, then to get home and see an irish/cockney/japanese person on tv in a pub jumping up for a United goal it makes you realise just how plastic those fans are.
And swurv, i dont think the comment is even pointed towards your real fans. Their are cleaely still numerous mancs who follow United home and away and personally i have nothing against them or the club. Apart from the ego of course.
Mikey
Mike, most people on this forum have stated they have respect for what Wigan have done and thought they have played well with some good players so why you felt the need to have a go i dont quite understand, The points made in your first post to be fair are true, but then again so are the ones in the article Wigan’s chants arent very creative apart from the “we come from wigan and we live in mud huts’ i’ll give you that one so surely your football knowledge would be good enough to except that, but Wigan fans are definatly better than Bolton’s lot there a disgusting bunch of Munich mocking ABU at least most wigan fans show some class, can’t say i heard you singing we support are local team though.
So do yourself a favour Mike and dont jump on the ABU bandwagon.
The first half of the article is arrogant and patronising. In a discrete way its simply trying to say how much bigger United are. Pure ego. We all know how big and successful United are, and i for one have no problem with the club apart from the reasons i listed above. We were not as vocal as we can be on Wednesday fair enough, but its more the patronising way the article is put across (like i said, the first half of it anyway). And the ‘local team’ chant was probably one of the most commonly sung chants of the night. I guarentee it was sung a few times, obviously just not loud enough to cover the whole stadium.
I can see why people find it patronising, but im not talking about Wigan fans here because you lot are a very small minority of fans that actually dont do this but most sets of fans no matter how well we play no matter how big a trophy we win they will always slate us or try and put a downer on it so the more they do that the more us United fans are going to show how proud we are to have won or played or whatever therefore it will come across as us having a big ego when really we’re only aiming it at the bitter people to wind them up because everybody is so ABU about everything we do.
And support from most teams in a mid week match is poor especially one like last night, so i dont think either sets of fans can really say much on that matter. Well you keep on singing “we support our local team” and we’ll keep on singing “you support your local shit”
Mike- you can say all you want about Irish, norwegians, japanese being glory hunters, but the money they pay to travel to Old Trafford alone for one match never mind the ones who have season tickets justify there proper support! Especially at a time with a global credit crunch and alot of ppl losing their jobs but they are still dedicated to come to Old Trafford to watch United play, I can also laugh at this ‘we support our local team chant’ but i would like to ask the fans that sing this is to think before the sing it and answer this question ‘how many players in your team are local lads? and then compare it with the United team, you will find that United have more local lads! The fact of the matter is United have always had a massive support and nothing is going to change that! Manchester United are getting new fans everyday because the young ones start following the team their parents support, though my old man said become a city fan and i said bollocks ur a cunt, id rather shag a bucket with a big hole in it than become a city fan for just one minute lol
I think your missing the point mrmyagki. These people only pay money to travel overseas to see United because of United’s success. Its glory hunting. Would even a quarter of these people bother to travel if United were in mid table in League 2 for example? The answer is no. They pay good money just to be part of the glory you have. And anyway, your final few sentences took away all credibility you may have initially had, with whatever it is your trying to say.
Mike, you have your mind made up, and there’s nothing gonna change it. You’re entitled to your opinion, as is everyone else. Im sure theres Irish Man United fans that are bigger fans than you, Scandanavian Liverpool fans that are bigger fans than you, or Japanese Arsenal fans that are bigger fans than you (and by bigger, I mean more committed both financially and emotionally), although you are above each and everyone of these cause you live within the magical 15 miles from the ground.
So just so I know, is it the closer you live to a ground, the more of a fan you are? Thats handy to know.
I think you could do me and you a big favour by sticking your face back into the pile of pies you no doubt had for breakfast. And dont worry, give it another 4 or 5 years, when your team are back in The Championship again, and you can go back to watching rugby league.
If you’re old enough, any chance you used to watch Wigan when they playing non league football only 30 odd years ago??? Or if they were still there is that where you’d be every Saturday? Would you fuck!!!
Im pretty sure theres isnt Irish Man United fans that are bigger fans than me, and im sure there isnt Scandanavian Liverpool fans that are bigger fans than me. But thats beside the point. Anyway, I watch my team home and away, have done all my life and more important, support them for reasons other than success and glory. Why do the majority of these foreigners follow United & Liverpool rather than someone like Crewe or Rochdale? Im from Wigan therefore regardless how good it is, i have pride in my town and my local team. Just like i do when England play. And please don’t go making assumptions such as that i wouldnt watch my team in lower leagues. Im 27 and have been going week in, week out since the early 90′s, from the bottom of what was the 3rd division all the way to now in the Premiership. Ive seen some really really bad times before Whelan took control. And ive come across all kinds of fans in the lower leagues along the way, enough to realise which are genuinely passionate or not.
One day we will get relegated, but i dont follow my team for glory & success so you don’t need to make lies about me not going anymore, rugby league or whatever. The element of aggression you show suggests i think i may be right in what im saying, but hey, il leave that up to you.
Just give me as many genuine reasons as to why a foreigner would follow Man United with real dedication other than the fact their the biggest and best club around. Of course a very small minority have true connections to Manchester, but definitely nowhere even near the amount that jump on the bandwagon. Over 90% of them probably wont have been born in manchester, lived in manchester, or even have a genuine connection to manchester so if you can give me genuine reasons as to why they follow United other than for your success id be happy to listen.
Because its their right to support who they want? Sounds like a fair enough reason for me.
If you are what you say you are, thats great, but dont try paint a picture that every man woman and child that goes to the JJB is born and bred Wigan, or that ye’ve all gone up and down the lower leagues together holding hands and singing songs.
Same as dont try tell me that every one inside Old Trafford is from London, jumped on the bandwagon in May 1993, eats prawn sandwiches, and will be off again when the good times stop. Granted we have more foreign fans than most, but thats cause we are one of the biggest clubs in the world (the biggest, if you ask most on here), our history is magical to say the least, we have had some of the greatest players ever to play the game, so why wouldnt we have fans all over the world, fans that just love the game, and love watching quality football?
Yeah, we have more bandwagon jumpers than most, but they follow success, and at the moment we’re the most successful club in the world (that is fact). Genuine fans cant do anything about those, but it suits fans of other clubs to throw that back at us, cause it makes them feel vindicated when they go through generations without success. Its built around jealousy, bitterness and hate.
You’re preaching to the converted here anyway, the majority of fans here are genuine.
But the bottom line is why do you feel the need to justify yourself on this United website, or throw the old reliable insults at United fans? The fans that take offence from this are usually the genuine ones, bandwagon jumpers dont even realise the insults most of the time, and they dont give two shits either.
You seem genuine yourself, and thats great, so go feel your inner fulfillment as you watch Wigan have a particularly good season, and dont feel the need to have a go at United fans, alot of whom are now victims of their own success, and are now labelled (unfairly) bandwagon jumpers and prawn sandwich eaters. Thats an issue we have to deal with every day of the week, although its one of the very few downsides to supporting arguably the greatest club in the world.
What does define a true fan anyway? is it someone that eats, sleeps and drinks their club, and who’s mood is determined by how things are in that club, and is financially stretched to the limit following the club through hell and high water? or someone that lives within ten miles of the stadium?
Ohh and by the by, I went to Uni with a chap from Wigan, sound chap, and a huge Liverpool fan.
The bottom line is I cant really understand why other clubs fans have such a bee in their bonnet over where United fans come from? Its your own time and stress your wasting I would of thought?
In bullet points this time for a change
…. Its their right to support who they want but what ive been saying all along is that they nearly all follow United because of your success. Which is a fact.
Im sure not everyone who goes to the JJB is a born and bred Wiganer, but im sure their motives for following Wigan are ones other than glory hunting.
Ive never said that every one inside Old Trafford is from London, far from it. You have a strong fanbase of genuine fans and its the ones who jump on the bandwagon that give you a bad name. And i agree ‘im preaching to the converted’ as you put it and it shouldn’t be taken offensively by the real fans. But still, im right in what i say towards the gloryhunters. Also, it has absolutely nothing to do with jealousy, bitterness or hate. I have complete respect for United and if i was either of those 3 things id be aiming this at the real fans, not the bandwagon jumpers. In fact if it was down to jealousy surely i could just buy a united shirt, watch you on tv and claim to be a big fan like the others? But that’s not the way it should work im afraid.
Its hard to put into a sentence what my opinion of a real fan is, but for certain a real fan isnt someone follows a club pure and simply to latch onto their glory. Whether its United, Chelsea, Celtic or whoever. Like i said before though id love to know as many genuine reasons as to why a foreigner would follow Man United/Chelsea etc with real dedication other than the fact their the best clubs around.
Sorry Mike, I was out sick yesterday. I cant answer your question at the end of your post though, you may ask them yourself…