Your team, your choice

So, Manchester United are at the centre of controversy again, this time for circumstances off the pitch rather than on it. Apparently, a new survey has revealed that one third of the people who sit in the home end at Old Trafford do not live anywhere near Manchester.

That’s opposed to Manchester City where 90 per cent of fans are actually born in Manchester and 78 per cent of Liverpool fans who are born in the city. Critics therefore say that those 33 per cent of Manchester United “supporters” are actually glory seekers and probably latched on to the club during the 1990s.

What a load of twaddle! It’s always been well-known that Manchester United fans come from all over Britain; in fact, all over the world. And why not indeed?

There are hundreds and hundreds of reasons why a Man United fan might live elsewhere. Perhaps they used to live in Manchester. Perhaps they used to work in the city? Perhaps they have relatives there? Perhaps they just love Manchester? Or perhaps, horror of all horrors, they like the style and play of Manchester United and the thrills associated with one of the greatest teams in the world.

When fans of other clubs criticise Manchester United for having “away” fans, do they take into account the fact that players on the field for virtually every club in the land probably never ever visited the location of their adopted team before? Does that make them glory-seekers. No doubt in the case of Manchester United, that will be a resounding yes.

Football fans are entitled to support whoever they want, wherever they live. They are the ones dipping into their pockets week after week. And if that includes traveling hundreds of miles to attend Manchester United games, so be it. It’s a free country.

Little boys, and girls for that matter too, have grown up loving Manchester United and for many, this has carried through to their teenage and later years. Yet suddenly, they are accused of only latching on to a successful team and not supporting their home sides. Perhaps they do. But if not, who could blame them? It’s not always a lot of fun supporting your local club if you have to stand in damp or freezing conditions without the suitable facilities a bigger club can provide. And if you are forking out hard-earned cash, you want to see some entertainment on the field.

The Manchester United situation is no different to other top flight countries throughout the globe such as Barcelona which has fans who live throughout Spain. What critics should remember is that we live in a free country and sport leads the way for democracy. Full credit should be given to every single football fan who gets off their backside at the weekend to support a team, no matter which one, rather than becoming a couch potato.

You can’t dictate which teams fans should support or criticise their reasons for doing so. And, it might be prudent for me to add, I don’t support Manchester United but would defend anyone’s right to do so.