FCUM

But yet a couple of seasons of top 4 finishes and things will change. This is where this whole OOT debate becomes blurred and why it's such a minefield. A few succesful years and you'll attract the bandwagon jumpers but not only that, there will be a lot of people from the toon latching on who can't be arsed to go now. These same people who can't be arsed to go now will then be calling all you lot from Leeds, London, Scotland etc completely oblivious to the fact that you've been going to games for a lot longer than them. That's why I've always had more respect for the cockney reds who travel to every game than the whingers from Manchester who want to pick & choose their games. If and when that happens though, hopefully your club will handle it a damn sight better than Man Utd.

Danny, Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not knocking you personally but how would you have felt if you were a local Geordie who put a lot of effort into following the team and you couldn't get a ticket for the game against Spurs last season but yet a first time visitor from Oz was in the ground. Yes, I know it's only one ticket and I don't know the situation at Newcastle and how easy it is to get tickets but believe me at a club like Man Utd it's a hundred times worse. If you're a Man Utd supporter who makes every effort to attend every game, you apply for every single ticket in the ballot. Come the Liverpool game you miss out on a ticket so it's down to the black market. After trying to get the best price, 5 minutes before kick off you shell out your £300 to a tout and get into the ground only to be sitting next to a family of 5 from Kent making their first trip to Old Trafford for young Tristram's birthday present. That is (or was during my time) the reality for a lot of Man Utd supporters. It's galling and you're not going to welcome these people with open arms. I can remember going to Chelsea away in my last year following Man Utd, it was a big game and tickets in the away section were like gold dust and a lot of regular away supporters missed out. When we got in the ground a whole row of our section had been allocated to a group of Japanese 'fans' on an organised trip to see their first ever game. Of course it's not their fault it's the club's for giving them tickets in the first place. As I said at the beginning, this isn't to knock you in any way but to try to explain why there is so much animosity to CASUAL OOT supporters at some clubs.

LM, If they are going to games then to me they are 'genuine' fans, irrespective of where they come from. No matter what I think of somebody from Surrey adopting Man Utd as their 'team', if they are spending their hard earned following that team then I'd have to class them as a 'genuine' supporter whatever their motives. Give me the 'cockney red' who follows them home and away over the Manc that can be seen walking round the Arndale centre in his replica shirt during a game any day of the week. It takes a lot of time and cash for these OOT supporters to follow their team and I respect them for that, I just wish certain clubs would do more to help their local 'grass roots' support. At Man Utd you need to apply for your tickets online with a credit card. How many 16 year olds have their own credit card, which means they are relying on parents having to do it for them (that's assuming their parents in the arse end of Salford actually have their own credit card ) I see nothing wrong with clubs still allowing kids to 'walk up' and buy their tickets with the proceeds from the paper round (or dope running!). Unfortunately clubs like Man Utd are not remotely interested in doing that, they've got nowt to spend in the shop when they get there

Oh yes, another popular misconception... The 'I can't get tickets' syndrome. Strange how apart from my season tickets I had 'memberships' in several family members names to help others out with tickets when they were struggling. Out of all those memberships I'd be 'drawn' a ticket at least 95% of the time. Most of these who can't get tickets only apply for City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Champions League semi's etc and then whinge when they don't get one.

The original article though misses a very important point IMO. The 'out of town' support of popular clubs minimises the opportunity of young 'local' support being able to follow their team. You suffered a very similar scenario yourselves back in the 90s during Keegan's first stint. Football clubs don't really give a flying fuck where their support comes from, it's all about who'll cough up the most money and that's usually corporates and wealthy out-of-towners. A whole generation of young supporters miss out on the opportunity to truly 'support' their local club at the expense of the corporates & wealthy OOT's. Was Man Utd's policy of increasing match day tickets to OOT branches (particularly the Irish) during December a coincidence? I think not, it might have had something to do with their own bulging megastore and some bulging wallets though! During my days of membership of several Man Utd fan groups, I constantlly petitioned the club to reserve a minimum number of tickets for local kids at schoolboy prices.. but where they interested... of course not. The simple fact is that for many young supporters in the popular succesful clubs they have little chance of doing what came naturally to me, going to all the matches with my mates from school. I don't blame the corporates & OOT's for this but I do blame the clubs and for many it will come back to bite them on the arse when they fall on harder times.

Danny Boy, I know this may come as a complete shock to you but believe it or not, not all quotes attributed to people in the screws, were actually made by them. Ferguson gave an interview where he confirmed they had lodged a bid for an unamed player and they expected that bid to be accepted in time. Everybody may 'think they know' that player is Berbatov (and that would be my guess) but Fergie was very deliberate in not naming him. Our esteemed journalist, Mr Custis, writing in 'The Sun' then printed the story that the player was indeed Berbatov. Allegedly he has since confirmed that he actually took that story from a Nowegian fan site Journalist in trawling fan sites for a story shocker My guess is nearly every club has been guilty of tapping up players in the past but I sincerely hope your chairman has more evidence than the Custis quote or I suspect it's going to cost him a lot of money. Fergie is a greedy man and has shown his willingness to take things to court in the past to try and get a few bob (witness the infamous racehorse case).

Come along and support Blue Star v FC Utd....... 3rd plays 7th, should be a good day. Right off to to the bar to get started

Very sad. One of the greatest players of his generation and I hope he somehow comes through it all. I agree with Craig, it would have loved to have seen him join Man Utd instead of Spuds. There's no doubt Fergie would have been a calming influence but I'm not sure even that would have helped Gazza & his demons. Don't forget that was in the days of Robbo's infamous drinking school which Fergie eventually broke up. I'd like to think Fergie would have singled him out for special treatment because of his amazing talent but it could well have gone the other way with him being shown the door very quickly. Sadly, we'll never know the answer to that one. Sadly he lived for his football and when that finished it all went tits up fairly quickly. Great shame he never settled into another role after his playing days were over. I have a mate well connected at Everton who reckons he was brilliant coaching the kids there, if he could have settled to a role like that, it might all have been very different.

A lot of mancs are tossers, but I've met more decent mancs, than most places I've been to. Man Utd are not our rivals. I've met one or two who are alright as well, and FCUM is probably one. But in a footballing sense I wouldn't show any unity with them, I would back a call for standing areas, rather than standing in sitting areas but march like this ? Not a chance. Rather be in the pub anyway I can see both sides really Leazes. No one set of supporters is going to achieve much on the issue of standing on their own so it will need some unity from supporters of different clubs to get anything done, and there is a history of MUFC & NUFC working together on this. Many years ago Andy Walsh then chair of IMUSA (now fulfills a similar role with FC United) went on fact finding mission to Germany with Kevin Miles (then chair of INUSA) and they submitted a joint report to parliament. I just think this was poorly thought out. The organisers Toon Ultras & Stretford End Flags are minority groups to put it mildly! The Toon Ultras seem to provoke derision from most NUFC supporters and the guy behind SEF is a lad who basically 'took his ball home' after a row about the banners that adorn Tier 2 of the Stretty I think joint action through the auspices of the Football Supporters Federation is to be applauded but this was a protest by two marginal groups that could have resulted in mayhem. As I said earlier, I won't knock them for trying to do something but (IMO) it was doomed from the start. Anything like this needs to be coordinated through majority groups with police approval.

Red Issue is one of the best fanzines around but the (regular) forum is garbage. It wasn't always that way, it used to be a great forum but then the lunatics took over the asylum. There is another Red Issue forum known as 'The Sanctuary' which is where all the posters with brains are It's subscription only at a tenner a year, sad when you've got to do that to get a decent forum but it keeps the WUM's & multiple personas away. There is another breakaway forum from Red Issue called Fred Tissue. I've never been on there but I think some of the more sensible RI posters set it up after the main forum went to shit. The main RI forum is just a complete joke and (as you rightly say) frequented in the main by cunts.

United Should be fun to watch Good luck to 'em, somebody needs to 'fight the fight' but it will only take a couple of arseholes on either side for it to result in mayhem!!

Better still get him to do a dissertation on the finances of Manchester United Football Club of which the latest accounts have just been released. If he can successfully predict the month and year when it all comes crashing down he'll have all the top financial institutions chasing him

Nice to see people fucking these parasites up. £80k will secure it This one sums it up best for me though, look at the sellers name and then look at the name on the pic of the ticket. Linky Sums up everything that's wrong at Old Trafford!

What the fuck is this post? Are you trying to tell us Ashley is personally sending out letters to other clubs telling them they can't stand? Or is today April 1st and you're on a wind up? By the way everyone knows his new shirt says Keegan 1 (out the door). I didn't say he was sending them personally, I said he was the owner of a club that was doing so. In other words one of his employees is sending out letters to clubs stating their allocation will be cut if they persist in standing whilst the gaffer does the same thing himself. Has he been hoyed out of any grounds for standing yet? Used to happen to me regularly, in fact most seasons at the smoggies!

Somewhat ironic though that the owner of a club sending out letters to other clubs warning them their ticket allocation will be cut if they stand up............. then goes to other grounds and stands himself Does he still have Smith's name on the back of his shirt

Nah, prefer Man Utd old boys. Keano's red & white army

So it was you! Heard, even. Also, if it does happen it'll be branded as 'taking the game to the overseas fans' when in fact it'll be watched by the rich and corporates etc. with the less well-off being well and truly priced out of the market. I could actually see this happening, acrossthepond will be over the moon Oi! This is idiotic. This is a redux of the ridiculous Wembley NFL game and it's just as poor an idea. The Premier League doesn't need to go after fans abroad, it's already the most-watched league in the world. I also note with some cynicism the "top five won't play each other due to a seeding system" a.k.a. little clubs get hammered in front of sellout plastic crowds who don't know any players' names and can only sing "Go Man U!" and they get all the $$$. Terrible, terrible, terrible idea. And that bit about seeding teams makes it the biggest joke of all. Lets say a team like Bristol City comes up next year. The highlight of their fan's season will be to see them play at home to Arse, Man Utd, Chelski etc. Instead their supporters will be told their 'home' league game is being played in Singapore! I'm sure they'll be delighted.

Parklands Driving Range in Gosforth. Posters of Keegan saying how much he'd 'just love it' getting revenge and inviting the punters to 'knock Man Utd for 6'. Cardboard cut-outs of Fergie and Man Utd players being strategically placed on the driving range for punters to smack golf balls at

Complete joke of an idea. The only way it would work would be to extend the season which would mean it replacing the ludicrous American/Asian tours most of the top clubs undertake pre-season. Those games are supposed to part of pre-season training and just exhibition matches, no way should they become part of the league campaign. If the FA want to arrange them as exhibition matches pre-season then it could possibly distribute some of the money better throughout the league than it is now but the Man Utd's etc are never going to agree to that.

Interesting view that, Craig. Ferdinand has always really impressed me when I've seen him captain both Man Utd and Leeds. He seems to raise his game with the armband on as well as organising the team well. Complete tw@t of a bloke but a good captain IMO.

Harry Redknapp: 'Eh Paulie me old cock sparrer, I fought you was gonna get me some more wedge from Spurs, we had a deal sunshine!! Paul Kemsley: Really sorry 'arry old son, it woz a done deal but this other geezer stiched me up wi this Ramos chappie. Harry Redknapp: Yeah thats all well and good me old son but wot abaht me wedge. Paul Kemsley: Don't worry we'll sort sumfink out, I'll get on the blower to Mikey ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Paul Kemsley: Mikey me old china, in a bit of a jam, I promised 'arry some wedge but it's sort o fell through, wot's appening with this manager lark at your place? Mike Ashley: Sorry mate, no can do. I've offered it to Keggy and he's coming. Paul Kemsley: Mikey, how about you keep schtumm for a few days about Keggy and pretend to offer it to 'arry. He can then get some more wedge out of Pompey, turn your job down, then you can wheel Keggy out. Fans will be made up if they thought they were gonna end up wiv 'arry, everyone's a winner me old son. Mike Ashley: Yeah, sounds like a plan Paul, leave it with me.

Like Moore he was a 'half back' in the old formation of 2 full backs, 1 centre half and 2 half backs. Probably a cross between the modern day ball playing centre back and the defensive midfielder.

There is no doubt in my mind who would have been receiving the world cup in 1966 had he lived. Bobby Moore is remembered as an all-time great but I wonder how many games he'd have played for England had Edwards survived. Duncan Edwards

Rob W, No, it's certainly not time to 'let it go' as you put it. Although I was only a small bairn at the time of the crash, as the one or two on here who know me personally will testify, Munich had a dramatic impact on my family and countless others. The families of those who perished that day have had put with 50 years of shit from the club which was (in large part) made by Sir Matt and those who lost their lives in 1958 and are still putting up with shit today like the obscene sight of sponsors logo's on the new memorial. I know it's difficult for the young 'uns to understand but players in those days, although 'stars', were ordinary blokes who socialised with the working men, travelled on the same bus etc. Their only difference was their football ability. The disaster had a deep impact on those who were around at the time. There will become a time to 'let it go' as you put it but that won't be whilst survivors and families of those who died are still around. Feb 6th is a time for a lot of people to remember those people and pay their respects. Leave them be.

I agree, few supporters can have the pleasure of seeing their teams win trophies etc so it really comes down to getting enjoyment from following your team. If you enjoy and feel good about it then you are getting your moneys worth, if you don't then you are not. Simple really! The supporters almost universally feel good about their team again so on that basis it's a good appointment.