Manchester United supporters

I'm a Manchester City Fan. I have been since 1968, when we won the league. Living in London, I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. The last time was the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last season. It's been a tough journey. The only time I've seen them lift silverware was at the 2nd Division Play off final against Gillingham. I did make the classic 3-2 cup final defeat to Spurs way back in the early eighties. The rest of the family are mostly United fans (apart from my wise nephew Sasha).

City fans have a great gallows humour, we savour victory, we don't take anything for granted. When City became the worlds richest club, I like many City fans immediately expected a Gulf Oil crisis whereby our benefactor went bust. Did he really know what he was buying? All City fans know that there is a gipsy curse on the club, which see's our dreams turn to ashes on a regular basis. I recall the Maine Road Massacre, where we stuffed United 5-1. Oh how we sniggered as we gleefully waited for old Rednose (Fergie to you) to get the boot. That went well.

Well, soon a new season starts and a Blue moon is rising.

Which brings me to the subject of my Ire. Manchester United fans. Whilst City fans do a great line in self depreciating humour, all we get from Reds (or the scum as we lovingly know them) are boasts. Where we sing Blue moon in melancholy, they struggle to chant "United". Even the spawn of Satan himself, Roy Keane, complained about the "prawn sandwich brigade". I was discussing this recently with Guigsy, former Oasis bassplayer. He told me that football has never been about winning, it's about belonging. Supporting City is about wingers storming down, highs, lows, cheers & tears - emotions. Talk to a United fan, it's about stats and facts. In the 1950's boys liked to collect train numbers. Now they become United fans & collect championships & match stats. If I had a pound for every time a United fan had said "why do you support City, they are useless" I'd be rich. I retort "If United became unsuccessful, would you stop supporting them" - The smug, arrogant response is always "Well that isn't going to happen".

I've got family & friends who I love who support United. I don't hate their fans. I do however find that there's rather too many of them who are smug, arrogant, unpleasant, boastful and boring. They could do with a goodly period of failure, sackcloth and ashes, to reconnect with their emotions. To paraphrase Slaine Mac Roth "The Ryman League would not seems too low".

To all my United supporting readers who I've offended by this rant. I'm sure you guys are among the nice ones. It isn't personal (mostly).