20 Dec 2011

Day-Trippers New Fashion Accessory


A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.

Dual Scarf At The Manchester Derby
This seasons must have fashion accessory for the Old Trafford day-trippers, is an item I find disgusting and utterly offencive. The new must have item to go with other stand out day-tripper wear, like the Megastore bag, official Manchester United tracksuit or official shirt, and long lens camera, ladies and gentleman, I present to you ..............The Dual Football Scarf.

For anybody who is unsure what a Dual Football Scarf is, let me explain, a Dual Football Scarf Is a scarf that is half one football team, complete with team crest, and half another team with team crest.

Dual Scarves have been around for a long time on the continent, and I can fully understand why a supporter travelling away on a Champions League trip would purchase, let's say for arguments sake, a Dual Scarf which is half Manchester United and half Bayern Munich. The scarf would be a nice keeps sake, a souvenir, something to remind you of your journey and the game. I would have no problem wearing a scarf that was half United, half Bayern Munich as they are not a local rival.

So imagine when to my amazement,  I stumbled across a group of United day-trippers at Old Trafford this year for the Manchester Derby, who were all wearing Dual United/City scarves. At first glance I thought it was a United fan with a Manchester City scarf on, so you can imagine my confusion. This was until I noticed that when he turned around the other half of his scarf had the United colours and club crest on it.

I was that angered and embarrassed by them, that I took the photograph for this article with my Iphone so that I could show it to other United supporters and get their views on it (see picture above). I was absolutely staggered that somebody would buy a Dual United/City scarf, it just goes to show that the people purchasing these scarfs do not have a clue about rivalry. A high majority of supporters will understand football rivalry, it's common knowledge that if you decided to go and watch a Barcelona v Real Madrid game at the Nou Camp, you would probably avoid buying a dual scarf and wearing it in the home end.

Personally, I would never wear a scarf that had the club crest of a Premier League rival on it. You could not imagine your hardcore Mancunian United supporter, who follows his team home and away, turning up at Anfield with a Dual United/Liverpool scarf could you? Which tells a story in itself. The people that are purchasing these scarfs are people who are attending Old Trafford for the first time, or using Old Trafford as a tourist attraction, a day out. They see the Dual Scarf as a souvenir to bring home with them, they obviously have no idea or clue about United's history, or rivalry with certain clubs, otherwise they would not buy them.

Dual-Scarves are a sign of how football has changed so dramatically over the years. You definitely could not imagine a Dual Scarf knocking about in the 60s, 70s or 80s. These were days when supporters of football club's were mostly local people who were attached, and supported their club because of where they come from. Being a successful team means that people from all over the world will be drawn to you like a magnet.

I have no problem with this, it's what makes Manchester United's global brand and support so strong compared to others. I just wish that people claiming to support United would do their homework before coming to Old Trafford, and embarrassing us Mancunian's in the process by wearing Dual Scarves that have rival teams crests visible on them.

19 Dec 2011

Keane Still Bitter Over United Exit

Ferguson & Keane's Friendship Is Over
Two people who certainly will not be exchanging Christmas cards this year are Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane. Sundays eye opening two page spread in a national news paper by Keane, had the ramblings of a bitter old man written all over it.

Keane is still evidently licking his wounds from 2005 when by "mutual consent", Keane and Manchester United, decided to part company.

A scathing negative rant about United's 2005 crop of players on their in house TV channel MUTV was what ended Keane's United career.

Keane has repeatedly criticised United and how the club is run in the press, he displays the views of a man who is finding retirement and two failed attempts at management with Sunderland and Ipswich, difficult to accept.

The only person to blame for Keane's departure from Old Trafford, is himself. Keane was told to try and remain positive when giving his thoughts on a match United had been well beaten in, what did Keane do? The complete opposite, he was ruthless in his assessment of the team,  he even questioned if the players who played were good enough to play for United.

The club and the manager were stunned and outraged by Keane's comments, they acted swiftly to make sure the programme did not go out on air. Like any school pupil who is a disruption to the class, he was effectively expelled from the United School.

So it hardly come as a surprise when Keane, now working as a pundit for ITV Champions League games, was highly critical of United's exit to Basle at the group stages. Keane firmly set the cat amongst the pigeons with his assessment of United, comments that obviously touched a nerve with Sir Alex, who made a comment in reply to his sides dressing down by questioning Keane's managerial record, which was a bit of a cheap shot on the United manager's behalf.

Both Keane and Ferguson were correct, but it is the nature of the jibes that are being thrown back and forward that suggests that there is more to this than just Keane being bitter about leaving United on bad terms. What Keane should realise, is that he started the fall out back in 2005.

The friendship between Keane and Ferguson is strained beyond repair, both men are strong, stubborn characters, who will not back down. A recent snub by Keane to attend a dinner party to celebrate Ferguson being in charge of United for twenty five years proves this. Keane claims he turned down the chance to attend because he would not have been able to stand up and clap Ferguson.

What Keane should realise is that United made him the player he was, no player is bigger than the club. Other players have left United on bad terms, Japp Stam, Rudd van Nistelrooy and David Beckham, all of whom, made up with Ferguson years after their departure, so why can't Keane? If everybody held a grudge against Keane then he would not be welcome back into his home country, following his decision to walk out on his nations national side during the 2002 world cup, following a disagreement with Mick McCarthy, who was the Republic of Ireland manager at that time.

Something else that Keane said in his article was that Ferguson's managerial record was down to players like him, well it works both ways Roy. Would Keane have been so decelerated as a player if he had joined another club instead of signing for United? Old Trafford handed Keane the platform he craved to help him fulfil his potential and become a legend and a success, Ferguson moulded him into the quality player he turned out to be .

Keane also said that United never stood by him? Is he being serious? Keane missed the whole of the 1997-98 season because of a cruciate ligament injury, caused by an attempt to kick and injure Leeds United player Alf-Inge Haaland. Manchester United rehabilitated him, and I assume Keane would have picked up his weekly wage during this time? He also threatened to leave United in 1999 if they did not pay him what he thought he was worth, the club gave in to his demands and quite rightly paid him the money he wanted, reported to be around £50,000 per week.

Roy Keane is without a doubt a Manchester United legend, but he is seriously beginning to affect his own status at Old Trafford. Keane needs to realise that Ferguson is the leader at United and is a far more influential figure than Keane ever was, and ever will be. Whilst Keane gives his views on the game as a pundit, Ferguson will continue to manage the most successful English football team in history, and the empire that he created.


@KevinAshford7


15 Dec 2011

Crisis At United ? What Crisis ?

Following Manchester United's exit from the Carling Cup and Champions League respectively, the media and a number of supporters were quick stating their view that  United were a club in crisis.

It's not the first and will certainty not be last time that word will be associated with United, it's part and parcel of being successful and arguably the biggest club side in the world.

The media love to print stories about United for one main reason, it sells papers. The morning after United crashed out of the Champions League the back pages were awash with the usual "Fergie Past It" headlines, but the word "crisis" was used by the majority of the media to sum up United's cup exits. The definition of the word crisis can be loosely used to describe a "testing time".

I for one do not see this as a testing time, but more as a transitional stage in rebuilding a team that has lost Edwin Van Der Sar, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes, who have all been great, important players for the club, and are almost individually impossible to replace.

In 2005 United went out of the Champions League at the same stage they did this year. The team that went out at Benfica that evening featured young players like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher, John Oshea & Alan Smith. These were all players relatively young and looking to establish themselves at United. Fast forward six years to that defeat in Basle and you would have seen David De Gea, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Ashley Young all trudging off the pitch with their heads sunk into their chests.

It's a similar situation as 2005 in my opinion, this team is trying to establish itself, and Sir Alex is trying to decide how best to use certain players, like Phil Jones for instance. It will take time for these player to form an understanding between each other.

Also take into account the crippling injuries United have had to deal with this season, currently nine senior players are sidelined, and the fact that they are only two points behind league leaders Manchester City, who effectively won the lottery the day that Sheik Mansour purchased the club, and things don't seem too bad do they? United are currently five points better off than they were at the same stage last season, which just goes to show how impressive City's start to the season has been.

City have been labelled the "Barcelona of English football" by many, following their best ever start to a league campaign, United are only two points behind them. Lets just say that if City had not won the lottery, and we take them out of the equation and assume that they would be lingering around mid-table, currently United would be five points clear of Chelsea in the Premier League title chase, hardly a crisis is it?

United cannot compete with City financially and probably never will be in a position to flex their muscle like City can, but for United to be only two points behind City leading into the busy Christmas period, suggests to me that there is no crisis at Old Trafford.

Traditionally, history suggests United find another gear in the second half of the season, and despite the injuries that threaten to hinder their title chances, you would not bet against them making it a twentieth league title this season. The Premier League, in terms of a race is a marathon, not a sprint. City have set the pace so far, it's up to United to maintain the pace and try and overtake its Mancunian rival.

8 Dec 2011

It's Thursday Night Football For United

As Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League at the first hurdle against Basle, most notably the happiest people excluding the anti-United football fans, would have been the TV executives of Channel 5 and ITV4, who would have thrown clenched fists into the air in celebration of securing their new blockbuster programme called the Europa League, to be aired on Thursday evenings in February 2012.

On paper, United's group was set up for last years finalists to advance to the knockout stage. It spectacularly backfired against Basle as the English champions trudged off the field of play at full time following a 2-1 defeat, heads transfixed to the turf, as it started to sink in that Manchester United, will now be entering unfamiliar territory in February next year, when they will compete in the dreaded Europa League, a Competition that the majority of Europe's elite clubs would rather not be associated with or involved in.

United only have themselves to blame for this seasons early Champions League exit, but it was the manner of the defeat against Basle that was alarming. Supporters also seem certain to be heading for a direct head on collision with Man Utd owners the Glazer's over ticket prices for the Europa League games. Rumours are surfacing that they intend to keep ticket prices the same for the Europa League as they would have been for the Champions League.

The Glazers could also even infuriate supporters further more, by increasing ticket prices to try and make up for the unexpected financial losses in lost Champions League revenue, believed to be in the region of £20million for failing to qualify for the knockout stage. If his is true then United supporters who are against the Glazer ownership will simply use these matches as demonstrations against the Americans by not buying tickets for the Europa League games.

So United will now be playing in a European competition early next year that will not involve the Uefa Champions League anthem being blared out on the Old Trafford PA system. The last time United failed to make the knockout stage was 2005, but a least that year, they were that bad they did not qualify to drop in to the Europa League basement.

It makes you wonder if Sir Alex would have preferred to finish bottom of the Champions League group this year and avoid the dreaded Europa League? One thing is for sure, Television executives will welcome Manchester United's early exit with open arms, as United will guarantee extraordinary TV ratings that they will never have experienced before. TV insiders say that a similar previous Europa show involving Liverpool was "ok" for viewing figures, but they expect the Man Utd viewing figures to be in a different league all together to their Liverpudlian rivals.

3 Dec 2011

Supporter's United Over Ticket Price's


Empty Seats Were Clearly Visible
Manchester United supporters sent out a clear statement to their American owners during the Carling Cup quarter final against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening at Old Trafford.

It is estimated that Utd were roughly 22,376 spectators short of a full house, their lowest attendance figure for a competitive match at the Theatre of dreams in just over six years.

The statement was clear and could be seen by the viewing public who tuned in to watch the reds cup clash in the form of the amount of empty upturned seats clearly visible to the human eye. Prior to the match Utd refused to lower the price of tickets, and it is believed that adult tickets were around £42.

It is absolutely scandalous and outrageous to charge such an amount for what was a Carling Cup game against championship opposition. Perhaps the happiest people that evening would have been the ones who would have been sat watching the match at home or in their local drinking establishment with the green and gold scarf around their neck, fully backing the "Anti-Glazer" agenda. The match can now be looked back on as a demonstration by supporters, venting their anger at the Glazer family for pricing fans out of going to watch the working mans game.

Utd must have known at the start of the week that they had 22,376 tickets to sell, so why did they not offer them to local schools or youth clubs? These local schools and youth club's are where the next generation of reds will come from and Utd need to realise that they need to attract younger supporters to come to Old Trafford.

Even if they offered them for free to children it still  surly would have made business sense. How many of them children would have visited the mega-store or made a food or beverage purchase inside the ground? This would have been money that would have gone into the Glazers back pocket, so it is their loss.

If tickets had become more affordable and realistic Old Trafford would have been full, but the worrying thing is as a Utd supporter is the Glazers do not actually seem interested or intent on acting upon the scene of them empty seats. They should take notice and could learn a few things from Manchester City, who's owners have impressed me on the commercial and ticketing side of the game.
Glazers Need To Review Ticket Pricing

The evening before United's quarter final cup game, Arsenal played Manchester City at the Emirates and all tickets including the away teams were set at a reasonable £10. So it was no surprise to see that the Emirates was almost packed to the rafters. £10 to go and watch two premier league teams play in a cup quarter final, why could Utd not have done something similar?

Do the Glazers not realise a global recession is now kicking in on the football side of things as supporters start to give up season tickets that they can no longer afford to keep, and also stop going to football grounds because it has become far too expensive for a family or the average working-class person to attend? If ticket prices for a cup competition that is fourth on the list of season priorities remain the same then expect more Old Trafford demonstrations, or empty seats as the majority of other supporters will view it as.

Manchester United are arguably the most famous and best supported football club side on the planet, Wednesday evening has taught the Glazers a lesson, they need to stop taking supporters for granted.


@KevinAshford7