Unthinkable now - but then it was the doldrums of Wilf McGuiness, Frank O'Farrell - before Tommy 'the Doc' Docherty took them down and then up again in 75-76. Then Dave Sexton - oh dear. Outings to Cup Finals (Southampton '76, Liverpool '77 and Arsenal '79) - and the especially exciting semis were just brilliant. The Doc sparked it all up though - and we loved the wingers Coppell and Hill and the attacking 4-2-4 football. The season in Div 2 was the best - United were rampant and finished top by some distance.
As I got a bit older we used to go on from Old Trafford to Wilmslow Rugby Club for a pint (me a half of shandy, honest) to catch up with his mates from the Round Table, who'd usually be at the rugby. Always getting home just a bit late... but ready for a big tea.
I saw Fever Pitch a few years back and loved the book. But I could barely contain myself when the young Nick Hornby character first reaches the top of the stairs in the stadium and looks out onto the crowd waiting for the match - it was an incredible feeling, like entering the world of men and manly pursuits for the very first time. We always remembered 'Frank' and his three mates that sat behind us - they were like the old men in the Muppets - always moaning, but strangely satisfied by being so miserable about the football.
Of course, we still love United. But it's not the same now they are so successful.
Here's something that he would have loved...
Amazingly in some ways, this has been the hardest part of David's web site to do. We just loved watching George Best - and that tribute video chokes me up. Every time he got the ball, you just knew anything could happen, and it often did. David would always say "Best has incredibly strong legs, no-one can ever get him off the ball' - and sees similarities with Wayne Rooney.
ReplyDeleteOn my very first football shirt, when still at primary school, my mum sowed a number 7 on the back. It was before the days of modern merchandising.