You either love the team or hate them. When players play for Manchester United you either think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread or the biggest pain in the butt going. I was reminded of how the team that Linda and I love splits the football-loving nation straight down the middle the other weekend whilst walking from Antrobus Street car park with my lovely wife.
We were minding our own business when a man who I’d never met suddenly blurted out “What about that Rooney, eh? What a bloody fool!” Here we go again I thought, it’s time to dust down my tin helmet and be ready for the ABU (Anybody but United) flak! Wayne Rooney had been sent off playing for England the previous night. He lashed out at a player and kicked him. It was silly and he deserved to go off. He got a three match ban from UEFA. I just hope that England for once do themselves justice and get through the group stages in the finals next year because if they don’t, you can be sure United’s loveable Scouse rogue will get the blame. You know why – because he plays for Manchester United and happens to be the most skillful player this country has produced since Paul Gascoigne. Funny how the hopes of a nation rest on one player . . . football is a team game played by eleven people isn’t it?
Manchester United fans, of which I am one of them, have seen players suffer in one way shape or form for many years. Steve Coppell, the right-winger signed by Tommy Docherty for £40,000 in 1975, severely injured his right knee playing for England in 1981 during a World Cup qualifier against Hungary. A career finished – at 28.The 1990’s saw media coverage explode with the advent of the Premier League. The World Cup in Italy in 1990 helped as well. The game suddenly became the subject of the “chattering classes” in the coffee bars as well as the pubs. The first season of the Premier League saw the arrival in Manchester of a Frenchman who would leave his mark on the game and an abusive Crystal Palace fan! I refer to my hero, Eric Cantona.
One of the most charismatic players I have ever had the pleasure of watching play, I first saw him play in September 1992 in the white of Leeds United, our hated rivals. Here, the fickleness of fans was rammed home to me. In the red of United it was “Ooh, aah, Cantona!” However, in the white of Leeds United it was “F@#k off Cantona, I said F@#k off Cantona!” Little did those fans who were hurling that abuse realize that a few months later the start of a glorious four and half year era was about to begin. It was the start of United’s rock and roll era!
Skillful stylish and charismatic, Eric brought a freshness to United’s play. A swagger, maybe symbolic of the “Hollywood” image of the club, was personified in the Frenchman. Trophies started to arrive. 1995 was to be a pivotal year for Eric. It was the year when, in my humble opinion, the Football Association finally had their chance to go after Eric and United.
The incident at Selhurst Park, South East London, on 25th January 1995, has been well documented. United had struggled on a bad surface against Crystal Palace. A 1-1 draw, with the benefit of hindsight, probably cost us the League. We lost the League by 1 point that year.
Eric’s game had suffered. His usual slick passing game wasn’t as good as normal. Being the big star, he was the primary target for Richard Shaw, their defender, to be upset. His plan worked to perfection. Constant niggles from Mr. Shaw culminated in Eric lashing out at him. Eric got his marching orders and was sent-off. The vultures in the crowd saw their moment to pounce, especially one Matthew Simmonds.
This “fan” ran down the stairs in that stand and started giving Eric all kinds of abuse. Now, here’s where the cultural differences kicked in. Here in England the word “bastard” has been almost sanitized. It doesn’t have anywhere near the level of seriousness it does in Europe. Over there its literal meaning still has some gravitas! Eric had had enough. To be sent off is bad enough, but to criticize your Mother and question her integrity . . . well, a karate-kick is deserved! It was a sensational moment. It was shown on TV dozens of times. United acted quickly and consequently suspended Eric within 24 hours of the incident. Eric would not play again that season. Here’s where the F.A. stuck their nose in.
They wanted Eric banned for a further month. They wanted him banned from all football activity. He couldn’t even play in a practice match. For some reason, even now, sixteen years on, the words “restraint of trade” comes into my mind. Eric decided to quit. It wasn’t until a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson in a quiet restaurant in Paris that summer that Manchester United fans were guaranteed and reassured that their star player would return. He did, and we had a couple of wonderful years with Eric captaining a side that contained youngsters by the name of Scholes, Neville and a young Londoner called Beckham . . . more of him later!
Having lived in the United States for five years, I’m well aware that a good conspiracy theory is well appreciated. One of the top men during the 1990’s at the FA was a man by the name of Brian Barwood. Once head of BBC Sport, he famously told Greg Dyke, a fellow BBC big-wig (who happened to be a big Manchester United fan and a one-time director) that if he had any say Manchester United would never be BBC’s “Team of The Year”. It was only when the Reds had won the League, the F.A.Cup and the European Cup during that celebrated season of 1998-1999 that the BBC were able to announce that we were “Team of The Year”. Now I’m sure you’re wondering why the conspiracy theory allegations? Well, dear reader, the head of BBC Sport was a Liverpudlian who supported Liverpool . . . as the Americans say “I’m just saying!” That famous year saw Manchester United fans take David Beckham into their bosom and cradle him from the marauding hordes of away fans. He’d been a blossoming star at United for a couple of years, becoming the Cockney Red “of whom we are so proud” (Pete Boyle’s words) and gaining fame and notoriety with his skill and liking for spectacular goals, most notably the goal I witnessed at Selhurst Park in August 1996 when he scored from just inside his own half. It was a beautiful goal – Eric said so!
Anyhow, let’s get back to 1998. David got sent-off playing for England in the World Cup against Argentina. England played valiantly for over an hour with ten men. England had a goal disallowed because of a foul on the goalkeeper. People missed penalties and eventually England lost yet who got the blame for the defeat? David Beckham.
The treatment dished out to him was disgusting. So-called reputable newspapers, papers that campaign for justice and proclaim to have the nation’s interests at heart should have been closed down. Papers like The Daily Mirror, who printed a dart board with David’s face on it, were the same papers who three years later were proclaiming him a savior when his specialist free kick skills saved England’s back side and got England into the 2002 World Cup Finals. 
Two years later in the2000 European Championships David was the subject of vile abuse from England fans. He was pictured giving the fans the finger when he was subjected to abuse that went beyond “banter”; chants of “hope your kid gets cancer” make you wonder why he continued to play for England as long as he did. Well done to Kevin Keegan, the manager at the time, for highlighting this disgraceful abuse.David’s foot was the subject of front page headlines when he injured a metatarsal playing for United. These papers are a hypocritical disgrace. “Pray for David’s foot” and other such rubbish filled the pages of the tabloid papers for weeks, eagerly read by the idiots who were only too willing to hurl abuse when it suited them. One day they’ll realize that England haven’t been world beaters for many a long year and that before long we’ll be having a World Cup/European Championship song like the Scots had . . . “Don’t Come Home Too Soon!” (For the record, it was sung by Del Amitri – great band, saw them once in Manchester!)
David did eventually get fit in time to take some part in the World Cup that year. He scored the winner against Argentina - from a penalty no less. Everybody was happy. There were quite a few Manchester United players in that World Cup squad. They used to get booed. Why – because of the team they played for. No wonder fans at Old Trafford used to sing a song that went like this (to the tune of “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain”) “You Can Stick Your F@#king England up Your Arse!!!!” For the entire media circus that still accompanies David Beckham, I’ll always be a supporter of David’s. He’s a genuine, hard-working player who loves Manchester United. Talking of Manchester United players from the capital city, Rio Ferdinand walked into a hurricane made by the Football Association in 2002. He forgot to go to a drugs test. The F.A. wanted the manager of the England team to not pick him. His team mates were on the verge of going on strike in protest. The ring leaders were Gary Neville and David Beckham. So, why the fuss you ask?
Under F.A. rules players were supposed to be guaranteed anonymity on cases of such severity until a verdict had been reached. The F.A., under the ruling of Chief Executive Mark Palios, a Liverpudlian ex Tranmere Rovers centre half, were going to clean up football’s image. Rio walked head first into a storm. He was banned for nine months and fined £50,000. No anonymity, just a big fine and loads of publicity. The F.A. was grinning from ear to ear. Now, Manchester United fans were outraged to say the least. It seemed another case of one rule for United, another for the rest. What made it particularly galling was the fact that it emerged in the press that a Manchester City player had committed the same “crime” and was only fined £2000 and had all the anonymity you could want! He couldn’t have asked for more anonymity if he’d ticked the box when doing the lottery!
You know, what goes around comes around. There’s a saying that goes “empty vessels make the most noise”; well our Liverpudlian friend Mr. Palios was one very empty vessel. It later emerged that the holier than thou Mr. Palios was issuing edicts on such issues whilst sleeping with someone who wasn’t his wife! What made it more intriguing and funny at the same time was the same woman was sleeping with the England manager!So we come to the present day. Wayne Rooney has even drawn The Guardian, that bastion of respectability, into the debate. “Can Rooney Be Trusted?” or words to that extent. Yes of course he can. He can be trusted to have that extra bit of skill that no England player of his generation has to deliver that killer pass and score that great goal. Manchester United players who play for their country are no different than players who represent their country and ply their trade with other clubs and should be treated so.
The level of expectation on England teams at tournaments is ridiculous. The sooner fans realize that England don’t automatically have the right to be classed as world beaters and that we have to work hard at generating skillful players who can pass the ball like Spain, the current World and European Champions, the better. It’s time we had the opportunity to celebrate . . . and not counting how many years of hurt it has been – currently it’s 45 and counting.Cheer your country when they play and don’t have a grudge. When England fans stop having a go at players of my beloved Reds, I’ll stop thinking John Terry is a complete and utter . . . (insert your own expletive!!!) We all want our country to win. Even Manchester United players do, believe me!
Enjoy following football, Ed
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