When did you begin supporting?

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I'm from Droylsden (Manchester suburb for our non-mancunian supporters). I suppose that I first became aware of United via the air disaster. I was then 8 and requested a United shirt from my parents (refused). I don't think that there was any football on the telly then (highlights from the Cup Final, possibly), but doesn't really matter since my father wouldn't allow us to have one until1965. So I used to watch (and sometimes play for) my school and on Sundays I watched park teams - all the players in red or sky blue - only two teams mattered. On very rare occasions I managed to get to Droylsden games and so I still look at their results when I can get hold of a local paper - I now live in Switzerland.

But I truly became a United supporter in 1958/9. My friend's father took us to OT for a game against Blackburn (a massive derby in those days). We won 3-0. The huge friendly crowd, the brilliant football. I was hooked.

We moved to London and then Canada so opportunities to see United live were few, but whenever I could I went to a match. My best period was 1967 - 1969. By now I was a trainee psychiatric nurse in Macclesfield (so I also support Macclesfield) and we used to get free tickets to OT for almost all home games. I went to many and managed to follow throughout the European cup season. Which is why my favourite ever player has to be George Best. At that period he was mesmerising. Occasionally lazy, but when the spirit hit (not the alcohol) just incredible. He would take on anybody. The whole opposition, one after the other, just to see if he could. It didn't always result in a goal, or indeed in anything at all, it was just so, so good to watch. We adored him.

Afterwards I lived in Belgium (I support Anderlecht), Turkey (Galatasaray), France (PSG) and now Switzerland (Servette). I find it quite natural to support many teams but United was, and will always be, my first and greatest love.

PS I now have a United shirt, which I wear to all United matches (at home, almost all of them are shown live on Canal +). I also own a huge United towel which I use for sunbathing when on holiday - a basis for many conversations, and some long-term friendships.
 
As the great manc said "Its not where yer from ITS WHERE YER AT".I started going to OT during the Docs reign in the second divsion and came over from yorkshire so every game was an away game for us.First chance I got to move over to manchester I did and the rest is history.No amount of wumming from abus will change the fact that I am proud to be a red.
 
Glad someone else on here is older enough to have seen and admired the skill of George Best (L'anglais). As I said in an earlier post I have seen some great United players in the past 50 years or so and Cantona and even Christiano come close but there will only be one George Best. He was just head and shoulders above any other player I have seen since and he played at a time when many "hard men" ( Ron-chopper Harris, Norman-break your legs Hunter etc etc ) were playing and would regularly make a mockery of their hard men image. There was always a roar of expectation whenever he got the ball, something you don't often hear now, and he rarely disappointed the crowd. He certainly was the finest player I have ever seen pull on a United shirt it was just so sad that he shortened his career with his off field problems
 
I was born into a United supporting family in 1982, my dad took me to my first game when I was 7, we never had the money to go to games regularly but my dad tried to take me a couple of times a season. These days I try to repay the favour and get the tickets on the occasions we can both go. I can remember going to see United when Beckham, Giggs and Scholes were breaking through and everyone was saying how good they were going to turn out to be, good memories. I remember Liverpool winning the league, not as bad for me then as it would be now, Liverpool were the dominant team back then and I remember them being dominant, but I don't think I fully appreciated the rivalry back then.
 
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