Best United moment & why...what made it so special

[simplyared]

Not a footballing moment, but to do with football:
My mother took me to "The Teens and Twenties" exhibition in Deansgate, 63 I think it was. The Lawman and King himself was going to be there promoting his book "Living for Kicks". Remember standing in the queue trying to think of something I could say when my turn came. I was 11-12 yrs old. He was sat behind a desk holding a pen in his hand when I asked him who we were playing at the weekend. Remember him saying Notts Forest in the most Scottish accent I'd ever heard. I told him I played for the school team and our next match was against Ardwick Tech. He asked me my name and wrote at the back of the book best wishes and signed it. Lent that book to a schoolmate years ago and never got it back.

 

[P.Head]

Awful as it was, there was something cathartic about getting relegated in 1974.

We’d been terrible since Christmas 1971. The Doc saved us from relegation in 1973 by kicking the opposition off the field. The football was no better the following season but results were even worse.

Over the summer the most amazing transformation took place and the same squad started playing dazzling attacking football. The feeling of joy and optimism after years of decline has only been matched since by the first league win in 1993 and the two Champions’ Leagues.

Tommy Doc’s Red & White Army!

1977 FA Cup Final fo me. My first trip to Wembley & we shafted the bin-dippers. Pure ectacy!

I went though my teenage years post Sir Matt enduring poor Wilf McGuinness (the David Moyes of his day) the job was just too big. Frank o Farrell who looked like he’d switched from being a bank manager to a football manager bringing some of the most tumescent embarassing football ever witnessed at OT .. google Ian Ure & Wynn Davis kids & you think todays lot are shite

Then came the Tommy Doc renaissance!!! Happiest days of my life .. Attack Attack Attack .. the elegance of Martin Buchan, the swashbuckling Pancho, the Greenhoff Brothers, the care-free exhuberance of Stevie Coppell, Sammy Mac, Gordon Hill “king of all cockneys!” et al.

Those days weren’t fantastically successful by comparison to what was to come but as Revaulx so rightly says “ the feeling of joy & optimism” at that time was just brilliant! The songs, the atmosphere .. if we could recapture just a fraction of those times at OT today it would be an immeasurably happier place.

 

[simplyared]

Tommy Doc’s Red & White Army!

1977 FA Cup Final fo me. My first trip to Wembley & we shafted the bin-dippers. Pure ectacy!

I went though my teenage years post Sir Matt enduring poor Wilf McGuinness (the David Moyes of his day) the job was just too big. Frank o Farrell who looked like he’d switched from being a bank manager to a football manager bringing some of the most tumescent embarassing football ever witnessed at OT .. google Ian Ure & Wynn Davis kids & you think todays lot are shite

Then came the Tommy Doc renaissance!!! Happiest days of my life .. Attack Attack Attack .. the elegance of Martin Buchan, the swashbuckling Pancho, the Greenhoff Brothers, the care-free exhuberance of Stevie Coppell, Sammy Mac, Gordon Hill “king of all cockneys!” et al.

Those days weren’t fantastically successful by comparison to what was to come but as Revaulx so rightly says “ the feeling of joy & optimism” at that time was just brilliant! The songs, the atmosphere .. if we could recapture just a fraction of those times at OT today it would be an immeasurably happier place.

Martin Buchan not Duncan Edwards but well worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence.

 

[Revaulx]

Tommy Doc’s Red & White Army!

1977 FA Cup Final fo me. My first trip to Wembley & we shafted the bin-dippers. Pure ectacy!

I went though my teenage years post Sir Matt enduring poor Wilf McGuinness (the David Moyes of his day) the job was just too big. Frank o Farrell who looked like he’d switched from being a bank manager to a football manager bringing some of the most tumescent embarassing football ever witnessed at OT .. google Ian Ure & Wynn Davis kids & you think todays lot are shite

Then came the Tommy Doc renaissance!!! Happiest days of my life .. Attack Attack Attack .. the elegance of Martin Buchan, the swashbuckling Pancho, the Greenhoff Brothers, the care-free exhuberance of Stevie Coppell, Sammy Mac, Gordon Hill “king of all cockneys!” et al.

Those days weren’t fantastically successful by comparison to what was to come but as Revaulx so rightly says “ the feeling of joy & optimism” at that time was just brilliant! The songs, the atmosphere .. if we could recapture just a fraction of those times at OT today it would be an immeasurably happier place.

Great post!

Harsh on Wilf. His main problem was simply that he inherited an ageing squad and was given absolutely zero backing in the transfer market. The shockingly bad Ian Ure was brought in over his head by Sir Matt; Wilf wanted Colin Todd. Ure was in fact the ONLY signing United made between summer 1968 (Morgan) and spring 1972 (Buchan) .

O’Farrell started off well; we were top of the league at Christmas 1971, despite having Steve James at centre half and Alan Gowling as a defensive midfielder. The decline from then on was horrendous though.

One of the reasons I like Daley Blind is that he reminds me of a sort of hybrid of various players of the Doc era: a bit of Buchan, Gerry Daly and Brian Greenhoff.

 

[simplyared]

Great post!

Harsh on Wilf. His main problem was simply that he inherited an ageing squad and was given absolutely zero backing in the transfer market. The shockingly bad Ian Ure was brought in over his head by Sir Matt; Wilf wanted Colin Todd. Ure was in fact the ONLY signing United made between summer 1968 (Morgan) and spring 1972 (Buchan) .

O’Farrell started off well; we were top of the league at Christmas 1971, despite having Steve James at centre half and Alan Gowling as a defensive midfielder. The decline from then on was horrendous though.

One of the reasons I like Daley Blind is that he reminds me of a sort of hybrid of various players of the Doc era: a bit of Buchan, Gerry Daly and Brian Greenhoff.

Ian Ure is imo one of the worst signings this club has ever made. Some fans thought he looked like the old Indian chief Crazy Horse, which gave me the idea to my name on the Caf. Steve James would also go down as one of our worst CB,s. But talking about signings; O'Farrell did bring a certain goal machine from the lower divisions to OT. The Scot Ted MacDougall. The expectations were enormous. Remember his debut at OT. Fiasco would be an understatement! O'Farrell left the club a few weeks later.

 

[Full bodied red]

Those couple of seasons with Tommy Doc were my most fanatical United years - after the relegation, it was impossible not to love every player and every minute of every match.

Even better for me was that my next door neighbour ( who wasn't actually a United fan ) did some work at Jim Holton's house in Sale, who passed him on to Stewart Houston's house, and then to Alex Forsythe's house, etc, and one day he gave me a visitor's ticket off Jim Holton into the Players Lounge after a match at OT. Jim met me and introduced me to the whole team, Lou Macari bought me a lager, and Stewart Houston even gave me a lift back into Picadilly.

After that day, the Players Lounge ticket seemed to 'pop-up' almost every home match and for almost two years it seemed I was living in a dream world and I even managed to join the team in the Players Lounge at a couple of away games thanks to Stuart Pearson who was the idol who eventally became a good friend.

Great, great years....

 

[simplyared]

Those couple of seasons with Tommy Doc were my most fanatical United years - after the relegation, it was impossible not to love every player and every minute of every match.

Even better for me was that my next door neighbour ( who wasn't actually a United fan ) did some work at Jim Holton's house in Sale, who passed him on to Stewart Houston's house, and then to Alex Forsythe's house, etc, and one day he gave me a visitor's ticket off Jim Holton into the Players Lounge after a match at OT. Jim met me and introduced me to the whole team, Lou Macari bought me a lager, and Stewart Houston even gave me a left back into Picadilly.

After that day, the Players Lounge ticket seemed to 'pop-up' almost every home match and for almost two years it seemed I was living in a dream world and I even managed to join the team in the Players Lounge at a couple of away games thanks to Stuart Pearson who was my idol who eventally became a good friend.

Great, great years....

Yeah big Jim Holton, signed by the Doc, a tough character who'd probably last 5 mins in todays game. Tougher then with the likes of Storey, Bremner, Hunter etc. He stabalized our defence,and was unbeatable in the air. He sadly passed away at the early age of 42.

 

[Denis' cuff]

Ian Ure is imo one of the worst signings this club has ever made. Some fans thought he looked like the old Indian chief Crazy Horse, which gave me the idea to my name on the Caf. Steve James would also go down as one of our worst CB,s. But talking about signings; O'Farrell did bring a certain goal machine from the lower divisions to OT. The Scot Ted MacDougall. The expectations were enormous. Remember his debut at OT. Fiasco would be an understatement! O'Farrell left the club a few weeks later.

Wilf never had a chance with players going behind his back to Busby, who was busy cosying up to Edwards to feather their own nests. The team was the last of their considerations.

Steve James coupled with Paul Edwards. Then Ure... aaaaagh

Remember “Super Ted” and Wyn Davies combining to beat Liverpool at OT. (Might’ve been a draw?) false dawn.

Current “problems” pale in comparison. Some desperate moments like losing to 3rd Division Villa in the LC semi (just after George evaded Ron Harris trying to cut him in half, to put us through) .... then came relegation and the renaissance with The Doc. Stretford End at its peak.

Glad to have lived through that, post Munich, the Trinity and Fergies trophies. No other club compares.

68 EC final was just unbelievable. Couldn’t escape a connection with the Babes.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Barca 84, 1999 & Sparky's equaliser vs. Oldham probably

1st Title in yonks in 93 was a bit of an anti-climax somehow, and we weren't playing a game when it got won is maybe why

Anti climax??? WTF?

 

[Full bodied red]

Maybe we should start a ' United memories ' thread for old codgers like ourselves if the Mods would allow it ?

The younger whippersnappers might then get a feel for not only how and why we became the biggest club in the world, but, as Denis says, to put ' current problems ' into perspective.

 

[Skills]

Roma. Pure 90 minutes of euphoria. Don't think I will ever feel like that again watching football.

 

[Revaulx]

Ian Ure is imo one of the worst signings this club has ever made. Some fans thought he looked like the old Indian chief Crazy Horse, which gave me the idea to my name on the Caf. Steve James would also go down as one of our worst CB,s. But talking about signings; O'Farrell did bring a certain goal machine from the lower divisions to OT. The Scot Ted MacDougall. The expectations were enormous. Remember his debut at OT. Fiasco would be an understatement! O'Farrell left the club a few weeks later.

Ure was shocking, but his signing was down to Busby not Wilf. James found his level when he was sold to York City.

O’Farrell was responsible for the disasters that were Davies and McDougall, but he also signed Martin Buchan and the wonderful but alas crocked Ian Storey-Moore.

Wilf never had a chance with players going behind his back to Busby, who was busy cosying up to Edwards to feather their own nests. The team was the last of their considerations.

Steve James coupled with Paul Edwards. Then Ure... aaaaagh

Remember “Super Ted” and Wyn Davies combining to beat Liverpool at OT. (Might’ve been a draw?) false dawn.

False dawn indeed. It was a victory, followed the week after by humiliation at City.

Ure came before James and Edwards. I’d forgotten the latter; he was even worse than James.

Spot on about Wilf’s situation. If the club had backed him with the signings he wanted the players would soon have regarded him as the boss. The irony is that after spending nothing for years, the Doc got the club to fund a sizeable spending binge. Plenty of successes (Holton, Macari, Pearson, Coppell etc.), but what about George Graham, Mick Martin and Alan Foggon

 

[Jim Beam]

Anfield, 1-2 win with Gerrard sending off and Mata scissor kick watching from the away end. It was my first Anfield experience and since I'm not from England God knows when will I have a chance again, so I probably couldn't pick a better game. The atmosphere was incredible from the start when everybody realised we're actually on top of them and a far better team which is a rare thing at Anfield. Certainly, my favourite 90 minutes watching from the stands so far. The tune of "perfect day" kicks in my head every time I remember the day.

Tottenham 5-2 at Old Trafford. Heavy hungover from the night before along with those first 45 minutes just made it look like I'm having a bad trip. Turned out to be one of the great United comebacks and attacking rhapsody in the second half with Ronaldo-Rooney-Tevez-Berbatov all firing. It's remarkable how a game of football can make you change your feelings in such a short period of time. Was absolutely buzzing, not just the whole second half, but for the next few days.

From Tv, 1999, of course. Honourable mention to Cantona Fa Cup goal against Liverpool.

 

[Revaulx]

Maybe we should start a ' United memories ' thread for old codgers like ourselves if the Mods would allow it ?

The younger whippersnappers might then get a feel for not only how and why we became the biggest club in the world, but, as Denis says, to put ' current problems ' into perspective.

Seconded.

It’s a bit worrying when you can remember not only what happened nearly 50 years ago but exactly WHEN it happened, whereas all the much more recent successes under SAF tend to merge into each other.

 

[Full bodied red]

Plenty of successes (Holton, Macari, Pearson, Coppell etc.), but what about George Graham, Mick Martin and Alan Foggon


And let's not forget Jim McCalliog.

I honestly thought he was going to be sensational -but managed only 30ish matches before Southampton and, well we all know what happened....

When he appeared to have had a sober Friday night,he could be sublime with his one touch football. Problem was that there didn't seem to have been enough sober Friday nights, even by the players' drinking standards in those days.

Great player, though.

 

[Revaulx]

Plenty of successes (Holton, Macari, Pearson, Coppell etc.), but what about George Graham, Mick Martin and Alan Foggon


And let's not forget Jim McCalliog.

I honestly thought he was going to be sensational -but managed only 30ish matches before Southampton and, well we all know what happened....

When he appeared to have had a sober Friday night,he could be sublime with his one touch football. Problem was that there didn't seem to have been enough sober Friday nights, even by the players' drinking standards in those days.

Great player, though.

Interesting. I hadn't realised he had that problem, though I didn't understand such matters being only 16 . I do remember him being hopelessly inconsistent.

I remember the MEN going on about "The M Way to Victory". Numbers 7 to 11 lined up as Morgan; McIlroy; Macari; McCalliog; Martin. We got relegated...

 

[P.Head]

Seconded.

It’s a bit worrying when you can remember not only what happened nearly 50 years ago but exactly WHEN it happened, whereas all the much more recent successes under SAF tend to merge into each other.

Thirded

First time I’ve smiled in bloody ages perusing this fun packed site. I’m laughing my tits off at some of the names crawling out of the woodwork. 6’2 eyes of blue, big Jim Holton’s after you nah nah nah nah .. Misty freezing cold nights on the Left Side of the Stretford End watching an absolute shitey game .. “we are the left side” “ we are the right side” “ tunnel tunnel tunnel” “scoreboard scoreboard give us a song” those years on the Stretty were indeed peak! The atmosphere was electric, the comaradre, the beef tea at half time, the sudden surges, the warm piss up the back of your leg. Oh great joy!

You try & tell the kids today .. heheheh

Old codgers thread please ..

 

[Denis' cuff]

Ure was shocking, but his signing was down to Busby not Wilf. James found his level when he was sold to York City.

O’Farrell was responsible for the disasters that were Davies and McDougall, but he also signed Martin Buchan and the wonderful but alas crocked Ian Storey-Moore.


False dawn indeed. It was a victory, followed the week after by humiliation at City.

Ure came before James and Edwards. I’d forgotten the latter; he was even worse than James.

Spot on about Wilf’s situation. If the club had backed him with the signings he wanted the players would soon have regarded him as the boss. The irony is that after spending nothing for years, the Doc got the club to fund a sizeable spending binge. Plenty of successes (Holton, Macari, Pearson, Coppell etc.), but what about George Graham, Mick Martin and Alan Foggon

Alan Foggon. Not forgetting Tommy Jackson and Ron Davies 7/8 years too late. Never forget being up at Roker Park and seeing that fabulous trio emerge from the tunnel. Athletes, they were not. That was the same div 2 season as the epic 3-2 at Old Trafford. Bit of a let down in comparison on a dark, cold foggy afternoon. 0-0 stalemate but regarded a decent enough result.

 

[Al-T]

Winning the FA Cup in 1977. The early seventies had been pretty thin gruel for United supporters. Relegation and promotion, then losing to feckin Southampton in the 1976 final. Gutted.

But a year later, Doc had promised we would be back....Going ahead through Pearson, Case levelled soon afterwards then the goal from Greenhoff that he knew sod all about. Just glorious. As time has gone by it's become an even more important result as the dippers would have won the treble 22 years before us and the scouse loving press would never have let anyone forget about it.

After that, the 1990 FA Cup final replay, the first title under Fergie and the last month of the 1998/99 season.

 

[friendlytramp]

Honorary mention for ole hacking down Rob Lee and taking a red in 98

 

[dangler]

CL final against Bayern

 

[simplyared]

Thirded

First time I’ve smiled in bloody ages perusing this fun packed site. I’m laughing my tits off at some of the names crawling out of the woodwork. 6’2 eyes of blue, big Jim Holton’s after you nah nah nah nah .. Misty freezing cold nights on the Left Side of the Stretford End watching an absolute shitey game .. “we are the left side” “ we are the right side” “ tunnel tunnel tunnel” “scoreboard scoreboard give us a song” those years on the Stretty were indeed peak! The atmosphere was electric, the comaradre, the beef tea at half time, the sudden surges, the warm piss up the back of your leg. Oh great joy!

You try & tell the kids today .. heheheh

Old codgers thread please ..

That was called the Stretford End hot leg.

 

[Revaulx]

That was called the Stretford End hot leg.

The extra handrails put in in about 1977 mitigated the surges. Much to my relief, as once I lost my glasses in one

I never experienced getting wee’d on, I’m glad to say. Such behaviour was very much frowned on, and regarded as the preserve of Scousers.

 

[Dansk]

99 was the most magical one. I was 14 and watched it with my dad, and he'd gone out to brush his teeth during injury time because we figured it was over. Then I started screaming and he came running in with his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

The best actual performance was 7-1 against Roma. It's one of the fiercest thrashings ever dealt in the CL by anyone against a real team.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

FA Cup Final 1985. First Wembley visit. Got 2 tickets and went on hired bus that picked up BOTH sets of fans from around our area (never happen nowadays?). About 35 Everton fans, 15 United.

Trip down was a good laugh, Everton fans ok, bit cocky but tbf, they had a great team. Journey took ages, 9 hrs .... roads then not great, old bus, huge queue to get in the (old) Wembley carpark. We park and bus driver says "Whatever time the game finishes, I leave 30 minutes after that... not here, tough". So we stand outside and say "we're in a red/green bus next to a post.... easy".

Walk to stadium which looks great from a couple of hundred yards away (just like on TV). As you get closer, you see the cracks, the dirt, the age of it. Get inside and get as close to goal as I can .... just behind the right post (hence my Caf 'location').

Noise is building, Abide with me sends chills, teams come out and it's bedlam. Don't remember much about game other than we were struggling, then Reid dives over Moran's leg (). Amazingly, we kick on and almost seem to thrive on/welcome the challenge (something we've seen United do time and time again).

Then, we semi break upfield. Still not much on against a good defence and possibly my favourite non United goalie ever, BUT it's Norman Whiteside, a teenager in a man's body, nerveless, genius.
As he cuts infield, he dummies and shoots. I'm about ten people from the fence and the ball curves straight at me and I watch Southall's outstretched fingers come short because of the placement and curl on the shot.... a shot no-one else in United team could have scored, even Hughes.

Bedlam, fingernails bitten, final whistle, bedlam again. Steps, Robson lifts the trophy, they come down to the fans and we're bouncing..... then remember we've got to make the bus. Wander out and as the crowds cram through the turnstiles, I was lifted off my feet, literally. Get to carpark and no idea where bus is.... find about 30 minutes after whistle, climb on chanting to be met by about 30 Everton fans in their mid 20s who have just watched their team lose the Cup Final to ten man and then had to sit in a bus waiting for two rival fans..... not happy campers .

Driving back and a bus packed with Everton fans passes us... I hold up the picture of Whiteside from the newspaper I'd got on the way down and a fan in the other bus pulls out a knife and points at me... . We stopped at Watford Gap services on the way back ...... I stayed on the bus.

Great day.

 

[RedorDead21]

When SAF decided to stay on the first time....I thought it was all coming to an end and it was kinda like being told someone you love is in remission....life was going to continue as I knew it for a bit longer....does this not count?

 

[simplyared]

The extra handrails put in in about 1977 mitigated the surges. Much to my relief, as once I lost my glasses in one

I never experienced getting wee’d on, I’m glad to say. Such behaviour was very much frowned on, and regarded as the preserve of Scousers.

Never liked going in the middle of the Stretford end myself. Couldn't concentrate on the game. You're right it was frowned upon but I've seen it. Think a lot of those guys had come straight from the pub. The actual saying does come from the Kop and was known as the Anfield hot leg if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Harry190]

FA Cup against Arsenal 99.

 

[Pscholes18]

Ole 99
Giggys 99
O'Shea Kop
Owen Citeh

 

[Full bodied red]

Old codgers thread it is, then....

 

[Denis' cuff]

Never liked going in the middle of the Stretford end myself. Couldn't concentrate on the game. You're right it was frowned upon but I've seen it. Think a lot of those guys had come straight from the pub. The actual saying does come from the Kop and was known as the Anfield hot leg if I'm not mistaken.

Never bothered me. Just regarded it as all part of supporting. The one exception was the final div 2 game vs Blackpool. fecking mayhem. Fans watching from up the floodlight pylons. Crowd constantly tumbling down and then having to get back up to positions. Driving me nuts. In the end I moved down onto the “big step” that lined up along the gangway to the tunnel entrance, stood in front of the barrier. Then, decided to feign injury to get on the running track bench with St John ambulance men. Shot off that bench at the final whistle like Kip Keino with my mate, straight over to Pancho and gave him a big hug. Pitch invaders.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Old codgers thread it is, then....

That sounds good to me

 

[RedorDead21]

That sounds good to me

We should have a thread where only those over 50 can comment and the rest can just read....I'd love to hear just their take on everything...they've seen good and bad times...

 

[DanNistelrooy]

FA Cup against Arsenal 99.

Agreed

 

[RedorDead21]

That sounds good to me

I cannot comment in your other thread but I support it

 

[Verminator]

I suppose I'll have to mention Rotterdam 91 then.
"Where's Hughes going?!"
Shit weather, but the only Euro final I made it to.

 

[Gazza]

Literally so many great memories but I'll focus on personal memories of watching United. The Michael Carrick chant being sung at QPR for what seemed like 20 minutes was special, it continued outside the ground for ages. Also my first away game at Burnley in 2009. We lost but the atmosphere in the away end was brilliant.

 

[POF]

The 2-0 win over Arsenal at OT to end their unbeaten run was one of my favourites. It was the decisive moment in the biggest rivalry of the Premier League era as Arsenal absolutely collapsed after that.

Ruud slotting that penalty and the "50 not out" shirts peering out from behind the Arsenal players' tear stained shirts was a moment of pure sporting karma.

 

[gerrydaly]

Plenty of successes (Holton, Macari, Pearson, Coppell etc.), but what about George Graham, Mick Martin and Alan Foggon


And let's not forget Jim McCalliog.

I honestly thought he was going to be sensational -but managed only 30ish matches before Southampton and, well we all know what happened....

When he appeared to have had a sober Friday night,he could be sublime with his one touch football. Problem was that there didn't seem to have been enough sober Friday nights, even by the players' drinking standards in those days.

Great player, though.

Four goals in three matches, though, when it seemed we might stay up.

The last against Southampton.

And then in '76 he made the goal for them in the FA Cup final.

An 'old codgers' thread would be good.

 

[Slysi17]

Toss up between Alex Fergusons last league title in 12/13 and the UEFA Europa League win last season. Drinking beer early in the morning when watching the Europa League final live due to living in New Zealand lol.