What made you support United?

utdalltheway

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My 16 yr old brother made me.
I was about 8 years old and Leeds were all the rage back in the early 70s I told him I was going to support them. He clipped me round the ear and said it’ll be Man Utd or nothing so I begrudgingly made the switch.
Thanks big brother!
 

SerenityValley

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Moved from Scotland to England (place called Slough) in 1987. Had no interest in english football at all but back then, there was nothing about Scottish football in the papers. So started reading about the English football instead.

Started work in 1989, and a year or two later was working for 2 mad Man Utd fans. Utd signed Dion Dublin. I started to really follow Utd in the year we lost to Leeds.
 

NewGlory

United make me feel dirty. And not in a sexy way.
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So what's your story and how did you come about supporting the best football club on the planet?

Go...
A visit to the Theater of Dreams. Breathed-in the dust of Old Trafford and the rest is history
 

Hampshire Rec

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Went to a reserve game in 1972 and remember that walk up the tunnel onto the stand, the sun shining on the green grass and seeing George Best training.

Nothing will ever dim that vivid memory of the green grass and the bright sunlight

Went a few times the following year and was there for the back heel from Dennis ended up on the pitch at the end and that was it.

I was lucky enough that my elder brother went home and away and I would get him to drag me along by saying me mam says I can go if you take me, while saying to my mam our kid will take me if you let me!

Such happy times!
 
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BR7

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Started supporting United growing up in my parents country in the Middle East. Bryan Robson after the 82 World Cup along with the history of the club and that United were the most revered club in that country. So it started in 1983 and after the replay Robbo’s place as my hero was cemented. 37 years and the passion will never leave me. My 40th birthday present was a signed Robson replica 83shirt. Sits proudly in the hallway and it’s the first thing you see when you walk into my house.
 

tenpoless

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Speaking as a shit supporter who's never attended a real United match. An armchair supporter who's not a manc.

Played Winning Eleven and tried out United. Saw Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, Van Der Sar, Ferdinand and I liked the team. Then I watched United on telly for the first time in 2006 (or 2007..) and saw Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Sir Alex and I liked the club. Started researching the club and was really intrigued by the history and the identity of the club, after that I decided to support the club. And then I bought United kit using my parents money and became a full kit wanker for a year. I always wore the kit everytime I played football after school.

Fast forward 14 years later and I still like the club. Even with Fellaini and Lukaku, I still liked the club. Even if the club's management is doing my head in, I still like the club and I still buy the shirt every year, sometimes with the shorts too if I like them. So I guess that's me fecked for the rest of my life. So technically, Winning Eleven made me support United. But yeah the club was just too unique and too big to ignore and not to be a fan of. And just like choosing a wife, once you've chosen one you spend the rest of your life with her regardless if she becomes fat or ugly.
 
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Denis' cuff

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Salfordian. Naturally supported the reds. Ran in the family. Walk to the ground. Supported them when they needed it after Munich And relegation. Great days.
 

GuyfromAustria

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I remember liking United in the mid-90ies, when they were playing Rapid Vienna in the CL 96/97, or that great 3-2 vs. Juventus in 97/98, which piqued my interest in Scholes, Giggs, etc.
But honestly what made me support the club was a guy in some small sporting goods store, when I was looking for a jersey to play football with in school. He showed me the Utd shirt - "This one looks nice" - I bought it and started following every news and watching every game (mostly CL at that time) I could and a year or so later they won the bloody treble and there was no looking back.
 

Mark Armstrong

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Circa 1991, I had moved junior schools. I knew nothing of football. WWF was my "sport". I had two new best buddies, both called Tom. Tom B and Tom G. It was Tom Gs Birthday but deep down I preferred Tom B, who was a Spurs supporter. Tom Gs birthday party was football themed. I needed a shirt. Off I toddled to the market with my folks, on the hunt for a Spurs shirt.
These market football shirts were knock offs, you had to sew the badge on yourself.
I asked the guy for a Spurs shirt in Small boys, as I was of course a small boy. He didn't have any in stock, though he did have a United one. Took that and the rest is history.

Fine margins in football...
 
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matherto

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My dad is a Liverpool fan.

But also my sister had the black away shirt from 93/94 cause her and her mate were United fans thanks to my uncle and being my sibling, I wanted it too.

When it got too small for her I was rubbing my hands with glee for it but my mum chucked it out so I kicked up a fuss being four years old until she convinced my dad to let her take me to Old Trafford.

I’d watched different bits of games from different teams but Giggsy stuck out to me as my favourite player of all so it was handy he played for United.

Got the 94/96 home shirt from OT in the old megastore and then had to go to a hut in the car park to get GIGGS 11 on the back. Remember that day like it was yesterday.

I sense I’d probably have a much better relationship with my dad if I was a Liverpool fan but alas, his dad is an Evertonian so I guess picking the biggest rival and disappointing your dad runs in the family. If I have a kid and they like football, they’ll end up being a City fan knowing how it goes.

I started playing right mid for my team shortly after and Becks became my biggest hero so no matter how often my dad tried to convert me (worked with my sister and her mate from across the road), I was always a United fan.

Can remember queueing up for Liverpool tickets at Anfield wearing the infamous grey away United kit and hearing Scousers threatening my dad. Twats. I was 6.
 

knot_buzz

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My grandfather grew up in Burnage and came over after the war. Had countless amounts of United games on VHS it was drilled into me who to support
 

Eckers99

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I don't recall choosing to support United, just so happened that, living in Salford with a largely red family, I was born into it. My mum was a blue but we don't talk about that and she's been slowly rehabilitated over time.

Earliest memory is watching the '85 Cup Final on TV and hoping to see my uncle on there. The game was dull but Whiteside's goal made it worthwhile.

I've had a ticket most seasons since the late 80s and was lucky enough to be a ball boy in 88/89, which gave me some cred at Primary school. When I walked in a school urinal heads would turn. Glory days.
 

The Brown Bull

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1968.
Charlton, Best, Law.
Busby.
Cantona. Keane. Scholes. Robson.
Ferguson.
1999.
Vidic. Irwin Becks. Ferdinand. Bruce.
2008.
The promise of the incredible.
 

OleTheGreat

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This is a funny story but i decided to share this with you guys anyway, I had this Compaq Presario PC when i was young and Fifa demo was the only game on it. Remember the demo game where in we could only play 6mins half and could choose just one of the 2 teams to play. It was fate that brought me into this, Manchester United vs Liverpool was the only fixture available and United was the only team i could choose. I immediately fell in love with Ruud Van Nistelrooy. I started watching United games almost immediately and just couldn't get away from the havoc. After watching us in those glory years under SAF, i find myself so sick of our ways nowadays. It pains me to say that even if this continues, i will always support this club because what happens today or tomorrow will never change my viewpoint on the club, it has ample history and some of the best players in the world who played for us. I love that we can always find a way back to the top. I hope not the way Liverpool have after all these years because if you remember, THEY WERE MY FIRST OPPONENTS and almost immediately knew they were our rivals all the way! :D
 

Erebus

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My parents were new to the city and had three sons. My dad was Canadian and favoured ice hockey, and my mum had no interest so there was no family history of loyalty to any club. Oldest brother unfortunately opted for the blues and middle one for the reds. When my time came it could have gone either way to be honest, but the first home game I was allowed to attend United were playing at home and I was taken by my dad as part of a group of other dads and lads. I'm well aware of the lucky escape I had if city had been at home that weekend.
 

Starkie_1

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Not sure anything made me. It was just life and I don’t remember anything in particular. We had season tickets in the family up until 2005 and then it was upto me if I wanted to carry it on.

First game at OT was Sheff Wednesday in 94, first games I remember on TV West Ham away 95 and Everton cup final..:: great memories to begin with.
 

glazed

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I just liked the ethos. English players, great attacking football, no-one is more important than the club.

Glazers have ruined all that now oc. But I hope it will come back.
 

Garethw

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My Dad grew up idolising George Best. I grew up hearing all the stories about the Busby babes and then Georgie Best or just “the Best” as my Dad called him.

You have to remember that this was all pre sky sports, football was barely televised back then. The stories I was told conjured up images in my young mind that made Manchester United almost mythical.

My love for the club, comes from my Dad, God rest his soul. United till I die.
 

AltiUn

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I had no choice, I was born into a United supporting family, my great grandad on my dad’s side supported them and passed it down from my grandad, to my dad, to me and hopefully one day my own children.
 

Sad Chris

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My uncle made a wooden United badge and pinned it on me at the hospital the day after I was born.
 

Passitlikescholes

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Mark Hughes and his strikes on goal, whether off the ground or volleys or however he hit them. Was quite young then and thought he was the best player I'd ever seen.
 

Class of 63

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Circa 1991, I had moved junior schools. I knew nothing of football. WWF was my "sport". I had two new best buddies, both called Tom. Tom B and Tom G. It was Tom Gs Birthday but deep down I preferred Tom B, who was a Spurs supporter. Tom Gs birthday party was football themed. I needed a shirt. Off I toddled to the market with my folks, on the hunt for a Spurs shirt.
These market football shirts were knock offs, you had to sew the badge on yourself.
I asked the guy for a Spurs shirt in Small boys, as I was of course a small boy. He didn't have any in stock, though he did have a United one. Took that and the rest is history.

Fine margins in football...
What team did Tom G support?
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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Family. Didn't have a choice. Mum and step dad are both from Manchester, as are a lot of my extended family. I grew up in West Yorkshire mostly, so was dubbed a glory supporter by Leeds fans at school.

It also helped that everyone at school who supported Leeds was a right knobhead, so I was never swayed. I didn't even want to be friends with them, let alone support their team. It was a nasty rivalry back then in the 90s. There was a massive fight on our school field on the last day before summer one year, for no reason other than Leeds fans wanting to twat anyone who wasn't a Leeds fan. Lovely bunch.
 

Giggsforever

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I started supporting United in 87 or 88 and it was because of Robson and also McClair, but Robson was my idol. I also liked Viv Anderson, but he told me off like hell when I asked Robson for an autograph and then that was over (I said please, and was a child :mad:). Robson cut him off and gave me his autograph though.
 

Eli Zee

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I played like fifa 1998 or something and started buying every fifa game since then... and Manchester United was always the team I picked.

In 1998, I was 5 years old and being from the United States of America, at that time I really had no access to watching the team play. Video games led me to being a fan at 5 years old, and I’ve been a fan since then.
 

Hughie77

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Losing the 76 fa cup final, was nearly there, then in 77 the bindippers in the final, and it was all about how much they were going to win by, etc, pool this pool that all fecking day of the F.A cup it was on all day back then.
Went to my mates house to watch it who was pool fan, I thought bugger this I want UTD to win.

Since then realy full pelt, posters books etc when I was a kid, seen some change over the years some for the better some so not. I could afford to get to OT till early 2000, but to see the likes of the best there awesome experience.
2 players live stand out watching Ronaldo, Giggs. Wow.
 

Fts 74

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Wilkins curler 83 FA cup final went out onto the park facing our house trying to replicate it aged 9.

My brothers and I just chose utd, straight choice as I'm from Manchester City or utd, my dad didn't try and influence at all as he maybe had a soft spot for Arsenal due to the Irish contingent they had at the time.

It's tough at the moment we'll be back but I'm forever grateful I witnessed the fergie years incredible memories.
 

alexthelion

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'68 and then watching Charlton, Best and The King.

Might also have helped that dad is a Scouse and I (subconciously) wanted to wind him up.

Having been through the depressing 70s and 80s, what is happening now is nothing to really worry about. Things will turn round.
 

NamedAfterGiggs

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My Dad named me after Ryan Giggs. (Hence the username). He's from the Orkney islands and started supporting the team after his Granny gave him a George Best card that came free with tea. He said he liked the red shirts and since then has never looked back.