http://sport.aftenposten.no/england/article234108.ece

Not sure about the headline, but here's a rough translation...

MANCHESTER (Aftenposten): The myth that belongs to Manchester City supporters are killed. United fans are as well represented in the city, on the outskirts live at least as many blue as red.

Published: 28/04/2012 at. 11:16, modified: 4/28/2012 at. 11:28

By: Alexander Carlsen Strande

Manchester is both red and blue. But only one of the colors can become champions.

Ever since the war, the United has a larger audience than the average City. Nevertheless, the light blue claimed that the city is theirs.

For several days, Aftenposten hunted truth about Manchester's football supporters.

Is it true that we live City fans in the city itself? Do all United supporters from the edge? After talking with several locals, studied a university examination and trawled through various Internet forums, we began to approach the answer.

And yesterday the local newspaper Manchester Evening News, with the final confirmation:

"We can pretty much kill a football theory - United supporters do not live in Greater Manchester, it makes City fans" wrote the newspaper Friday.

The main battle
Monday night clash Manchester gigantlag two together in what is referred to as "the all-time Premier League match." United have a 1-6 loss from last fall to revenge, when City must win in order to catch up as the red is on top of the table.

The outcome of byderbyet going to determine whether it is City or United fans can celebrate the league title in the city's streets in a couple of weeks and nervousness is already thick on the outside of the many football fans who walk around the streets here.

- It is the most important match I can remember. This is what we want. This is the worst United team I've seen in a long time and if we do not turn them on Monday, so we do not deserve to win the league, says Noel Bayley.

City supporter born and raised just a few miles from the club's old home Maine Road. Together with his buddy Mark Bibby Bowlden and the rest of the light-blue football fans in Manchester, he likes to say that Manchester is their city and that almost no United fans there.

"The city is ours", they sung in derby matches for many years.

- It is to give United a slight sting since Old Trafford located in Trafford beyond the city limits, said Bowden.

Like to stab
Ever since the war, United had a higher average attendance than the City. But the light blue still loves to stick to his rival that they do not belong within the city limits.

When Carlos Tevez went from United to City three years ago, set up the City's marketing department a giant blue poster in the city limits, with a picture of Tevez and the text "Welcome to Manchester."

- It was brilliantly done. Alex Ferguson was in Singapore when it came up but all he did was sit down and fretted over the poster, says Bayley.

The two must eventually admit that the city does not only consist of blue supporters.

- When United play, the pubs full of United supporters. But they go back as soon as the referee blows for full time. We have fan clubs, where people really care about the City, he said.

- But. In the center it has become so expensive to live now. There are students and people with money who live now. Not people with special connection to Manchester really, he says.

(Article continues)

Bowden (left) and Noel Baylay grugleder to fight. - We win. We need it. This is the worst United team for a long time and if we do not win Monday, so we do not deserve to take the title, they say.

- People are nervous. I have never seen so much excitement here. The fear among United fans is that if City win this, so they can come to dominate for a while, says Ian Stirling (right).

Affected by the family
At the offices of MUST (Manchester United Supporters Trust), we meet Ian Stirling. Born and raised a stone's throw from Old Trafford and United fans on his neck.

- When the floodlights were on, made the stadium almost a shadow on the house I grew up. I heard the sound of the stadium every time there was a fight. I had to be Manchester United supporter, he said.

Geography have a little say in determining whether one is red or blue. But most important is family and friends.

- Staying around one of the stadiums, so the choice is made. But otherwise it's family and friends, most importantly, says Stirling.

- Who belongs to the city?
- United. Look at the parades. After the Champions League final in 99 there were 250 000 in the streets. When City won its first trophy in God knows how many years it was 70,000.

The future of FC United
In 2002, did Dr. Adam Brown at Manchester Metropolitan University determines where in Manchester the two teams' supporters lived. The results showed that United had 7,808 season ticket holders in the city, while the City had 6678.

- The study is ten years old now and the City has new owners and the stadium ever since. The trend is probably still the same, but it's hard to tell who belongs to the city, says Chris Porter at the University of Aftenposten.

A survey of local newspaper Manchester Evening News has been going on the Internet in recent weeks, supporting the same numbers that the distribution of red and blue are more or less 50/50 in virtually all areas in or around Manchester city.

- But if you ask me, it belongs to the future of this city FC United. City and United fans still love their club, but the club does not love them. They care only about money and it does not matter whether they come from Asia or Manchester, he said.

Stay fans

One of the hottest debates before Monday's Manchester derby, is where the team's supporters really comes from.

In a survey of local newspaper Manchester Evening News has been online the past few weeks, the answer is the following:

City fans dominate in the south, east and far West - and particularly in Stockport and Tameside. United fans dominate the central, north and west - and especially in the area of ​​Salford and Trafford.

In the very center, the distribution is pretty 50/50.

3338 fans participated in the test.

PMSL. How embarrassing.

Some Norwegian gloryhunter posing as a journalist gives enough of a fuck to take the time out from collecting stamps and painting Waffen SS figurines to travel all the way to England in a feeble attempt at dispelling a 'myth' held by a group of football supporters a thousand miles away.

What a sad ****.

I really fucking hope we hammer them on Monday, just to shove it up the arses of cretins like this, if nothing else.

Scandinavia epitomises glory hunting. I travel to Sweden, Denmark and Finland on a regular basis and it's regularly full of Manure and Red Bin Dippers.

They all support a local team and a premier league team (usually the top 3/4).

I was surprised on my last visit to see a Leeds shirt LOL

perhaps he was lost or sommat.

hehe ..

gave me a few chuckles that article did ....

City fans live on the edge ... he can fuckin' say that again !

And that City fan interviewed ... "this is the worst United team for a long time" ..... their form indicates otherwise , they can still achieve 29 wins , and that's about as good as it ever got for them !

"Look at the parades". Genius.



More police than rags.

So glad Noel and Bibby did that interview. Owing to the fact I live in Norway, I was previously unaware that City have a game on Monday. God help us if we win and attract even more glory hunters.

This "journalist" is member of the glorious "Manchester United Supporters Club, Scandinavian Branch" on Facebook.

And you who thought the journalistic standards in the UK are poor. He's not even attempting to hide the fact that he's a United-fan.

At least one of the main sports journalists in Norway (writes for Verdens Gang newspaper) is a blue of 40-years' standing. He was there when we were sh*t.