It's a funny one this region thing and something I was pondering about just a few days ago. I lived in Stretford until I was 10 and have since lived in Flixton - so many years in Trafford.

I'd never considered that the other 8 non-Manchester boroughs were effectively the same as Trafford, like Wigan for example. I wondered how different things might've been had some of the other boroughs opted to include the Manchester prefix from the start - Manchester Wanderers for example. Would our rivalry be diluted?

Maybe Trafford's different because of its proximity to the centre and because it's one of the places that (in my opinion) that has a 'normal' Mancunian accent. Anyway, of course I still very much consider myself a Mancunian so it's difficult for me to claim United isn't.

As an aside though, I've always felt we represent Manchester in a more meaningful, direct and 'real' way.

Flaws in my argument? You're the one who's stating this as fact... I don't know whether or not Utd are aware of the article, and if they even give a shit if they are, but I don't think their lack of response, to an un-named directors speculation, indicates anything.

Oh and thanks for your potted history of Utd but exactly how much are you prepared to bet on my knowledge of my club? There's every chance I know as much about my club as you do about yours (as I don't know you I wont presume to be more knowledgeable). You should be careful tho, whilst I'm grateful for your attempts to educate me, some may find your generalising comments a tad pompous and patronising ;-)

My my, the United Propaganda Machine have really gotten to you, haven't they?

Dismiss without question anything that threatens United's integrity. How.....very....dare they!!

ok then, let's have a potted history of how united treated the munich survivors and their families while shamelessly using the tragedy as a marketing opportunity up to the present day. i'll get the popcorn.

Droylsden was M35 when I was a lad....now M43

Hang on, let me get the kettle on and make a brew first :-).

Don't be daft, if City had waived the rent as a charitable gesture how would that have threatened Utd's integrity? And I'm more than willing to question anything when given reason. It just happens that in this case I don't actually see too much reason to do so (at least not yet).

Why would City waive the rent when Utd were apparently making a healthy profit on their gates at Maine Road (remember as well Utd won the FA cup in 1948 presumably generating more revenue), and had already received compensation to cover the cost of the repairs to Old Trafford? I also think that something like this would have found it's way into the public domain a long time ago. Plus I'd expect City directors to KNOW, rather than just having doubts, if a gesture as big as this was made. Of course I may well be wrong, then again so may others.

As for the "United propaganda machine" getting to me, I'm pretty certain that as a long standing fan of the club I may know as much as you of some of the more unsavoury incidents connected with the club. I even have lengthy experience of being seen as nothing more than a pound sign and taken for granted by the club (including being insulted by Charlton in Turin), which I doubt you can say.

Many on here presume to know everything about ALL Utd fans but we're not all clueless, johnnycomelately, gloryhunting clowns (that's enough of my redeeming qualities tho).... Like it or not the majority of match going fans, of ANY team, are pretty similar.

You want me to prove my knowledge of the history of United by slagging them off for their handling of the Munich tragedy, and it's survivors? Would've thought everyone here could do that for you mate, been enough on this site about it in the past, but I'm sorry I'm not gonna use a tragedy as a point scoring exercise - you feel free to do so if you wish.

In other words, you are quite prepared to disregard one notion about 'your' club on the basis of contrary "evidence" submitted, yet are fully prepared to accept another on pure conjecture?

Spoken like a true puppet. Methinks thou doth 'presume' too much.