United 2016/17

[laserblue]

Do they also remind you of Leeds in the 70's because they were cheats?

Good point. I knew there was something else.

 

[CTID1988]

Slightly off topic, but i was speaking to my mates grandad last night and he was saying that back in the day people used to go and watch both City and United. Is that true? And why?!

 

[Blue Maverick]

Slightly off topic, but i was speaking to my mates grandad last night and he was saying that back in the day people used to go and watch both City and United. Is that true? And why?!

Yep my dad did this, the reason was games were played mid week in the afternoons as well,as weekends and as kids you could go to both city and united relatively cheaply and alternate between the two, obviously he saw the light as he got older

 

[laserblue]

Slightly off topic, but i was speaking to my mates grandad last night and he was saying that back in the day people used to go and watch both City and United. Is that true? And why?!

My dad did to a certain extent. It was mainly due to football fans being starved of competitive league football for 7 years during and just after the war. Crowds were at record levels throughout the league. 20,000-30,000 for a 3rd division match wasn't unusual. Away travel wasn't as easy as in later years as few fans had a car and there were no motorways so a good number of fans in Manchester went to both City and United games. In my youth this happened much less frequently. My generation tended to go to watch the reserves when City were away.

 

[CTID1988]

My dad did to a certain extent. It was mainly due to football fans being starved of competitive league football for 7 years during and just after the war. Crowds were at record levels throughout the league. 20,000-30,000 for a 3rd division match wasn't unusual. Away travel wasn't as easy as in later years as few fans had a car and there were no motorways so a good number of fans in Manchester went to both City and United games. In my youth this happened much less frequently. My generation tended to go to watch the reserves when City were away.

At what point did the rivalry as we know it today start? I can only bring myself to go to the swamp once a year and even that is too much, couldn't imagine going every week just for something to do

 

[Shirley]

After the war years City kindly let the rags use Maine Road for several seasons due to the swamp being bombed.
The rest is history.

 

[TheThirdDeano]

So judging from the media this week, united are back in the champions league after being eliminated in the group stage.

Is this correct?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Slightly off topic, but i was speaking to my mates grandad last night and he was saying that back in the day people used to go and watch both City and United. Is that true? And why?!

My (rag) used to do this, up until the late 60's I'd say, when he was in his mid-30's. He lived in Hulme for much of his early life which I'd say is pretty equidistant from Maine Road and Old Trafford, which must have played a part in his football watching habits. Other than Derbies, he only started going to Maine Road again in the late 70's when I was too young to go on my own and I'd pestered him enough to take me. Other than that, I don't reckon he'd have bothered going to non-Derby City games at Maine Road after the late 60's. Football hooliganism came to the fore in the late 60's/early 70's, and that must have played a part in this shift in behaviour in fans across the area.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Slightly off topic, but i was speaking to my mates grandad last night and he was saying that back in the day people used to go and watch both City and United. Is that true? And why?!

My grandad and his brother, both rags, used to do this all the time. Pretty common I think amongst older chaps

 

[laserblue]

At what point did the rivalry as we know it today start? I can only bring myself to go to the swamp once a year and even that is too much, couldn't imagine going every week just for something to do

In my experience the ramping up of the rivalry started in the 60s and has become stronger than ever in recent years. Don't forget that the rags played their league games at Maine Road after the war until 1949 so I suppose a good number of locally based City fans would trot along to watch United at their own home ground.