That Rösler was a German, an "Old enemy", interested nobody in Manchester. "Nationalism is a stranger to Northerners," says Ric Turner. "Additionally, in England, it's only what you bring in 90 minutes that counts." The fans welcomed Uwe Rösler with open arms. They arranged the tune of the Pet Shop Boys hit of that time, "Go West" with his name. "Ooo-veyh! Ooo-veyh Ross-eler!" And they honoured him with the T-shirt "Uwe's granddad bombed Old Trafford". The German press printed the sentence full of indignation.
And the slogan, as coarse as it was, had an historical context: in 1941, Old Trafford was destroyed by German bombs, and in the forties, Manchester Un*t*d had to play their games at Maine Road. To show the fans that he had understood their tribute, Uwe Rösler also bought a T-shirt - for his granddad. "From the first day, I was bathed in a warmth. The chairman / owner introduced me to his son and the team took me to its heart," says Rösler. "At the start, it must have been deathly boring for them. I hardly spoke any English".