Post by Scott on Feb 27, 2007 22:44:00 GMT
Welcome to the 10th edition of Republik of Mancunia: The Paper. This months edition is so big we've had to split it in to two parts!
As always, we’re finishing another month top of the league, this time with the largest gap to date, 9 points.
RoM.org has been extremely busy behind the scenes, so bear with me whilst I get you updated on the latest goings on.
The first bit of news is that RoM.org will be running its first ever competition for a United > England hoodie, found here, worth over £20. The competition is of a creative nature, and we’re asking for submissions of any form, but of course the topic is United. This means you can write an article, poem, chant, song or anything else you can think of. If you have any questions on this, don’t hesitate to PM any of the staff. The cut off date for this will be May 13th (FA Cup Final) and the winner will be announced May 23rd (Champions League Final). So get thinking!
In other news, the forums shops has undergone a redesign. We’ve added plenty more products, and a new Ronaldo design.
The new products available are: badges, aprons, calendars, scarves, mugs, umbrellas, bags, rucksacks etc. Several more ladies goods have been added too. Also, a simpler search method has been added to the top, where you can search by design or product.
A design which is soon to be added has been designed by my lovely fiancée, MrsRepublik. An announcement will go up when it is available to buy.
Examples of new products are:
As you may have noticed, a General Sports board has been added to the forum, so feel free to take advantage of that. Any sport goes.
The reviews found in The Paper for Player and Match are now going up on the RoM.org Blog, so if you fancy seeing your opinions up there, drop me a PM and let me know what you fancy writing. At RoM.org we try to encourage a varied group of people to write our reviews, so do join in. Also, when you contribute four times, they will be classed as an Official Contributor, with their own member group and button in the sig to prove it ;D So get in touch.
Now let us begin:
Member of the Month
This month’s winner goes to a member who has been with us since the summer. Reaching over 1000 posts and voicing his opinion often, we feel he’s a worthy winner. That, and how could we NOT award MOTM to someone who manages to have a pop at Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea all in his sig and avatar! So, I’m sure you’ll all join me in congratulating MarryMeHeinze as this month’s winner.
Interview
Time for the member interview. Keano16 has kindly taken the time to give us a bit of insight on himself…
Real name: Ian.
Where are you from: Gateshead, England. Not far from Newcastle. I’m a Geordie. A Manc Geordie. Or a Geordie Manc. My family isn’t happy and have never been happy for 20 years that I support United. Tough shit! Hehe.
Who is your biggest inspiration: A bottle of Jim Beam. I like to write lyrics and I’m always more creative when I’m pissed. Noel Gallagher is like that apparently.
What would you like to be better at: I don’t know really. I’d like to be better at getting out of bed earlier. I’m unemployed at the moment so I don’t have many goals. Some days I stay in bed till midday. Or an hour after midday. I’ve got to learn to be more motivated. Get my sorry ass up and face the world!
If you could ask anyone, living or dead, a question, who and what would it be? I’d like to ask Satan exactly HOW hot Hell is, cos if it’s TOO hot, I’d prefer the cooler place.
What is your all time favourite film? Nine ½ Weeks. The story wasn’t great, but the imagery was fantastic. Kim Basinger in the 80’s, phwoar man…
If you won the lottery, how would you spend it? What’s the jackpot?
One job in the world, what would it be? Professional Song-Writer. Working alongside Bruce Springsteen.
What’s your biggest ambition in life? To be a professional Song-Writer. Work alongside Bruce Spring……oh right, I already told you that!
What’s your greatest ever achievement? Staying up-right for four hours after drinking FOUR half-pint Jim Beam’s. Neat.
What’s your biggest regret? Opening the bottle.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Doing exactly what I am now, unfortunately. My life is sad, I know.
Who do you hate most: City/Liverpool/Leeds/Arsenal/Other:
Arsenal.
Ideal, realistic signing you think Fergie should have made this summer, but didnt? H-H-H-H-H……Am I allowed to mention the H-word?
Whats the best game you've ever been too? At Old Trafford? Keano’s testimonial. Fantastic night. (Ed – I was there too. Cracking atmosphere and good to see Fergie and Roy re-united )
Who's your favourite member on the forum? Can I say ‘myself’?
Anything else you want to tell us? I wouldn’t mind, but do you WANT me to tell you???
Article
This month’s article is written by Rollin Red.
Lad and Dad United
Many of us do columns, reactionary and opinionated and they make a good read but for this particular attempt I wanted a change and a challenge. For most of us it is not as simple as a choice of football team to follow, it is something much more than that passed on from someone else. I started thinking of the time when I first became aware of Manchester United, when I was first included on the match day rota at Old Trafford and the game that started it all, West Ham United, November 1991. My own journey following Manchester United is only part of the story; my first scene in this movie comes about half way through. The first one bitten in our family was my Dad, the reason I go to Old Trafford now is because of my Dad and the best match day company I can have is, you guessed it, my Dad. So for this article I thought it only fair to speak to the man who started all this madness off and figure out between us where Manchester United has been going in the years he and I have watched them.
“Will it be red or will it be blue? Here’s what he said to me…”
“My earliest recollection is of my family buying me a football kit – red shirt and white shorts, not exactly a replica in though days but it was basic white ringed neck long sleeves. My brother got a similar shirt but was blue – nearer Everton than any thing else.” So it looks like we had a narrow escape, if he had opened the other present, I may have been taken to Goodison Park to support Everton. Thankfully though, there was no need to report my Dad for child cruelty, football loyalties were based on geography. “My grandfather used to live near Main road and I remember him teasing me about Manchester United not being a patch on City. My other grandparents were on the Salford side. In those days it was where you lived which affected who you supported.”
Strictly speaking by the time he was going to football matches, my Dad had moved to Bury so that was his local team, but, as he says, the passion was missing from those games for him. “I started to go and see Bury in 1973 but I always thought of this as watching a football match as apposed to supporting a team” He did manage to find one good reason to go to Gigg Lane, however; the presence on that pitch, of one true genius. “Around that time George Best would sometimes be dropped and have to play in the reserves. That was the only way he would have a chance of getting back in the first team the next week. United’s reserves played at Gigg Lane and there was a lot of support to watch him even in the reserves! He was so special, it was like watching Pele play football with school boys!”
“United Road, take me home, , to the place I belong…”
Manchester United inspires very vivid memories for anyone lucky enough to be anywhere near it when there is a football match on. For my Dad it was no different. “I remember walking up Warwick road singing load and clear – I was overawed by the excitement. We would go up into the Stretford end, climb up the big steps al the way up then once at the top more people came and we would end up half way down.”
“It was very loud. If I was lucky I’d see some of the game but the atmosphere was awesome.” Old Trafford is now all seater, and this has taken something from the atmosphere. You may be able to stay in one place and you don’t fear for your life as much as you used to but he believes something is missing. “All seater has taken the volume down and people actual watch the game – in my day if I saw the pitch I was lucky!”
For all the ‘in my day’ stories my Dad has, something’s never change and ‘friendly banter’ between the two sets of fans has been there all along. For the coach trip back to Bury he would relive the match and could be counted on to wind up the away fans as they left the ground, all very funny, until one set of fans got in their car and followed his coach: Once we got on the coach and got to the back we saw some opposing fans and made gestures to them but they were in a car and followed us!
No tales of post match trips to casualty though, as he explains: “Luckily we dropped off at various points and Bury was always last, by the time we left a few stops they had got fed up and continued their journey – a lucky escape at 14 years old!”
Law and Order
For all the tales of being squashed into the Stretford end and barely seeing the action, my Dad recalls all too clearly the events of ‘that’ afternoon when City came to Old Trafford with one Denis Law in their line up, “our lowest point”, he says. “Denis Law playing in blue didn’t look right but the crowd was behind the team all the time, even though the game wasn’t that exiting”. Then came the moment that would be replayed many times, as Denis Law sent his old team into the second division. He remembers it all, unfortunately: “the ball went across the box and who was there, Denis – he back healed it into the net and there seamed silence in the Streford End – Unusual. And for one moment I could see the pitch, Denis with his head down , a few minutes later Denis walked off he looked like we all felt. The second division beckoned.” As it happened, ‘that goal’ didn’t in fact relagate us as we would have been down anyway, no comfort for the Lawman or United fans, I’m sure.
Tommy Doc – As Big As Sir Matt (at least he could have been…)
For all the heartache of the second division, memories are mostly of a good team playing good football in front of very good crowds: “In the Second division we had a bigger following than any side -first division or second. We were taking more to an away game than the home team had!” Despite all that has been said since about our manager at that time, this United fan has nothing but praise to see for the infamous Thomas Henderson Docherty, “Tommy Docherty was the Man, we all loved him – his style of play grit and determination”. Looking back, he continues. “If only the board could have put up with his indiscretion or he had chosen love of United over another, he could have been bigger than any, even as big as Sir Matt!”
Man United and Boy
1991, West Ham United at Old Trafford. Here begins the next generation of our family support of Manchester United, and for both of us it was a special day but for different reasons. I remember the day very clearly, I remember driving to Old Trafford and the stadium being so big, watching the players warming up – although it was the away players because United always warm up at the Strettford End, of course. West Ham’s team included Frank McAvennie, Ludek Michlosko, Tim Breaker, and Man United’s had Peter Schmiechel, Paul Parker, Denis Irwin, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Lee Sharpe, Andrei Kanchelskis, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes. That first game meant a lot to the other Moult amongst us too - “I couldn’t wait for the first Saturday match I was taking my son to – memories of all though years ago watching them came flooding back - very played some exiting football”
As I live and breathe I cannot for the life of me remember anything about the game itself only that it finished 1:1. It’s the little things I still remember, the songs they played, the announcements Keith Fane made on the microphone and the characteristic smells of the approach to Warwick Road North, as it was then. That cross between pie smell and burger, a mish mash of takeaway vans and things that you can still smell to this day when you go. Everyone has sense memories and this is one of mine. The days of ‘wonderfuel’ signs on the Stretford End roof are gone and the stadium has changed a lot but it’s obvious from talking to my Dad about all this that we still take the same things from match day that we always did, right back to when he first walked up Warwick Road.
The Match Day ticket that got away
I remember being on an adventure holiday in the days leading up to the final game of the season in 1993 when we won the first Premier League title. Because I was on the match day rota, Blackburn Rovers at home was on my list. In the end though, I never got the chance to go to the game because I got ill while I was away and had to cancel my attendance. I was gutted. I remember a lot more of the games from years ago than I do now, for instance I can tell you when I was there during the 1992-93 season. I watched Eric Cantona’s goal and salute against Sheffield United, Gary Walsh’s top class save against Matthew LeTissier. I applauded Henning Berg on to the pitch for his debut against Southampton, I was there when Paulo ‘Bambi on ice’ Wanchope ambled through our defence and scored on his debut for Derby County. Unfortunately I remember when we finally lost our undefeated home record in Europe.
Will you start the fans, please?
Both of us remember getting things thrown at us as we sat in the car park waiting to leave after the Everton game from last season. I remember thinking that it was all going to kick off and I’d be on the news or something, no such luck for me although as my Dad got out of the car to politely advise the scouser that throwing full cans of beer at our car was not a good idea, I do remember that he was the one that was warned by the policeman to get back in his car!
I also remember one or two really special United performances in Europe. Against Dortmund. I remember it because the German fans threw down beer mats and it always made me laugh (it still does) when they started singing these chants in German that we’d probably get really offended by if we knew what they were on about. I especially remember Real Madrid in what turned out to be David Beckham’s last European game for us. He was on the bench and there was definitely something in the air that maybe the rumours were true and he was on his way to Madrid. I thought that maybe Fergie had kept him on the bench to avoid a conflict of interests. He did get on the pitch and I was bedazzled as I watched Ronaldo (the fat one) score goal after goal, quality goals too. One on one with our keeper, curling the ball into the net so neatly that the ball didn’t even bash the netting, I still remember the ‘whoosh’ sound it made as it curled perfectly. It was a really great game and Becks’ did score but anyone watching that night probably felt the same way I did – he was not long for the red shirt.
Together we have been to some classic matches, the match day rota has been kind. Thumping Arsenal was an unexpected treat, playing them off the pitch and then watching as Teddy Sheringham warmed up in front of the Arsenal fans and responded to their taunts by standing there and counting the three trophies he had won with us, United fans in that corner loved it. Arsenal fans did not! Sometimes on the rota we get a game that looks boring on paper, yet when you turn up you end up winning 9-0 (Ipswich). “Thumping Ipswich was great” says my Dad. “In the nineties when teams came to Old Trafford and put ten men in defence to try and get a draw, Sheffield Utd did that on a couple of occasions and Fergie said afterwards that’s what you have to expect when team are frightened of you they know we can score but that point is worth more than entertaining your fans.”
He continues by remembering Fergie’s after match comments when Leeds United, struggling in the depths of the league, came to Old Trafford and played like Brazil:
“I remember Leeds coming and they had had a bad season – Howard Wilkinson was going to get the chop but the came to United and played like they were the home side, Fergie said afterwards that the players want to look at themselves and do that every week not just against united- If they played like that every week that would save the manager.”
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.
Now things have definitely changed, the stadium, the team, the money, the ownership. Up until I wrote this article I would have gladly sat you down and talked to you about how not all things have improved. My Dad agrees: “Not the traffic that’s for sure, and not the atmosphere on most occasions. The roar of the crowd when we scored felt like I had seen everything.”
In looking back to see where this United story began for us I have been reminded that really none of those things matter. The history of Manchester United affects many people, whether they live next door to the legends café up the road from Old Trafford, in Bury, in Liverpool or even further away, it goes beyond simple support for so many people and reading this now I am sure everyone everywhere has their own memories about how and when they were introduced into the world of Manchester United. It’s not about the players, it’s not about the successes. Don’t get me wrong, the best and the most in each of those cases makes a big difference but if you are reading this now you will, I hope, agree with me that we would watch Manchester United in the lower leagues if we had to, some of us already have. It is not about jumping on the bandwagon, it’s inside you and there is nothing you can do about it.
The final word goes to my Dad. “The thing I like most is being able to do something with my son that we both enjoy and have a passion for.” The real heart of the matter, and the point of this story is that although it relates personally to me, it translates to every single person reading this now – “…win lose or draw United is in our blood and we have that no matter what, who owns the club this is still United”.
Match of the Month
This month’s write up is by ManUtd99.
It's been a good month for United. Started the month well, but as we got further into February, the performance deteriorated, but we still managed to grind out some results. Is this the blip that Chelsea have longed for? The mark of champions is grinding out result's, sometimes even in games which we don't deserve to win.
It wasn't difficult choosing a game to cover for my match report. We have struggled in every game this month, with the exception of one. Ironically the one many thought would be our hardest. I have gone for the United Vs Spurs game at White Hart Lane on Sunday 4th February.
White Hart Lane is usually a good place for United to visit. This time around there was a bit of doubt as by that time, Spurs had only been beaten once at home. Even the Champions had lost 2-1. Spurs started on top in the game without creating any serious chances to trouble Edwin Van Der Sar. The excellent Aaron Lennon was troubling on the right, but with no real end product and Berbatov diving around like he had been shot. No real chances of note. The best chance in the opening 30 minutes fell to Cristiano Ronaldo. A corner from Ryan Giggs was flicked on by Rio Ferdinand into the path of Michael Carrick who's header was saved by Robinson. The bal rebounded to Ronaldo who clipped the bar from 6 yards out.
United were improving and should of had a penalty when Henrik Larsson was held back in the box by Anthony Gardner. Nothing was given by referee Mark Clattenburg. At the other end Berbatov managed to wriggle past Rio Ferdinand and fire a shot at Van Der Sar which he just managed to keep out.
When Ronaldo had space on the right he put in a cross which was headed straight back out to him. He took the ball worked some magic and drove into the box only to be brought down by Malbranque. Penalty. Replay's show it may have been harsh but Ronaldo placed the ball down and hit it past Robinson. 1-0 and just before half time.
United came out for the second half in the same mood. Vidic finding himself in room outside the box and hitting a superb shot tipped over by Robinson. The resulting corner fell to Carrick who managed to have a header tipped over again by Robinson. From this corner, taken by Carrick, Nemanja Vidic headed past Robinson for his 4th of the season. Only minutes later, Ronaldo took the ball on the right, drew the defender towards him and put a low cross into the box for the excellent Paul Scholes to bundle the ball over the line, unchallenged from about 1 yard out. 3-0 without breaking a sweat.
United went looking for number 4 with Wayne Rooney hitting a magnificent shot which went inches past Robinson's post and at the other end, Berbatov looked to have been shot again with a challenge under Rio Ferdinand. He then managed to get in behind Rio but his shot was well saved by Edwin Van Der Sar follwed by a header which was saved again. Spurs finally came to life, but this spark had gone shortly after. United's forth came after Louis Saha appeared from the bench who slid a quality through ball to Ryan Giggs who finished easilly past the England goalkeeper.
Another 3 points for United. In the final 10 minutes Robbie Keane manged to work his way into the box only to be denied by Edwin Van Der Sar who took a blow to the head and a boken nose for his trouble. With no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, John O'Shea stepped in for a cameo in the United goal. and did very well. Rio Ferdinand put him in trouble with a poor backpass which fell to Keane. O'Shea darted out of his goal and made an excellent challenge to the delight of the United suport.
Game over. 6 points clear. The game could have gone either way at 0-0 with chances for penalty's for both sides, but once Ronaldo scored, Spurs collapsed and United went on to earn the points with an excellent second half showing.
United 4 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Young-Pyo Lee, Dawson, Gardner, Lennon, Huddlestone, Zokora (Ghaly 56), Malbranque, Defoe (Keane 56), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Murphy, Rocha.
Booked: Chimbonda, Keane.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Ronaldo (Park 68), Carrick, Scholes, Giggs (O'Shea 80), Rooney (Saha 64), Larsson.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Heinze.
Booked: Vidic, Rooney, Larsson.
Goals: Ronaldo 45 pen, Vidic 48, Scholes 54, Giggs 77
Att: 36,146.
Man of the match: Hard one to call but in the end I had to go for Paul Scholes who was excellent. A few rash challenges but all in all a good days work for the ginger Prince. He bossed the midfield and worked tirelessly throughout with some crisp passing and a goal for good messure. He continued the form that has placed him in the running for player of the season.
Click here for Part II