Post by Scott on May 30, 2007 23:41:23 GMT
Before announcing the winner and runners up for the competition, I want to thank everyone who submitted an entry. We really did have a hard time judging as the standards were so high.
The winner of this competition will receive the hoodie pictured above, and the 4 runners up will receive the Giggs badges. Congratulations to our winners.
4th Runner Up
Our fourth runner up is Paul Armstrong, who e-mailed his entry a couple of weeks ago. There are several players who miss out on having a chant, and Paul presents us with a comical song we could sing for second keeper, Kuszczak. Simple, yet effective.
To the tune of 'Love Shack'
Kuszczak, Tomasz Kuszczak (repeat 'til bored)
Congrats Paul.
3rd Runner Up
Our third runner up is Gaz778, who submitted his article "Tradition" to the forum, based on his experiences as a United fan.
United fans are the best in the world. Having the privilege of owning a season ticket in the Stretford End or West Upper as it is also known, I have seen this at first hand throughout my life.
I have held my ticket for 8 years, I previously sat in the North Stand, and since moving, I have learnt the full value of supporting a football team that is more than a team, it is a religion.
As I walk up the steps (What seem like thousands) to my seat, nervous about the game, and contemplating what players will wear the famous red jersey that day, I am greeted by a 10 foot, statue of the ‘King of the Stretford End’. What other club has something like that INSIDE there ground? As I give Dennis a quick salute on my way past, and head towards the kiosk to buy my traditional pre game plastic bottle of Bud, I am greeted by yet more United legends above each door of the inter-joining concourses. It is credit to the club and to the fans, that they keep the memory of these players on going, as I being only 20, and many like me, have never seen these players play, people like Dennis Violet, Duncan Edwards are just names that I have been brought up with, hearing glorious stories from my father, and my father's father about, but since I have been to United I am reminded about them, and what part they have played to the history and the tradition of this great football club.
Looking at the Stretty from pitch side, you immediately see the banners put up by the Stretford End Flags. These again are a mark of United, and this great tradition that I and every other red has instilled in them from an early age. Manchester United are the supporters club, even though we are now owned by the yanks, the United fans play a big part in the club and make it what it is.
Being a United Fan, you want to see United playing attacking football. At Everton last weekend, we were still singing ‘ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK’ at 3-2 with the game still in the balance. We want to see the players playing with pride to be in the famous shirt. There is nothing that pleases me more than seeing a United player chase the ball back from one end of the pitch to the other and eventually win it back for the team. This has always been United's way and the way that we have always played football and the fans have supported them…….with pride.
The noise in the Stretford End is amazing. Unfortunately because of my age, I have no experience of terracing at OT, but I am sure the atmosphere generated by us lot at most home games is close to the atmosphere generated from the old terracing. The noise level at the recent games of Milan & Roma is the best I have heard since Barcelona. The best I have ever encountered at OT. The players need us as much as we need them, and we do our best to get behind them because we love them, we think about the club 24/7 & we would to anything to see them succeed.
It is this tradition that United have that make them such a great club, better than the scousers, better than the rent boys, and better than anyone else who dares cross our path. After all ‘we are the pride of all Europe’, and we play football the right way, with the tradition that has been with us ever since the Busby Babes, Courage, No Fear, Youth are what united are all about, and long may it continue.
Republikan ‘till I die….
2nd Runner Up
Our second runner up is Rollin Red with his poem.
Give me eleven reds on a Saturday,
Smooth green turf and a team to play
The battle starts and the challenge is met
Nothing else matters when the ball hits the net
That team of giants and the roar of the crowd
A beautiful symphony, chanting allowed
Of Busby, and Doc, and a tragedy past
The camp Nou, the final and the fight to the last
All does await us but there is work to do
The players rely on each one of you
And as for this poem, methinks it’s rather a goodie
In the Republikan fight for the Mancunian hoodie.
1st Runner Up
Our first runner up is Lotzita, with her poem about our season.
No more Van Nistelrooy
He went to Real Madrid, oh boy!
That’s what a lot of fans thought
And Carrick and Kuszczak was all Fergie bought.
Roon and Scholesy got a small match ban
After the pre-season in Amsterdam
We won that tournament with ease
Beating Ajax and the Portuguese
We had a fantastic beginning of the season
A 5-1 win over Fulham and a 0-3 versus Charlton.
In the Champions League we beat Celtic
But the loss against Arsenal made us all sick.
Beating the Scousers with 2-0 made it all up
Although we got eliminated from the Carling Cup.
Top of the League and on to the next stage for the European trophy,
Beating Villa and Portsmouth in the FA Cup was easy.
By then 2007 had begun
And United hat gotten mighty Larsson.
Sheasy was a great goalie against Tottenham
And gave us a second victory against the Scouse scum.
In Lille there was some trouble with the fans
And a perfectly legal goal of Giggsy gave us the chance
To go on to the quarter finals to be played against Roma
Where a fan ended up in a coma.
The United players showed the Italians how to play football,
The 7-1 at Old Trafford says it all!
Another Treble was everyone’s dream
We all believed in this team.
With Ronaldo in very good shape and Rooney back on target
Everyone was proud to be a fan of Man United.
Semi-final of the Champions League against Milan was shite
And the future wasn’t as bright
As before.
All of United was sore.
Beating Man Shitty and Chelski drawing Arsenal
Gave us our trophy back for once and for all.
The guard of honour from the Chelski squad
Was a nice extra we got.
The trophy came back to Old Trafford Sunday 13th of May
And this is where it should stay.
All the players and fans were glad
And Fergie was the main lad.
Walking in our Fergie wonderland we went to Wembley
What happened over there was not that pretty.
Chelski undeservedly won the FA Cup,
But at least we weren’t the Premiership runner-up.
Every United fan is proud of the team
And the home-coming of the Premier League trophy was for all of us a true-coming dream.
United we stand
And we’ll keep on walking in a Fergie wonderland.
Winner
Our winner is Redom, with his image of our lads on the last day of the season.
Click here to see it in full.
