Tim Perry

Why Blue?

Growing up in Northern Ireland must be worse than being brought up in London… there’s too many Rags. Sure, there are sensible people over there who don’t support the scum. My uncle was secretary of the Northern Ireland Spurs Supporters’ Club (the other guy in it apparently sorted out the travel) and tried to coax me into following that bunch with Jimmy Greaves badges, Martin Chivers posters and old programmes. But this wasn’t enough to wind up the United fans.I even tried suppporting Leeds cos they used to beat United all the time in the late 60s. But, no. I had to make a statement and throw my 8-year-old soccer support in with City.

The reason most people over there were so much behind United was of course George Best. I hated Best because every day on Ulster TV you could see the dopey git advertising Cookstown sausages… which really suck (to this day Cookstown sausages still have links with Man U… they have a pic of Roy Keane on the wrapper… well it’s actually a pig but the similarity is there).

For my tenth birthday I got the classic red and black City away strip. To be honest I got no abuse for turning out in those colours on the school pitch because, being Reds, the rest of them didn’t have enough interest in soccer outside of Old Trafford to know what it was. However, one of the most tasteless things I ever saw was this transfer that young Rags could iron onto their shirts (an early example of Utd marketing). It was a mono image of George Best and when affixed to that red thing it looked like a turd.

They even had this guy who opened a United Chippy in the town (never went there) and in the ’70s they started running regular trips to Manchester (well it’s probably closer distance-wise than London is).

Anyway I got a place at Manchester Uni in 79 and was able to get enough money together for a season ticket and on return trips back home I could wind up the Reds by telling them how many games I’d been to, telling them that reserves games are a good way of passing a few hours now and again and saying it was cool to go down Platt Lane and see the Blues train and even chat with the players. This was so sweet saying this to people who would have to save up for a month so that they could go watch one game at Old Trafford every month. I told them to go watch the local Irish League ‘B’ Division team, but being Rags they were only interested in one team… that’s what I’ve always hated about them; many of them, particularly those from far-flung places like County Tyrone, seem to love United more than the game of soccer itself.

Funny thing was with the segregated school system it wasn’t until I was about 19 and living in England that I met the only other Blue fan from my town. He went to a Catholic school where everyone was a Red git as well and he chose the Blues for the same reasons as me, mostly just to wind the saddoes up every day. We still keep in touch… wish I’d met him earlier.

These days I live in south London and work has made it impossible to get to many games… ironically I have to go to Manchester every now and then but it is always a weekend when City are away. Hopefully things will change soon… maybe in time for our revival on the pitch.

First printed in: MCIVTA Newsletter #243 on