This article is a follow on from the “how did we get here ” article in the AMF section….

3.20 pm May 12th 2005- I was at that time working from 3.00am and so I had got back from work and had an hour’s sleep then it was time to wake up with a bath. I took the radio with me as there had been a rumour all day about the Glazers takeover and I did’nt want to miss a word.

Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 2 broke into a record with the announcement that the takeover had gone through-the two Irish Millionaires who had had a very public dispute over the stud rights of a racehorse with Alex Ferguson had been persuaded to sell -the club was being bought by means of a leveraged buy out -ie they had borrowed the money to buy the club. That debt was very soon put back onto the club so the fans would pay the interest.

I was in shock………I leapt out of the bath -got dressed and told my long suffering but most understanding wife I was going to Old Trafford “they.ve got it -they’ve bought United” was all I needed to say -Cheryl know that United was an indelible part of my soul and although to many this buyout meant nothing -to me it meant everything.

I drove to Warwick Road in about 40 minutes -the place was in uproar -I joined about 1,000 other angry older reds and we marched into the middle of Chester Road and sat down! The police did not expect any of this and there were very few officers initially so they could do nothing -we sat there for 20 minutes or half an hour.

Eventually we were removed -I spent about another hour singing anti glazer songs and abusing corporate types attending some function or other -but I knew in my heart all this was to make little or no difference. I left just before a police officer had completely lost his patience with me -I kept reading out his officer number out loud -as if I was remembering it for future use-he did’nt appreciate it!

Thank goodness for the internet -these were alive with anger- what could be done and how-meetings were arranged-about two weeks later a madcap idea emerged about starting from scratch -building our own team. I thought it was nuts initially -but within another week a  collection was made to launch a new club -and I paid in what I could afford.

A few weeks later the second friendly was arranged that I could make it to, which was to be played at Staleybridge Celtics ground, I went along and from the moment I got into the ground and saw close to 2,000 like minded individuals determined not to let the Unted we had grown up with disappear down a corporate pughole -I know this was for me …………and every game in the 8 years that have followed has been a victory for the little guy, the ignored -the dispossessed…………………and long may we continue.

BRING ON UNITED