Man Utd’s famous ticker banner returns after Man City’s guilty verdict

A familiar banner will return to the Stretford End this weekend after Man City’s guilty verdict, bringing a smile to supporters’ faces.

Manchester United fans have always been renowned for their sense of humour. From the satirical columns in fanzines such as Red Issue, featuring characters such as Bertie Magoo and The Bitter Blue, to endless chants with testing lyrics.

Modern football may have brought changes for the worse, as we’ve seen with Man City’s scandal and how all their success is now tainted. Matchgoing fans are now known as legacy fans, with an ongoing battle not to be priced out of the game that has been a major part of their lives.

In their first game since their guilty verdict, Man City take on Liverpool in the Premier League. The atmosphere is expected to be fierce. While United host Tottenham, The Red Army are planning their own gesture to their neighbours.

Man Utd ticker banner returns to the Stretford End

A report from The Athletic brought good news that United fans will welcome back the historic Stretford End ‘ticker’ for Saturday’s home game against Tottenham. It was taken down when City began winning trophies under state ownership, with the FA Cup in 2011.

The ticker banner had risen to ’35 YEARS’ by then, but it first appeared at Old Trafford in 2000 when it read ’24 YEARS’. United fans who recall it will be able to link it with Inspiral Carpets’ track ‘This Is How It Feels’. Reds changed the lyrics to ‘This is how it feels to be City, this is how it feels to be small, this is how it feels when your club wins nothing at all, nothing at all.’

Amusingly, the report adds that The Red Army (TRA) group has paid £114 to have a new banner made, which has been updated to read ’51 YEARS’. This erases the 20 trophies City have won since the Abu Dhabi United Group became owners in 2009.

This is further proof that the Stretford End is in safe hands with TRA, so long as the club doesn’t dampen the mood by sticking their beaks in, because they have a hold on fan culture. They live it; therefore, they understand it, and the club can learn from them. Founding member Rick departed his role before the international break and will be a big loss as he always had his finger on the pulse.

It means that, by Red theory, City’s last piece of silverware came in the 1976 League Cup final. Massive. I can sing to that. There will be more reason to laugh at full-time, granted Michael Carrick’s side can do the business against Tottenham by getting back to winning ways.