A surprising legend at Old Trafford for Manchester United hospitality
Tales from the Old Trafford VIP area, a family affair in the youth squad and Ruben Amorim's quest for leaders in "maybe the worst" team in the club’s history
Hello and welcome to my latest newsletter with tales from the Old Trafford VIP area, a family affair in the Manchester United youth team, and Ruben Amorim's quest for leaders in "maybe the worst in the club’s history". If you’re not a paying subscriber but would like to read more, click here to access our Transfer Window special offer of 25% off.
Normally when one has parked up at Old Trafford, it is a walk straight across the vast W2 car park and down the Munich Tunnel to the press room entrance. On Sunday, many of us headed for the Holy Trinity statue outside the east stand.
Plenty of shirts, scarves, flowers and signs were still being placed at the enshrined bronze of Best, Law and Charlton. The Law family were in attendance for the game as United remembered the greatest goalscorer in the club’s history.
Charlton and Wayne Rooney scored more goals but Law’s 237 strikes came in 404 appearances, a remarkable strike rate. Rooney got 253 goals in 559 games and Charlton 249 in 758.
This correspondent reflected on Law’s passing on Friday night and there are some pleasant chats that the MEN’s former football editor, Alice McKeegan, conducted with The King. Here’s one from Rochdale Town Hall in 2009 and a second from November 2013.
The great Scottish commentator Roddy Forsyth’s anecdote about travelling with Law to Acapulco is worth listening to. Props to the BBC, too, for their impeccable montage of Law that opened Match of the Day on Saturday. Although that cheery Irish accent is not Paddy Crerand’s.
A new definition of legend
A friend attended United’s defeat to Brighton in hospitality. VIPs at Old Trafford are usually greeted by a former player, billed as a ‘legend’ when they seldom are. The legend then watches the match from the directors’ box in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand…