Manchester United Transcends Borders

“It's natural to like the home team. The weirdos are peeps like u who worship teams across seas from a country that hates us!”

It is certainly not rare for such comments to be hurled at Manchester United fans that live beyond the borders of Manchester. This particular comment was sent via Twitter to a United fan living in California. Ignorance colors the judgment of many of those who buy into the “glory hunter” stereotype.

The “natural to like the home team” argument is certainly not new, but when did sports become defined and confined by geographic boundaries? Any number of things can lure one into supporting a particular team. Maybe you support the team your childhood hero played for. Growing up my heroes were David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Of course United was a natural fit. Perhaps you support a team because that is who your family supports, and the bond to family is far greater than the connection you have to wherever you call home. Another reason to fall in love with a team is for the style with which they play the game. For some United fans, the appeal could be the illustrious history, or the unmistakable “never say die” mentality. This is not limited only to the beautiful game though. Some American teams have become household favorites nationwide because they are the “loveable losers.” I’m looking at you Chicago Cubs.

I asked the man who was targeted by that tweet – Ricky (@Vincent_Vega_) – to share his experiences as a Manchester United fan in America and his encounters with those who can never understand the connection he has formed with the club.

“I get comments once a week about going to bed early for 4:45am wake ups for kickoffs. Or planning my month around the United matches weeks ahead. It's hard to try and explain the game to close-minded people who don't care to understand. None of my friends even come close to understanding the sort of passion and love that we have. I get a ‘you are ridiculous’ or a ‘you try too hard to be English’ comment more often than not. And these comments come from ‘friends’…”

I cannot think of anything I would be willing to wake up for at 4:45am, except, of course, Manchester United. The man who tweeted the “home team” argument used the word “worship” to describe Ricky’s relationship with United. Speaking as someone who has had the pleasure of communicating with Ricky regularly about United, “worship” is a fitting word choice. He has devoted himself to the club, hardly ever missing a game and being well versed in the club’s history, including events that occurred long before he was born. Surely with such commitment, his status as a fan cannot be questioned, and yet it is. He is pegged as a weirdo simply because the team he loves is not in his backyard.

So many seem to believe you are only a true fan if you support your home team. This is a nonsense view in the world of sport. But there are those who will ask what led Ricky to a club that was not his home team. Why Manchester United?

“I was watching Spanish TV when the sports show was showing the weekend roundup of the games around Europe. I was in absolute awe when I first saw highlights of a United game and heard the fans singing to the team. Left a HUGE impression watching the crowd cheer and applaud the team’s efforts. Logged on the net afterwards and started researching the team and players and just educated myself. I've known my girlfriend for almost six years now and I still remember all I did the day we met was talk about how much I loved United and what a magical team they are. They've been a part of me for many, many years and nothing will ever change that.”

What about this makes Ricky a “weirdo”? It certainly does not make him a glory hunter, not a single mention of trophies or titles in his answer. I would argue that the weird part is not that Ricky supports United, but rather the dedication he has for United. Not the bad weird, the good weird. Yes, there is a good weird. Unique. For many, sport is an entertaining pastime. Few people allow their club to become a way of life. I am one of those people, and there is no doubt in my mind that Ricky is too. Most of the people you encounter will find that kind of devotion to be weird, no matter what team they choose to support. Even supporting your home team in such a manner would most likely be considered unusual by most.

I have had my own run-ins with those who believe who you support should be determined by where you live. I wrote a column in my campus newspaper after the 2010 World Cup about how those who found a love for soccer that summer need not wait another four years. Using my love for United as an example, I attempted to promote that new soccer fans should find a club they could support that would allow their passion for the game continue to grow. Unfortunately my message was completely lost once readers saw the words “Manchester United.” I am certain I set a new record at The Daily Illini that day for all the hate-mail and nasty comments I received. Some called me a glory hunter. Others suggested I move to England. All were focused on the fact I did not support my local team. My innocent attempt to promote my favorite sport had backfired. I was now the villain, all because I was an American who supported United.

If people knew me, maybe they would be able to understand. Here is a little background. My nearest team is the Chicago Fire, and even then I grew up in a small town two hours away from Chicago, so it’s hardly “local” or “home” for me. The Chicago Fire did not even exist until 1996 when I was 8 years old, and in the early days of Major League Soccer the Fire were not on television enough for me to form a connection from my home two hours away. Honestly, I did not even know the Fire existed until 2002, which is when I first discovered my love for the game. While visiting my aunt in England during the 2002 World Cup, she introduced to soccer, or rather football as she would have called it. She also exposed me to players like Paul Scholes and David Beckham. I left England with the seeds planted, and I quickly grew into an avid Manchester United fan. I was eager to learn about the club and the game in general. It was only then I discovered that there was a team in Chicago, and by then it was too late. There is a quote in Looking For Eric, “You can change your wife, change your politics, change your religion, but never, never can you change you favorite football team.” Home team or not, United was my club, is my club and forever will be my club.

I responded to my critics the following week in another column, and to my surprise I received positive feedback and understanding once people knew the whole story. Like me, Ricky has also had to respond to this abuse.

“I do ignore most people to be honest, especially the people who obviously don't know a thing about football. But every now and then I get pushed too far and talk back. Just last month I met a not so pleasant person. I confronted them while they questioned my loyalty and accused me of just being a Chicharito groupie. I took off my shirt and pointed to my United tattoo and made it clear that I was a United fan long before Javier was even in high school, and I'll be United till I die... I know this wasn't the correct approach, but having ignorant people who don't understand the magic of United and question my loyalty winds me up. Watching United at Old Trafford has been the most special thing to this day I've ever done. Hugged and greeted by locals who gave me nothing but positive comments. England and United don't hate us, not at all. We are all equals in a family that is deeply in love with United, no matter where you are from.”

While these encounters with those who misunderstand can be frustrating, I come away feeling sorry for them. They allow their lives to be controlled by lines on a map. They fail to see that people can find a connection beyond these imaginary lines. Many have closed their minds to the possibility of loving any team that is not their local team, and have stubbornly refused to accept any other point of view, simply dismissing those who oppose them as wrong.

In a recent interview with GQ, United legend Eric Cantona said, “I found leaving Manchester United very, very hard. It was, as I say, like quitting a class A drug.” Although I have admittedly never used drugs and cannot accurately compare the two, I always assumed that United was like a drug. For me, it is a healthy addiction. The natural high that comes when United scores a goal is unlike any other feeling. It’s a feeling I have never been able to replicate outside United, not that I have ever wanted to. Knowing that each goal provides that euphoric feeling keeps every goal special. It is part of what makes United special for me. Not once have I ever questioned that feeling because I live in the United States and not in Manchester. Where I live is irrelevant. How I feel for the club and the loyalty and commitment I show is all that should matter to any sports fan.

If people are too blinded by their own misconceptions to see this, then their view of the world is far too limited, and for that I cannot help but pity them. Ricky and I have both been fortunate to discover Manchester United and be welcomed into the United family. I have developed friendships around the globe with people with whom I share nothing but United, but that’s plenty. It is a very strong bond between fans, and to me that is special. Manchester United is more than a sports team, those devoted to the club understand that. It is a feeling that cannot be described, but one that must be experienced to be fully understood. People are no longer limited to their communities for supporting sports teams. United transcended that and created a worldwide community, one which I am proud to be a part of. The sad thing is that those who quickly dismiss United fans just because they are not from Manchester will never understand that. Unfortunately this close-minded view of being a supporter will forever be something that plagues United fans.