Manchester United, the most Hated club in the world?

The infamous Manchester United football club, closely associated with wealth and success. However, in recent years, it has become blatantly apparent that Manchester United is the most hated club in the world.

Resentfulness? Plain envy? Or is it possible that there is hard evidence to give justice for the ever more apparent hate for Manchester united. If you are not aware of how other supporters quite frankly detest this club, I shall show you what a Derby fan questioned when I expressed that I was united fan. At first he was lost for words, as if words couldn’t explain the shame he lay upon me. Then in discontent he asked me “How does it feel knowing your team invented cheating and condone it?” Maybe it’s something to help keep his mind off his team’s failure to stay in the league that Manchester united has just won convincingly. But of course, I’m not biased.

The Derbyfan I mentioned had absolutely no evidence to support his claim that Manchester United “invented cheating and condone it,” so surely there is some reason for his resentment. I have to accept that one reason for many peoples hate of the club is fair and I am sure United fans themselves will accept that there is a horrific sight at Old Trafford nowadays. Before Kick off at any other premiership ground, there is a buzz like no other, tension, excitement, and unity between fans. Not a hint of it at Old Trafford. At arrival to the ground I expected to see a sea of red displaying Rooney’s and Ronaldo’s on the back of their jerseys. Again, I was wrong.  I honestly thought that the home kit had changed when I arrived at the ground. Their was more Versace and Gucci suits than Nike Manchester United jerseys. No excited children, with Manchester United jerseys and tracksuit bottoms up to their ankles, more forty year old business men who couldn’t care less about the welfare of the team or the club. They had simply acquired their ticket for free through their employer or business deal.

 The fact of the matter is there are 330 000 000 fans worldwide desperate to get one of the 76,000 tickets for their chance to see their heroes play. Unfortunately the club is the reason for the constant demise of the clubs and the fans reputation. The tickets are just given away in business deals, when many fans would go to any length for a ticket. For the actual fans, a ticket is a stairway to heaven, a chance to live out their dreams.

I could go on and on about the collapse of the beloved club, I and so many others have treasured our entire lives. But it’s only our reputation outside of the club. At the end of the day, the love for the club is ever apparent by its fans. Average attendances at the club have been higher than any other team in English football for all but six seasons since 1964–65. The club is the second most successful in the history of English football and by far the most successful of recent times, having won 20 major honours since the start of Alex Ferguson's reign as manager in November 1986. With 333 000 000 fans, we are still the most hated club in the world, but do we care? The fact is that like any successful club they get their bandwagon jumpers, and their marketing machine is better than most at generating revenue in places like the Far East. Still, I defy anyone to walk around Old Trafford on a match day asking people if they are glory hunters.