Report: Manchester United Consider Giving out Song Sheets to Improve Atmosphere

Manchester United are reportedly weighing up whether to hand out song sheets to fans at Old Trafford in a bid to improve the atmosphere at the stadium.

According to Paul Hirst of the Times, the club are listening to suggestions from supporters as to how to enliven their home ground, including giving out lyrics to supporters as they enter the stadium or printing chants in the matchday programme—while the BBC's Simon Stone suggested "continental-style 'cheerleaders' with megaphones" are also on the agenda.

At a fan forum last month, United officials were asked about the possibility of "clean" chants and songs being distributed to supporters, and Old Trafford's head of venue operations Dan Schofield "advised that this will be looked into for future games."

The BBC's James Coatsworth, who was present at the forum as the season ticket holder representative, took issue with Hirst's report:

Per Charlotte Duncker of the Manchester Evening News, Coatsworth's sentiment was echoed by Ian Stirling, vice-chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust. He said:

"There's absolutely nothing in it, it's rubbish. It was suggested by one fan and the polite answer from the club is that it would be taken in to consideration, that's all that has been said about it.

"It has been proposed by individuals before, but we are not going down that route. We have plenty of plans to improve the atmosphere and that is not one of them."

Another idea raised during the forum was the creation of a singing section, which was approved and organised for United's 2-0 FA Cup victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in Old Trafford's L-Stand, per the Mirror's Alex Richards.

The section may not be a permanent fixture, though, as the stand is typically occupied by away supporters.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford has been notably discussed by Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho.

He publicly admitted the ground is not as noisy as he would like, per Goal UK:

As Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted, it has been a long-term problem for United:

It was evidently not an issue in their 2-1 win over Liverpool, though, per football writer Andy Mitten:

It's of little surprise supporters were able to generate a better atmosphere against the club's bitter rivals, though, particularly as they had plenty to cheer about having won the match.

Maintaining the noise levels against lesser opponents or in games where United struggle is more difficult, and there's a multitude of reasons why the club—and many others in the Premier League—encounter this problem.

Ticket pricing is likely a significant factor, though it would seem unlikely United would be prepared to harm one of their revenue streams by reducing the cost of admission, even if they're not particularly reliant on that income compared to more lucrative sources.

Introducing song sheets also appears to be unlikely, but it's a positive step from the club that they're open and willing to work with fans to improve the situation.