Musical Reds: The stars who support United

Over the years, our official club magazine has been lucky enough to speak to many of them, so it felt right to look back over what some of them said about the club, from back in 2000 all the way up to 2025.

The magazine relaunched at the start of this year, which you can buy now, with music the theme of the first edition.

To tie in with that, we collected some snippets from past conversations with artists, which you can read below...

DAIRE (August 2025 issue)

"[On his favourite United memory] The 2008 Champions League final. Tears running down my face thinking we were losing the final until John Terry slipped and stuck his penalty wide. Then it was all down to Van der Sar on the final penalty and winning the holy grail. A strong second was Rashford's goal against PSG in the Champions League for us to knock them out in 2019. I remember I was working a night shift at Tesco and going crazy all over the place."

IAN BROWN (September 2005 issue)

"I once had a scooter and there was a sports car in front of me, and it started reversing, so I had to start pushing myself back. And he's reversing, reversing, and my back light hit the car behind me. I jumped up, ran to the driver's window and it was Lou Macari. 'He's broke me ******* light.' And he pulled out a wedge like that [mimics having a huge pile of cash in his hands], I'm not kidding, and he went: 'How much is it?' And I said it was about 12 quid. He just peeled off four tenners, 40 quid, just like that. I was like: 'Cool. Have you got any tickets for Saturday?' No, he hadn't, but I just thought he was cool peeling off a wedge like that. I was buzzing 'cos we always loved Lou Macari.

"My first ever game was in 1971, Southampton, we beat them 5-1. Willie Morgan scored one and Alan Gowling, who was the centre-forward, scored four. I went with my dad, it was amazing, the size of the crowd, the vibe and all that. You love that, with the crowd, when you're a young kid, don't you?"

MANI (September 2010 issue)

"[On selling his prized scooter in order to go to the 1999 Champions League final] It was definitely worth it. After we equalised I was weeping. I sat down in my chair and tried to get my wits about me... and we scored again!

"[On United running out to 'This Is The One] It's mega, man! I took ex-Roses guitarist John Squire one day. When 'This Is The One' was played I looked across and saw a wry grin on his face. I always wanted the Roses to be associated with United and the terraces. I went with Ian Brown to watch the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1991 in Rotterdam. Our tour manager Steve Adge drove us, and he's a Blue – you can imagine the stick he got!"

RICHARD ASHCROFT (December 2018 issue)

"George Best brought an artistry to football. I think he embodied the spirit of Sir Matt Busby and Manchester United – the emergence and rebirth after Munich. His youth, his audacity – I can see everything in me too when I perform. I don't like to be aware that I'm doing a concert. That is when it's at its best – when I'm in the music. Like when George was at his best on the pitch, he was in the moment. He was in another dimension at that point to the other players.

"There is that famous moment against Chelsea in the League Cup at Old Trafford in 1970 in the mud when everyone has a go at chopping him down, but his balance, his movement, his 'bendability', he is like a slalom skier, and his genius carries him through to score before the Stretford End. And he drops to his knees before the crowd in joy. You're looking for that in music too. You want to feel that in your music – how George felt at that moment. He was the first superstar of football. But at that time it was difficult to get him any protection for his genius."

SHAUN RYDER (August 2000 issue)

"I've supported United since I was a kid. I was born a fan. I used to go to games. My older cousin or whatever took me or, now and then, my dad. I've got a top picture of me from about 1969 with my George Best kit on and a George Best haircut.

"He used to have that boutique on Bridge Street and when I was about 10, we had to catch a bus home right outside his shop. We always looked in the window to see what clothes he'd got in. He was the dude. He had the coolest haircut, the best clothes, top side-parting, top beard."

JOHN COOPER CLARKE (June 2009 issue)

"[On the Munich Air Disaster] I was absolutely gutted. I read about it in the morning paper before I went to school. I went to a Catholic school in Salford and it was totally in mourning. All the kids, even the teachers. It was a sad day. They were just kids. It's amazing anybody survived. The Busby Babes made a big impression on me, with the United Calypso. 'Oh Manchester, Manchester United – a bunch of bouncing Busby Babes...' We had songs about our team from all over the world. It was very sad."

LIAM FRAY (July 2010 issue)

"[On being a United ballboy] I think I was about 14. It was the season after we won the Treble, so 1999/2000. First game, it was against Sheffield Wednesday, we had to walk around the pitch. I was one of the tallest ballboys, so this other lad and me had to carry this huge flag. But by the time I got in front of the North Stand I dropped it, didn't I? It was like 25,000 on your first game in your face! I felt like, 'What an idiot!' I was only a ballboy for that one season – they replaced you each year for new blood! It was such a great experience. It was surreal at times walking around the corridors in our United tracksuits for Champions League games, seeing the likes of Beckham, Cole, Yorke and Sheringham – who was really nice – and getting Roberto Carlos's autograph. Paul Scholes went to the same school as me so I was asking him about his old teachers – it was pretty funny. I remember Mark Bosnich, he wasn't playing but came into our dressing room and said, 'Any biccies lads?'"

TIM BURGESS (April 2009 issue)

"Brian McClair is a big Charlatans fan. I discovered this by reading Choccy's Diary in an issue of Inside United a few years ago! In it he mentioned that he had put the CD of our album Tellin' Stories on to listen to in the car stereo and I thought, 'Wow!' So we got in contact with him and asked him if he wanted to come to any of our gigs. We were backstage after one gig and I was halfway through talking to my dad when Brian McClair walked into our backstage area. My dad just completely blanked me and walked straight over to talk to Choccy! He has been to about three or four gigs since. I met a few players when I went to the opening of the Red Cafe a few years ago – Scholesy, Giggsy, I think I met Beckham and Andy Cole. I also got Dwight Yorke's autograph at the back of a plane once – although I don't think that he was too happy to give it to me!"

This article was taken from the first edition of our relaunched United Magazine – buy yours here!