Why is an Everton fan on UTD Podcast?
We reckon that the latest UTD Podcast episode is a first in our long-running series.
Since autumn 2019, when the pod was launched, we’ve interviewed hundreds of people and, up until now, they’ve all had some sort of connection with Manchester United.
Whether it’s current players like Bruno Fernandes or Diogo Dalot, United legends such as Bryan Robson or Wayne Rooney, or even staff members and supporters, our shows have always been centred around at least one Red.
That is until now.
Manchester's Mayor: United's future is bright
podcastThis week Sam, Helen and Maysie are moving into politics. They were invited to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to speak to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham! Andy is a huge football fan and an ambassador for the city of Manchester. Although he is an Everton fan, we talk about how his day job is heavily influenced by Manchester United and we explore his relationship with the club. Did you know that Andy's father attended the first game at Old Trafford after the Munich air disaster? And do you remember when Andy visited Vatican City to gift Pope Francis a Lisandro Martinez shirt? We also use this opportunity to preview the upcoming Everton match at Old Trafford, plus Maysie tells us what he would do if he was ever the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Could this be the start of a new career? If you'd like to write to the only official Manchester United Podcast, please email utdpodcast@manutd.co.uk.
Labour politician Andy Burnham actually hails from Liverpool and is a dyed-in-the-wool follower of Everton, the club who – fittingly enough – are United’s next opposition, at Old Trafford on Saturday.
So, why is Andy appearing on our club podcast, you might ask? Well, as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he’s a de facto ambassador for the city’s football teams, who have a major impact on his day-to-day job.
He’s represented our interests both at a local and international level, meeting the Pope as well as our new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, among others, through his role.
So, we think this podcast could be of huge interest – even if Andy will have his fingers crossed for a Toffees win at the weekend.
Watch and listen to the 40-minute chat above to find out more, or scroll down for five of the most interesting quotes from the conversation with usual hosts Helen Evans, Sam Homewood and David May…
DISCUSSIONS WITH SIR JIM
“I’m actually really optimistic actually about where the club’s going, with Sir Jim coming in and the kind of early discussions we’ve had about how we may be able to support in terms of the regeneration around Old Trafford. So you know we’re hopefully moving into a really positive phase where things improve on the pitch. Change in a good way happens around the ground. This is going to be a good phase we’re going into for Manchester United.”
Watch Andy Burnham's UTD Podcast in full
Mayor Andy Burnham is an Evertonian but tells tales of Munich, the 1985 Cup final and handing Licha's shirt to the Pope…
UNITED ARE THE BIGGEST CLUB AROUND
“People mention City but it is Manchester United. I think any football supporter would recognise this is the biggest football name in the world, I would say. As mayor, I am acutely conscious of that all the time and I like the fact that people talk about the club. What was built after 1958 and the story that was Manchester United through the 1960s, it’s just an incredible story that captivated the world, I think. People still kind of connect to that and everything that happened and the way that team played.”
CONNECTION WITH MUNICH
“I was born in Aintree in Liverpool, I cannot deny that. But when I was one [year old], my dad got a job in Manchester city centre, so we as a family moved over this way. I spent my youth really in the Manchester area. The family has always had that connection and I was really privileged last year to go out with the club to the 65th commemoration of the Munich Air Disaster, and I related the fact that my dad - who was training in the old Post Office in Manchester at the time - did attend the first game at Old Trafford after the disaster.”
Task force created for Old Trafford regeneration
ArticleLocal leaders and national experts will examine how stadium development can benefit the wider area.
REDS AND TOFFEES CLOSELY LINKED
“I don’t want to overplay this, but there always has been something of an affinity between Everton and Manchester United. I remember, it was the occasion of the passing of Sir Matt Busby, and it was remarkable how Everton fans immaculately observed the minute’s silence at that point. There have been big connections between the clubs in terms of players. There’s a lot of history with Everton and Manchester United that’s bound up together.”
The Pope presented with a Martinez shirt
ArticlePope Francis, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known to be a keen football fan and an admirer of Lisandro.
AN AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE
“We were invited to go and present in the Vatican on issues to do with climate change and we were having a discussion, we were all saying: well, what’s the gift? And someone said to me, well it’s always a City and United shirt. So the idea was that we’d approach [Julian] Alvarez and [Lisandro] Martinez to see if we could get a shirt from both. As it happens, we got the message back saying that Lisandro would be really keen to do it. Then he got injured around that time, but what came back was not just a shirt, his shirt, but with a personal message on it. It was an amazing gift that he had created, so I felt like I was very much carrying his gift to Pope Francis.”