Legendary United fan Kevin Peek passes away

Born in Eccles, Kev had been attending games both at Old Trafford and on the road since the 1972/73 season – a time when provisions were pitifully lacking for disabled supporters.

 

But Peek, who suffered from brittle bone disease, refused to let anything sway him from following his beloved team.

 

His death, at the age of 66, means there is now a massive hole in the United fanbase.

When United Review, our matchday programme, interviewed Kev back in 2019, he spoke vividly of his passion for the club, which really intensified when he was seduced by the wing play of Gordon Hill and Steve Coppell in the 1970s.

 

His first major memory was the 1977 FA Cup final, which brought him not only a huge amount of joy but also a blunt indication of the progress that the sport needed to make to accommodate disabled people.

 

“I got a real buzz, from the atmosphere, from winning the game,” he said. “A flying half-sized whisky bottle narrowly missed my head, but I loved it. I went crazy over winning that cup.”

Kev went on to recall having coins thrown at him at Vicarage Road, and being stationed in the wheelchair section at Anfield, which was closer to the Kop than the United end. If the weather was bad, he would often suffer due to being placed in exposed areas of grounds.

There was also the risk of being hit by the ball, which could have potentially caused serious damage to his bones. But he always returned.

“When I look back, it’s been great,” he smiled, when United Review asked him about his decades following the team.

Only a handful of disabled fans made the trip to Barcelona for the 1999 Champions League final and, although the trip was plagued with difficulties, Kev remembered a moment that summed up the glory of football to him.

 

“There was this guy in front of me, with a walking stick,” he began.

“He must have been 80, 85, if not older. I remember him coming into the ground, shuffling in, looking quite frail. But when we scored the goal for 1-1, you’d have thought he was 21. He flew, this guy – I thought he was Mary Poppins!

“You can’t really explain it properly. It was unbelievable. It showed you what football can do to you.”

“I became disabled in my mid-40s and I got a pass from Lyn [Laffin, then Sir Alex Ferguson's secretary] to go and see a game to cheer me up. I was still in rehab then. 

 

“We saw 'Little Kev' after the game being wheeled up to the car, expecting him to be put in. The next thing we know, he comes around to the driving seat, gets in, and drives off! That was quite inspiring, you know? It was a sign of what you could do.

 

“He had his own business [as a cafe owner]. He was a smart lad and certainly knew his football. He was totally committed. I don't think there's anyone on this planet who's seen more United matches than him. There can't be! I don't think he missed a game for 17 or 18 years – maybe the odd one. But basically he was just always there. He was part of the furniture.

“Kev had some great stories and Sir Alex [Ferguson], the boss, used to tell great stories about him turning up in all kinds of places where there weren't disabled sections. He'd end up talking to Kev in the middle of games! But Kev was 66 and that's a hell of an innings for somebody with brittle bone disease.

 

“Everybody knew 'Little Kev' – that's how he was always known. He was incredible. Everybody just accepted him as one of the lads. United was his life, you know? Following them around was what kept him going. That was his driving force. 

 

“And it's not just him. For a lot of disabled people, it's all they have in their life. That's why it's so important that United have done what they have done over the years for our disabled fans. You won't find a club anywhere in the world that does more and they really have treated us well. There are so many disabled people who their whole life is wrapped around United. Kev spent his whole life doing that.”

 

The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with Kevin's family and loved ones at this time, especially his many friends within our match-going fanbase.