Before Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United kicked off the 2025/26 season against Arsenal at Old Trafford, some members of the supporters’ club got to step onto the pitch and speak to the two former players.
‘It was very well organised and a most enjoyable experience, said supporters’ club secretary Harry Dick-Cleland.
‘We were able to talk to Bryan Robson and Denis Irwin.
‘I asked Robbo what the culture was like at Manchester United now and our prospects for the season.’
The club previously celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015 the same way.
On both occasions the supporters’ club was presented with framed signed shirts to recognise the occasion and the hours spent travelling to go over to Manchester to watch the team.
The club was formed in 1985 by Paul Robilliard – who is still involved and attended the 40th celebration – and the late Eddie Martel, and has been promoting United in the island ever since.
When the supporters’ club first started, like-minded fans would travel over on annual trips to Old Trafford for up to 60 members.
‘Eddie would contact a hotel and he would contact Aurigny and he would ask them if we could have a special fare,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
‘We’d have a booking of 50 or 60 and fly on a certain aeroplane. That happened for a long time. We would all stay at the same hotel too.’
Today the club has about 550 members, and while it does not organise trips and gatherings like it once did, the supporters’ club has 13 season tickets that it distributes to its members.
‘They are used more or less every game,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
‘We’ve probably got about 15 or more people who have a season ticket in their own right.
‘They go to a surprising amount of games.
‘One of our members, Beryl Peel, is 87, and her first fixture was at the age of 17. She was at the Arsenal game and went to the Sheffield Wednesday game after the air crash.
‘You can watch a lot more games on the TV now, but you still can’t beat the uniqueness of the whole experience of going to a match.
‘I don’t think much has changed in that respect, our membership has even grown.’
The club is now one of the few Premier League supporters’ clubs that remain in Guernsey.
Locally it still holds events as and when United reach a cup final.
‘They tend to be at Northerners football club – our last one was for the Europa League final last season,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
Over the years the club has been able to bring former Manchester United players to the island, but a visit that will be up there as a favourite for many of the supporters’ members will be when Sir Alex Ferguson visited in 2001.
In 2001 the then United boss came over to the island on 6 February – a poignant day for the club, being the anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster – for a formal dinner at the OGH with more than 250 people.
‘That was fantastic, just being with him you could see what an incredible knowledge of football he had and it makes you realise how good he was,’ recalled Mr Dick-Cleland.
After the meal and a speech about the significance of the day and the tragic events that had happened on that day 43 years previously, Sir Alex spent some time speaking to guests and signing autographs.
‘He said he didn’t want to be disturbed during the meal to sign things, but after he asked the hotel to set up a table, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves and gave all of the people there his time,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
The last ‘current player visit’ was in 1995 when Steve Bruce and Lee Sharpe came over.
The two former United stars shared stories on how they had to quickly go into a shop on St Peter Port’s High Street to get away from a large group of fans who had spotted them and said it was like being the Pied Piper.
‘Everyone recognised them and started to follow them,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
‘There were so many following they had to jump into a store to find an escape route.
‘They were shown out the back to escape but they found it very funny.’
They were guests at a 250-person meal at the St Pierre Park followed by a Q&A session.
Since then there have been no current players visit the island as it would be difficult for them to get over with their schedules if there were any travel delays.
‘You can still get former players over though,’ said Mr Dick-Cleland.
‘We are hoping we can get Robson and Irwin to come over to Guernsey.’
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