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"I was sat here before you were born!"
Michael Carney's homemade placard aimed at Manchester United's hierarchy during Sunday's derby was blunt, impactful and certainly eye-catching.
"74 years of loyal support - for what?" was written on the other side.
Carney, 81, held his sign towards the Old Trafford directors' box midway through the second-half of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Manchester City.
At the end of the match, hundreds of United supporters made their feelings known about next season's ticket price rises, the cutting of concessions and the amount of money paid to service United's £1bn debt, with a wider 'sit-in' protest arranged by the 1958 fan group.
For Carney and those who sit around him in the lower section of the Sir Bobby Charlton stand, the issue is more personal.
At the bottom of their season ticket renewal letter this year, there was a note from the club.
"We have identified a small number of general admission tickets directly adjacent to the home and away dugouts that will be converted to hospitality seats this summer.
"This reflects the high value of this unique location and will help to raise hospitality revenue to keep general admission Season Ticket prices lower. Your current seat is included within this block, and we will therefore need to find you an alternative seat for next season."
Carney has been sitting in the same seat since 1980. Before that, he was in what used to be known as the 'United Road', which is now the Sir Alex Ferguson stand.
Speaking to BBC Sport at his home in Northwich, 25 miles from Old Trafford, Carney reeled off the players he had seen in the flesh: the Busby Babes, the Holy Trinity of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, the 1980s team of Bryan Robson, the end of the 26-year wait for a league title in 1993, two Doubles, the 1999 Treble and Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League-winning side.
Carney has kept newspapers from the day of the Munich air disaster, of Best's phenomenal performance against Benfica in Lisbon in 1966 and the famous 3-3 with Real Madrid two years later on the way to winning the European Cup for the first time.
Michael Carney at home in Cheshire with the banner he took to Old Trafford [BBC Sport]
United is his life. Now he feels they are turning their back on him.
"It is very sad after all these years," he said. "They could put you anywhere and I don't think you will be able to argue much. If you don't like it, clear off."
It is not just at Manchester United where 'legacy' fans feel they are being eased out. There is a growing sentiment among some Premier League match-going fans that season ticket numbers are being chipped away at in order to target more lucrative 'tourist' fans or higher-priced hospitality packages.
There were demonstrations at Tottenham on Sunday. Manchester City fans protested and chanted against their club before last Wednesday's victory over Leicester. There have been issues at Chelsea, West Ham and others.
"They are brilliant seats," he said. "Mine is smack on the halfway line, midway between the dug-outs and the directors' box.
"One way of looking at it is that we have been fortunate to be sitting there for all those years - but you get used to it.
"It has been happening on an individual basis for some time now. Before every game, you get an email saying if you can't make the game, let them know and they will give you your money back. If you have not been, the lads around will ask whoever is in the seat how much they paid for it. Very often it would be £250-£300. That is a good way of seeing what they want to do now, taking everyone out en-bloc."
Carney said he had no idea what was coming when the season ticket renewal letter delivered the fateful news.
Knowing a wider demonstration was planned, he decided to make a stand.
"I was going to do it in the second half because I didn't want to risk being sent out [of the stadium by stewards] in the first," he said.
"I was waiting for an injury but it got to 60 minutes and nothing had happened. I just got up and put my poster up. People turned around to face the directors' box. Everyone was applauding. It achieved what I wanted and got a lot attention."
Carney has been told the club will contact him to go through his options, although the call has not happened yet.
He will almost certainly move, but says it won't be the same. Carney travels to and from United games with his disabled grandson and would miss the 'banter' if he stopped going.
"My first reaction was 'I have been watching them for so long and it is all about money, I don't want to go next season'," he said.
"That could still be the case but United has been such big part of my life for all these years."
Manchester United fan Michael Carney saved his copy of the Spanish newspaper AS that previewed the European Cup semi-final second-leg with Real Madrid in 1968 [BBC Sport]
Continue reading...
Michael Carney's homemade placard aimed at Manchester United's hierarchy during Sunday's derby was blunt, impactful and certainly eye-catching.
"74 years of loyal support - for what?" was written on the other side.
Carney, 81, held his sign towards the Old Trafford directors' box midway through the second-half of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Manchester City.
At the end of the match, hundreds of United supporters made their feelings known about next season's ticket price rises, the cutting of concessions and the amount of money paid to service United's £1bn debt, with a wider 'sit-in' protest arranged by the 1958 fan group.
For Carney and those who sit around him in the lower section of the Sir Bobby Charlton stand, the issue is more personal.
At the bottom of their season ticket renewal letter this year, there was a note from the club.
"We have identified a small number of general admission tickets directly adjacent to the home and away dugouts that will be converted to hospitality seats this summer.
"This reflects the high value of this unique location and will help to raise hospitality revenue to keep general admission Season Ticket prices lower. Your current seat is included within this block, and we will therefore need to find you an alternative seat for next season."
Carney has been sitting in the same seat since 1980. Before that, he was in what used to be known as the 'United Road', which is now the Sir Alex Ferguson stand.
Speaking to BBC Sport at his home in Northwich, 25 miles from Old Trafford, Carney reeled off the players he had seen in the flesh: the Busby Babes, the Holy Trinity of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, the 1980s team of Bryan Robson, the end of the 26-year wait for a league title in 1993, two Doubles, the 1999 Treble and Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League-winning side.
Carney has kept newspapers from the day of the Munich air disaster, of Best's phenomenal performance against Benfica in Lisbon in 1966 and the famous 3-3 with Real Madrid two years later on the way to winning the European Cup for the first time.
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Michael Carney at home in Cheshire with the banner he took to Old Trafford [BBC Sport]
United is his life. Now he feels they are turning their back on him.
"It is very sad after all these years," he said. "They could put you anywhere and I don't think you will be able to argue much. If you don't like it, clear off."
It is not just at Manchester United where 'legacy' fans feel they are being eased out. There is a growing sentiment among some Premier League match-going fans that season ticket numbers are being chipped away at in order to target more lucrative 'tourist' fans or higher-priced hospitality packages.
There were demonstrations at Tottenham on Sunday. Manchester City fans protested and chanted against their club before last Wednesday's victory over Leicester. There have been issues at Chelsea, West Ham and others.
"They are brilliant seats," he said. "Mine is smack on the halfway line, midway between the dug-outs and the directors' box.
"One way of looking at it is that we have been fortunate to be sitting there for all those years - but you get used to it.
"It has been happening on an individual basis for some time now. Before every game, you get an email saying if you can't make the game, let them know and they will give you your money back. If you have not been, the lads around will ask whoever is in the seat how much they paid for it. Very often it would be £250-£300. That is a good way of seeing what they want to do now, taking everyone out en-bloc."
Man Utd fan protests - read more
Carney said he had no idea what was coming when the season ticket renewal letter delivered the fateful news.
Knowing a wider demonstration was planned, he decided to make a stand.
"I was going to do it in the second half because I didn't want to risk being sent out [of the stadium by stewards] in the first," he said.
"I was waiting for an injury but it got to 60 minutes and nothing had happened. I just got up and put my poster up. People turned around to face the directors' box. Everyone was applauding. It achieved what I wanted and got a lot attention."
Carney has been told the club will contact him to go through his options, although the call has not happened yet.
He will almost certainly move, but says it won't be the same. Carney travels to and from United games with his disabled grandson and would miss the 'banter' if he stopped going.
"My first reaction was 'I have been watching them for so long and it is all about money, I don't want to go next season'," he said.
"That could still be the case but United has been such big part of my life for all these years."
You must be registered for see images attach
Manchester United fan Michael Carney saved his copy of the Spanish newspaper AS that previewed the European Cup semi-final second-leg with Real Madrid in 1968 [BBC Sport]
You must be registered for see images
Continue reading...
