True Love

Whenever I mention my support for Manchester United, people think that I support them because of their on and of the field success in the past decade. Nothing could be further from the truth!

My dedicated love relation with this historic club started when I was six or seven years old growing up in Ghana.

My dad's Greek team was going through a spell of continuously getting beat by their strongest rivals. Supporting them brought a lot of stick from kids at school so things had to change. I looked outside the borders for a team worthy of my support, but I didn't like the outfits of the teams in the English First Division.

It was then that I asked a friend of mine, who was at the time going to boarding school in the UK, who the champions of the Second Division were.

"Manchester United" he said, and it took me a couple of months reading it of a piece of paper to memorise it and be able to recite it myself.

Three years later, I watched them live on television beat their bitter rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup final. It was the the concrete set on the foundation of my love for this club.

I wrote a letter to them, asking how I can get some memorabilia and a book of their history and, lo and behold, two weeks later I got a letter back from them. I was ecstatic, that a club of their stature would actually reply to a letter of a nine year old kid!

I smashed my clay piggy bank to smithereens - my dad offered his kind donation - and I ordered all the memorabilia I wanted, including the book.

I learned about the championships, the Cups, the Medals, the honours, the records and, above all, their strength and resolve in the face of disaster when more that half of the team died in the Munich air disaster of '57.

I was a ManU fan through and through!

I listened to the broadcast of their matches on BBC world, watched them on TV, and went to Old Trafford to watch them almost every home game during my studies in Manchester, becoming a club member back in 1987.

Looking back, it's been a love affair that has taken me from the highest depths of despair and sadness to the greatest heights of elation, thrill and excitement.

A love affair that will only end the day I close my eyes!

The Day A Legend Was Born

Born on the 26th May 1909, Sir Matt Busby became a legendary figure as manager of Manchester United.

Starting his footballing career with Manchester City, he moved to Liverpool in 1936, and soon became their captain.

He became Manchester United's manager in October 1946. He built a team of young players like Bobby Charlton, Duncan Edwards, David Pegg, Eddie Coleman, Tommy Taylor and Liam Whelan, who became known with the nickname "Busby Babes".

They won the Division 1 title in: 1952, 1956 and 1957, while being runners-up in: '47, '48, '49, '51. They also won the FA Cup in: '48 and were runners-up in: '57 and '58.

It was a team he would rebuild after the Munich air disaster, on February 6th 1958, where seven United players died, in the crash of British European Airways Flight 609 after the third take off attempt. The team were returning to Manchester following a 3-3 draw away to Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup (one of Sir Matt's fascinations).

He brought further success to the club during the 1960's bringing in players like Dennis Law and George Best.

The new team won the League in: '65 and '67, and were runners-up in: '59, '64 and '68. The FA Cup was won in: '63, but the most important moment in Busby's career came in 1968 when Manchester United became the first English team to win the European Cup demolishing Benfica 4-1 at Wembley.

He retired in 1969, but returned as manager for one season in 1970-71.

He stayed on as a club director up to 1982, when he became Manchester United's president.

He became a CBE in 1958, and was given the Knighthood in 1968.

He died of cancer in January 1994 at the age of 84, but will always remain in the hearts of all football loving fans!

Sir Matt Busby 1909 - 1994