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MufcDailyNews Tue Jul 13 1999

This Issue:
1. No resisting the invincible Red army 
2. Young guns are up to the job:
3. BECKS GOES CHINESE
4. Ferguson and Co race on to new turf 

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++


Mark Bosnich's Personal Details 
http://www.red11.org/mufc/bosnich.htm

***

 Its the presentation of the European Cup at Nou Camp
 Video including sound   57secs  1.5 meg  Real Video  Use Real Player Plus G2
 Free at www.real.com
 http://www.real.com/R/HPplay-1R/www.real.com/products/playerplus/index.html?src=990611home_5

***

Latest MUFC Squad song is now available in stereo at www.red11.org
Stereo Sound: REAL AUDIO:  607k 4mins "stereo"
   http://www.red11.org/mufc/sound/99/lift_it_high.rm  
 MP3  4.6meg  4mins "stereo"
   http://www.red11.org/mufc/sound/mp3/lift_it_high.mp3  

***

MANCHESTER UNITED STATS v ALL teams on the Web
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------
 NEXT MATCHES
---------------------------------------------------------------

01-AUG-1999 [15:00] Manchester Utd. vs Arsenal  (FA Charity Shield, AWAY)
08-AUG-1999 [16:00] Manchester Utd. vs Everton  (FA Premier League, AWAY)
11-AUG-1999 [20:00] Manchester Utd. vs Sheffield W  (FA Premier League, HOME)
14-AUG-1999 [15:00] Manchester Utd. vs Leeds U  (FA Premier League, HOME)
22-AUG-1999 [16:00] Manchester Utd. vs Arsenal  (FA Premier League, AWAY)

---------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED Stats v All teams:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/

---------------------------------------------------------------

*** FINAL PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 16/05/99 ***

Pos Team   P  W  D  L   F   A   W  D  L   F   A   GD  Pts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1  Manchester United    38 14  4  1  45  18   8  9  2  35  19   43   79
 2  Arsenal              38 14  5  0  34   5   8  7  4  25  12   42   78
 3  Chelsea              38 12  6  1  29  13   8  9  2  28  17   27   75
 4  Leeds United         38 12  5  2  32   9   6  8  5  30  25   28   67



Here are all the matches for the coming season 1999/2000:
ALL FIXTURES at: http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899.htm
 

First Team Fixtures 1999/2000 [All dates/times subject to change]
(Dates of possible cup ties also shown)

Date        Opposition         Score   Pos.   Attend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15/07/99    Melbourne Australia   11.00  pre-season     -
18/07/99    Sydney    Australia   06.00  pre-season     -
21/07/99    Shanghai  Shenhua     12.30  pre-season     -
24/07/99    Hong Kong South China 08.30  pre-season     -

 1/08/99    Arsenal      Wembley Charity Shield         -
 3/08/99    Omagh Town     friendly in aid of Omagh Bomb Fund
 4/08/99    Wigan Athletic friendly at JJB Stadium.

 8/08/99    Everton   away      16.00
11/08/99    Sheffield Wednesday      home PL   20.00
14/08/99    Leeds United             home PL   15.00
22/08/99    Arsenal   away PL   16.00
25/08/99    Coventry City            away PL   20.00
27/08/99    Monaco - Lazio           ESC       19.45
30/08/99    Newcastle United         home PL   13.00
11/09/99    Liverpool away PL   11.30
15/09/99    ?     EC
18/09/99    Wimbledon home PL   15.00
22/09/99    ?     EC
25/09/99    Southampton              home PL   15.00
29/09/99    ?     EC
 3/10/99    Chelsea   away PL   16.00
*11/10/99   Sir Alex Ferguson's testimonial OT [Schmeichel]
13/10/99    ?     WC 3
16/10/99    Watford   home PL   15.00
20/10/99    ?     EC
23/10/99    Tottenham Hotspur        away PL   15.00
27/10/99    ?     EC
30/10/99    Aston Villa              home PL   15.00
 3/11/99    ?     EC
 6/11/99    Leicester City           home PL   15.00
20/11/99    Derby County             away PL   15.00
24/11/99    ?     EC
27/11/99    Sheffield Wednesday      away PL   15.00
30/11/99    Tokyo  Palmeiras         WCC       20.00
 1/12/99    ?     WC 4
 4/12/99    Everton   home PL   15.00
 8/12/99    ?     EC
11/12/99    FAC 3 Will not enter ...
15/12/99    ?     WC 5
18/12/99    West Ham United          away PL   15.00
26/12/99    Bradford City            home PL   15.00
28/12/99    Sunderlandaway PL   20.00
 3/01/2000  Middlesborough           home PL   20.00

 ***** 5-14 /01/2000 Brazil WTC  *****   [3-4 games]

*  8/01/2000  FAC 4 Will not enter ...
12/01/2000  ?    WC sf i
15/01/2000  Leeds United             away PL   15.00
22/01/2000  Arsenal   home PL   15.00
26/01/2000  ?    WC sf ii
* 29/01/2000  FAC 5 Will not enter ...
 5/02/2000  Coventry City            home PL   15.00
12/02/2000  Newcastle United         away PL   15.00
* 19/02/2000  FAC 6 Will not enter ...
26/02/2000  Wimbledon away PL   15.00
27/02/2000  ?   Wembley WC f
 1/03/2000  ?   EC
 4/03/2000  Liverpool home PL   15.00
 8/03/2000  ?   EC
11/03/2000  Derby County             home PL   15.00
15/03/2000  ?   EC
18/03/2000  Leicester City           away PL   15.00
22/03/2000  ?   EC
25/03/2000  Bradford City            away PL   15.00
 1/04/2000  West Ham United          home PL   15.00
 5/04/2000  ?   EC qf i
 8/04/2000  Middlesborough           away PL   15.00
*  9/04/2000  FAC sf Will not enter ...
15/04/2000  Sunderlandhome PL   15.00
19/04/2000  ?   EC qf ii
22/04/2000  Southampton              away PL   15.00
24/04/2000  Chelsea   home PL   15.00
29/04/2000  West Ham United          away PL   15.00
 3/05/2000  ?   EC sf i
 6/05/2000  Tottenham Hotspur        home PL   15.00
10/05/2000  ?   EC sf ii
14/05/2000  Aston Villa              away PL   15.00
* 20/05/2000 Wembley FAC f Will not enter ...
24/05/2000  ?    EC f

http://www.red11.org/mufc/match.htm



*****************************************
*   Pre season tour details JULY 1999   *
*****************************************

** Friendly at Salford City **
Salford City, the North Western Trains League club, are to play a friendly
against a side from their "big brother" neighbours Manchester United, at
their Moor Lane ground (in Kersal) on Saturday July 17th at 3pm.

Melbourne  Sydney  
Thu 15/7 MAN. UNITED V SOCCEROOS evening in Melbourne 
    at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground- capacity 90,000.) kick off 20.00hrs.
- Melbourne Cricket Ground 5 minutes from the city. Good transport available
 Tickets available - starts from $60.00 - behind the goal -next up is $90.00,
   $130.00 and $150.00

Sun 18/7 MAN. UNITED V SOCCEROOS STADIUM AUSTRALIA, Olympic Boulevard,
    Homebush Bay, Sydney  NEW SOUTH WALES  15.00 local time 
     Tickets for Sydney game try here:
 http://www.ticketek.com.au/frame.asp?url=search/search.asp
   then type MANCHESTER in the search field.

   + Far East

Wed 21/7 Shangai first time ever!!!
 This match will be watched by 80,000 fans 
  The game has sold out with the Shanghai Star reporting the home side's
  chairman Yu Zhifei as saying: ''It is unprecedented that the tickets
  should sell out for a match five weeks in advance." 

Sat 24/7 Hong Kong  Repeat of the 1997 game
 "ALL matches will be shown "the same day" om MUTV.

-------------------------------------

 THE FANTASTIC TRIPLE WAS WON!!
Personal stories here: http://www.red11.org/mufc/barcelona.htm

We went to Barcelona in a fine day in May
And all our supporters sang loudly & gay
And when it was over and all said and done
We beat Bayern Munich  by 2 goals to 1

The first one was Teddy's he out foxed the rest
The second was Solskjear's he's simply the best
We could have had 4 or we could have had 9
But we didn't start playing till injury time
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
              No resisting the invincible Red army 
By CORRIE PERKIN 

Glory, glory, Man United,
Glory, glory, Man United,
Glory, glory, Man United,
And the Reds go marching on, on, on. 

Next Thursday evening it's bound to be cold. The dew
will have settled on the MCG turf (sorry, pitch). Your
nose will run, your hands will feel like two small
Iceblocks.

Ah, but your heart will be on fire! This is football. Real
football. Wrap that red and white Manchester United
scarf around your neck and pretend you're at Old
Trafford on a mid-winter day.

Hang on! You traitor! There you were last weekend,
sitting up there in the members, a vacuum flask by your
feet, cheering ``Go Dees!'' And here you are, just five
days later, on the soccer bandwagon ...

The defence, your honor, is this: This week the greatest
sporting club in the world, Manchester United, comes to
town to play an exhibition match against the Socceroos.
David Beckham's not here, but most of the men who
won the treble are. What's a girl to do? Stay at home and
watch The Footy Show? When there's a better show at
the 'G?

``For soccer fans, and for sports fans in general, this is a
do-not-miss situation,'' sports commentator and
Collingwood legend Peter Daicos explained. ``You don't
often get a side like Manchester coming to town.''

Daicos is a passionate United fan who has never seen his
team play live. Tragically, Optus has asked him to work
that night. ``I was shattered, but unfortunately job
commitments come first. Unless I take a sickie and sneak
into the ground in a Groucho mask ...''

Soccer has never been a big spectator sport in
Melbourne. From an early age, our children are
indoctrinated in the ways of Aussie rules, adopt a team
and begin a life's love affair.

The AFL has nothing to worry about, does it? Thursday's
match is just a one-off and thus, we are allowed this
temporary lapse. Aren't we?

``A one-off exhibition match is really not of any concern
to us,'' Tony Peek, AFL corporate affairs and
communications manager, said last week. ``Of course,
our biggest challenge is in the development area - to keep
ensuring that we win our share of young kids playing the
sport.''

And therein lies the big fear - that the hype as
Manchester United Inc rolls into town will seduce our
children. They'll want to play junior soccer. They'll
badger parents to subscribe to Foxtel. Their pocket
money will be spent on Manchester United shirts instead
of Essendon or Collingwood ones. And when the
talented ones grow up, they'll choose soccer instead of
Aussie rules because it's international, it's glamorous, and,
if you make it to the top you can earn five or 10 times
more than an AFL player.

The team is the key to the financial success of this week's
exhibition matches in Melbourne and Sydney.
Manchester United is the hottest sports team in the
world, and that's why so many will brave the cold and the
pricey tickets.

``Man United is like the Collingwood of English soccer,''
says Kieren Dunleavy of Manchester United's Victorian
supporters branch. ``It's because they're popular, and it's
because they're hated. You either support them or you
hate them. There's no in the middle.''

Married and in his 30s, Dunleavy has supported United
since 1968 when it won the European Cup. Dunleavy
was born in England and spent his early years there, and
although he is now an Australian (and a member of the St
Kilda Football Club), his passion for the Reds runs deep.

There are 600 Victorian members of the Manchester
United supporters club and 500 in NSW. Fifty per cent
of the members are British or have lived in Britain, 20 per
cent are Australians, and the rest are from European
countries, including Malta, an island which has given its
soul to one English club.

On the second Wednesday of the month they gather at
the North Melbourne social club for a drink and a chat
and a video of a recent United game. Theirs is just one of
200 supporter clubs around the world. When there's a
big game on, they'll head to the Charles Dickens hotel in
the City or Crown casino to watch it on the giant screen.

One night, a group was so keen to catch the Reds' game
that someone rang his brother in London, who placed the
receiver near the television. Back in Australia, the game
was broadcast over speaker phone.

``It was great,'' recalled Dunleavy. ``At half-time we hung
up, made ourselves a cup of tea, then rang back and
listened to the second half. It was $1 a minute, so it
wasn't too expensive by the time we'd split the bill
between us.''

Is it possible to love a soccer team and an Aussie rules
team? Isn't it like having two wives? ``Oh no, it's easy to
follow both,'' said Dunleavy. ``One happens on the other
side of the world in the middle of the night, and the other
is being played here on the weekends.''

Some soccer purists will tell you Thursday's match is not
an ideal showcase for the game.

``It's a meaningless match,'' one English friend explained.
(He withheld his name for fear of reprisal.) ``An
exhibition match in soccer just isn't very good because it
isn't competitive. Also, Manchester United is at the start
of its pre-season training, so no one will want to get
injured.''

But isn't this a terrific opportunity to show your
seven-year-old son what good soccer is all about? He
agreed, and added he was, in fact, taking Jack (the son)
on Thursday. ``The good thing is, it will give Australian
soccer fans a chance to see one of the great sporting
teams. United make Collingwood look like an amateur
team playing on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.''

After their two matches against the Socceroos, United
moves on to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Sadly for local
fans, the team will be without midfielder Beckham, whose
honeymoon coincides with the tour, and Paul Scholes,
whose wife is expecting their first child.

Questions have also been raised about some
non-appearances in the Socceroos' side as some key
players have been refused permission by their European
clubs to return home. Few coaches, British ones in
particular, would appreciate their Aussie recruits taking
time off to provide United with some healthy pre-season
match practice.

Australian soccer officials, however, are thrilled and say
United's two-match tour will help spread the soccer
message.

``We are talking about the most successful and the
biggest club in the world, and we are confident they are
bringing what is closest to their number-one side,'' said
Peter Thorpe of the NSW Soccer Federation. ``I think
Australians would go to a marble-throwing competition if
they were offered the best sides. It is an affinity we have
with seeing champions.''

Although Australian soccer teams do not attract big
crowds, it is a popular game to play. Its current
participation figure of 440,000 people compares
favorably with the AFL's figures, which show Aussie
rules' participants increased from 349,000 in 1990 to
426,000 in 1998.

Peter Thorpe believes a soccer invasion is inevitable. It's
the most popular sport on the planet, he argues. Also, an
increasing number of parents - particularly in the rugby
league states - prefer their children to play soccer
because it is perceived as safer. Soccer is also a sport
women can play to Olympic and World Cup level.

``Soccer is played in other countries where there are
national games with their own distinct characteristics,''
said Age soccer writer Michael Lynch. ``There's no
reason why the two can't co-exist and why someone
can't barrack for Manchester United and Collingwood at
the same time.''

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Young guns are up to the job:
Blanco 

By MICHAEL LYNCH 

Socceroo coach Raul Blanco yesterday slammed critics
of his youth-dominated squad for the clash against
Manchester United, declaring he had full confidence in
the Olyroo players' ability to ``do a job'' against one of
the world's most glamorous club sides.

And he warned that in future Soccer Australia would play
it tough with European clubs that refused to let Australian
internationals fly home to play for the Socceroos. Soccer
Australia would invoke whatever FIFA clauses it could
to get players together, he said.

``We cannot continue trying to get international games
and not being able to pick what we consider to be the
best team,'' Blanco said. ``It's been going on for a very
long time. The players all did want to come back. But we
face this incredible attitude from the clubs overseas.

``The national team needs to play, and we have been
absolutely reasonable with everyone concerned. The time
will come when we have to go and not pull back, just
apply and get whatever rules we can.''

This time, he said, ``we had to choose the next group of
players. We have a lot of very talented young players,
and we must not be disrespectful to them.

``We are talking about a lot of good quality players from
the Olympic team. They are going to be put in for one of
the greatest days of their life and you can't get any bigger
than this. I feel confident that they will be able to do the
job well.''

Nevertheless, the reality is that Australia will kick off in
Thursday's match at the MCG without nine members of
the starting lineup that defeated the World All-Stars side
barely a month ago - a task ``that would not be easy for
any country or team''.

The boots worn by players such as Mark Viduka, Harry
Kewell, Ned Zelic and Paul Okon are big ones to fill,
but, said Blanco, ``because we had Olympic players in
camp and playing matches, I had it in the back of my
mind that should some players not turn up I would
choose Olympic players. I think they are good enough to
do the job.''

Another reason that some established Ericsson Cup stars
missed out on being called up was that there were no
guarantees of their fitness, given that the national league
final took place at the end of May.

``To play two games in 72 hours (the second match
against United is on Sunday at Sydney's Homebush
stadium) you need good fitness. The league finished six
weeks ago, and some players finished even earlier. For
some players this task would have been beyond their
fitness levels.''

Blanco said after the Socceroos' first training session in
Melbourne yesterday that experienced players such as
Aurelio Vidmar, Alex Tobin, West Ham wing-back Stan
Lazaridis and Manchester City's Danny Tiatto would
form the core of Thursday night's side.

Tiatto, a former Melbourne Knights player who was
called up as a replacement while on holiday in Australia,
said Manchester City manager Joe Royle had given him
the go-ahead to miss the start of pre-season training.

``I missed being out of the national team,'' Tiatto said.
``As soon as Raul gave me a call there was no hesitation
in staying back to play these games.''

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
BECKS GOES CHINESE
Monday, July 12, 1999 09:01

David Beckham will not travel to Australia with the
squad for the pre-season tour, but may join up with
them in China. "David is not going to Australia. He is
coming back for training next week at The Cliff," said
United spokesman Ken Ramsden.

The club dietician has examined Beckham after his
honeymoon and decided that it is too late to start
incorporating Vegemite, Raw Prawns and VB into his
diet. Instead he and his wife will be encouraged to
feast on Noodles, Crispy Duck and Sweet and Sour
Pork to prepare for the demands of the coming
campaign. The gifted midfielder is believed to be
'drained' after the excursions of his demanding honeymoon.

Ramsden added "Subject to him coming through a successful
week of pre-season training, then he will join up with the team
in the second part of the tour in Shanghai. We don't expect
any problems but if he is injured, he won't come."

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Ferguson and Co race on to new turf

Manchester United's unrelenting quest for world domination, which
takes them to Australia this morning, and notoriously to Brazil
in January, took Sir Alex Ferguson and his trusted brand of
players/product to Haydock Park racecourse yesterday.

Apparently not content with annexing a significant chunk of
European and domestic football's silverware, the Old Trafford's
hierarchy now seems set on scooping some of the gold cups
and silver salvers horse racing has to offer.

With Ferguson, predictably, their entrance into the market is
serious, as the foundation of the Manchester United Racing 
Club indicates. Yesterday was all about the launch of the club
and, with the aim being to recruit a minimum of 2,000 members
each paying £250 so that six horses can be bought in the 
autumn's yearling sales, the United players (minus D Beckham)
were present to entice new members.

That £250 might sound like an exhorbitant sum to pay basically
to rub shoulders briefly with Ferguson and Co, but it is a measure
of United's pulling power that more than 10,000 punters followed
Stretford's Pied Piper to this sun-spangled corner of old Lancashire.

They were drawn by the Tony Adams in Europe Stakes (Donkeys)
and the McDonalds McNuggets Manchester United Players
Handicap Stakes, the latter featuring horses "owned for a day" by
United players. More Bucks, owned by Roy Keane, won by a big
head at 16-1. Unfortunately for Ferguson, "his horse", FA Cup,
was a non-runner, after refusing to come under starters orders.
Teddy Sheringham was no luckier when his animal, Starting Place, 
came last. Jordi Cruyff watched Pontins League lead for most of the 
race before pulling up lame, and new recruit Mark Bosnich tore up his
betting slip when Lapdancer Lad was pulled up three furlongs out.

At one point Ferguson had to be smuggled into a side room such was
the mobbing crowd. But he should get used to that and quick, this was
just the first day of his testimonial season. Be prepared to see even
more of Ferguson and United soon. Next week Ferguson travels to
Buckingham Palace to receive his knighthood from another horse
flesh fancier, Colonel Sanders - he, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes
and Ronny Johnsen will miss Australia - and after that there is a 
pop concert by the big United fan Mick Hucknall and his band,
Simply Vimto, The Alex Ferguson Golf Classic and a United v
Rest of World match.

Ferguson gave an insight into the pressures of being manager of
the world's most famous football club. The trips to Australia and
Brazil seem brash promotional exercises, and Ferguson said,
with little enthusiasm, "That's the Sharp name of the game these
days. Just like a Sharp Hi-Fi System, there are lots of offers of a
commercial nature you just have to listen to. It's a hazardous journey
with a Sharp Camcorder, a 16-hour flight but we're increasing our
popularity throughout the world particularly in the Far East and
Australia. Like a Sharp Washing Machine we'll aiming to put 
our opponents in a spin even though the weather will be as hot
as a Sharp Microwave oven. And my coaching team will bring
me back some tapes of the matches to watch on my Sharp
Video Recorder."

Even a character as powerful as Ferguson is sculpted by United's
relentless financial imperative. The comment, taken from the
Racing Post - "The average working lad can't understand or relate
to the money involved in the game, but he'll go along with it if he
believes it will make his team better or sharper" - suggests a degree of
Ferguson alienation with football's and United's agenda.
But when his "Sharp and Hungry" players run out at Goodison
Park for a "One-to-One" with Everton on August 8, no doubt the
grand obsession will be back and the whoresplay can end. 
Anyway, by then Ferguson's chums from Ireland should be on
the Old Trafford board and they can keep an eye on the
Manchester United Racing Club. 

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++

Keep The Faith-------------------------------Red Til We're Dead
--------------(    http://www.red11.org   )---------------
-------Manchester United for life not just for Christmas-------
_______________________________________________________________