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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------- _______________________________________________________________