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Former Manchester United player Gary Pallister (centre) presenting a signed jersey to theTralee branch of the Manchester United Supporters Club at Old Trafford earlier this month. Included are Cariosa Switzer, Tim Slattery, Brian Switzer, Johnny Switzer (Supporters Club Secretary), Francis Boyle (Supporters Club Chairperson), Christie Counihan, Mark O’Donoghue, Colm O’Carroll.
THINGS haven’t been going too well for Manchester United over the past five years…relatively speaking.
But with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the helm, the legendary club is playing the type of football that won them so many major trophies in the 90s and right up to 2013 when they last won the Premiership.
Well the Tralee branch of the United supporters club has kept the faith over the years and earlier this month they travelled to Old Trafford to mark the 40th anniversary of its foundation.
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At about 1.30om before the game against Brighton & Hove Albion on January 19, a delegation was received on to the hallowed turf and they were presented with a signed shirt, pitchside prior by former player Gary Pallister. They also met another former player, Lou Macari, in front of the team bench with their flag.
Former Manchester United player Lou Macari (fourth from left, with Christie Counihan, Brian Switzer, Francis Boyle, Johnny Switzer, Mark O’Donoghue, and Tim Slattery of the Tralee branch of the Manchester United Supporters Club at Old Trafford earlier this month.
The Supporters Club was formed by Johnny Switzer 41 years ago, in 1978 and has over 150 members.
The most famous trips made have been to a Champions League game in Milan and to two Champions League Finals; Moscow in 2008 (where the group appeared in a double page spread in the Daily Mirror pictured with the Tralee MUFC flag in Red Square), and Rome in 2009.
Mark O’Donoghue of the Supporters Club told us fans from Tralee regularly travel to Manchester for matches, but the days of the bus loads going over three times a year, as happened in the 1990s, is a thing of the past.
This is largely due to problems organising travel in advance due to changes in match times to satisfy TV companies.
Mark said the mood has changed for the better at Old Trafford over the past month since Solskjaer took over and he hoped the Norwegian would be given the job permanently.
Those interested in joining the official Man United Supporters Club can visit www.manutd.com/en/Tickets-And-Hospitality/Official-Membership, or make contact with Johnny Switzer or Francis Boyle to register their membership with the Tralee Supporters Club.
In the photo with the shirt presentation is from left to right: Cariosa Switzer, Tim Slattery, Brian Switzer, Johnny Switzer (Supporters Club Secretary), Gary Pallister, Francis Boyle (Supporters Club Chairperson), Christie Counihan, Mark O’Donoghue, Colm O’Carroll.
In the photo with the Tralee Supporters Club flag is from left to right: Christie Counihan, Brian Switzer, Francis Boyle, Lou Macari, Johnny Switzer, Mark O’Donoghue, Tim Slattery.
