Manchester United started as Newton Heath in 1878 and it was not until 1902 the name of the club changed to Manchester United. However, the Irish in Manchester can be traced back even earlier and by the 1840s, roughly 10% of the population in the city was Irish. The district where many of the Irish people lived was known as ‘Little Ireland’ and some engaged in the formation of Manchester United.
How Many Irish Supporters Do They Have?
It is difficult to put an exact figure on the number of Irish Manchester United supporters. According to a survey published in The Irish Times in 2020, close to 50% of Irish adults said they supported an English football club. Interestingly, of those questioned, two-thirds said they supported Manchester United or Liverpool. Therefore, it was estimated that over 30% of adult football fans in Ireland support Manchester United. Clearly, Liverpool also attracts a high number of Irish fans, with Arsenal also a popular club to support to the Irish people.
Irish Migration to Manchester
As highlighted above, there was already a significant Irish population in Manchester in the 1840s. The census of 1841 highlighted the poor conditions in which a lot of people lived in Ireland, with many staying in little more than mud cabins. It was mostly the people from these homes who travelled to Manchester in the 1840s, with the potato famine that started in 1845 being another of the major reasons why people left Ireland for Manchester. At least one million people were forced to leave Ireland due to the potato famine and some of the people who formed Newton Heath were Irish Catholics.
First English Team to Play a Competitive Game in Ireland
Manchester United grew to become one of the most popular clubs in England and their fan base continued to grow in Ireland in the 1950s. This was a hugely successful era for Manchester United as they won the First Division title three times. In 1957, Manchester United were in the preliminary round of the European Cup and they were drawn against Irish champions, Shamrock Rovers. It was the first time an English team played a competitive match in Ireland and Manchester United gained a lot of admirers thanks to a 6-0 win.
Munich Air Disaster
Having defeated Red Star Belgrade in a European Cup quarter-final in 1958, the plane carrying the Manchester United players crashed in Munich. Club officials and journalists were also on board the aircraft and 23 people died, including 8 players. Dublin-born Billy Whelan was one of the players who sadly died in the accident, along with other players Irish fans had grown to love having seen Manchester United in action against Shamrock Rovers just a few months earlier.
Manchester United Has Had a Good Number of Irish players
Patrick O’Connell was the first Irishman to play for Manchester United. He joined the club in 1914 and paved the way for many top Irish footballers at the club. In terms of the best Irish players to represent Manchester United, there is an extensive list. Harry Gregg, Norman Whiteside, Kevin Moran, Johnny Carey, John O’Shea, Sammy McIlroy, George Best, Roy Keane, Denis Irwin, and Tony Dunne are some of the names that spring to mind. It is clear, Irish people not only love their local beers, traditions, countryside, and online games such as live casino Ireland but also their local football players.
Manchester United is hugely popular in Ireland. Many Irish people moved to Manchester in the 1840s, so there is a family connection to the city. Irish players have represented Manchester United with distinction since the early 1900s and as the first team to play a competitive match in Ireland, Manchester United endeared themselves to the Irish people.
