Football

A LOYAL Manchester United fan has been forced to give up his Old Trafford seat of 45 years to make way for corporate hospitality.Michael Carney, 81, has followed United through thick and thin – from the Busby Babes and the Holy Trinity of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law to the 1999 Treble and today’s lows.A loyal Manchester United fan has been forced to give up his Old Trafford seatCredit: PAMichael Carney has held his Man Utd seat for 45 years at Old TraffordCredit: PAHowever, the club are taking the longtime fan’s seat away and are forcing him to move from his spot in the lower section of the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.Carney was among the die-hard Man Utd fans who received a season ticket renewal letter that informed them their seats will be converted to hospitality sectors this summer.It read: “We have identified a small number of general admission tickets directly adjacent to the home and away dugouts that will be converted to hospitality seats this summer.”This reflects the high value of this unique location and will help to raise hospitality revenue to keep general admission Season Ticket prices lower. Read More on Man Utd”Your current seat is included within this block, and we will therefore need to find you an alternative seat for next season.”And Carney made his feelings known by aiming a powerful placard at the Red Devils’ hierarchy during Sunday’s goalless derby against Manchester City.The sign read on one side: “I was sat here before you were born!”And the other side read: “74 years of loyal support – for what?”Most read in FootballCarney, who still keeps newspapers from the Munich air disaster and Best’s phenomenal performance at Benfica in 1966, feels his beloved club is hanging him out to dry.He told the BBC: “It is very sad after all these years. They could put you anywhere and I don’t think you will be able to argue much. If you don’t like it, clear off.Paul Scholes lays into Sir Jim Ratcliffe for ‘having the cheek’ to introduce ‘ridiculous’ Man Utd’s ticket prices “They are brilliant seats. Mine is smack on the halfway line, midway between the dug-outs and the directors’ box.”One way of looking at it is that we have been fortunate to be sitting there for all those years – but you get used to it.”It has been happening on an individual basis for some time now. Before every game, you get an email saying if you can’t make the game, let them know and they will give you your money back. “If you have not been, the lads around will ask whoever is in the seat how much they paid for it. Very often it would be £250-£300. Fan protests”That is a good way of seeing what they want to do now, taking everyone out en-bloc.”Man Utd have been making a lot of controversial changes, which include brutal cuts, under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos, who are in charge of sporting operations.The club told season ticket holders who are sat right behind the dugouts at Old Trafford will have to move to make way for a VIP hospitality area.This situation led to another protest after the Manchester derby with hundreds of fans venting their frustrations over next season ticket price rises, the cutting of concessions and the amount of money paid to service United’s £1billion debt.Some seniors will see the cost of their season tickets rise by 57 per cent – a situation branded “shameful” when it emerges last month.A wider “sit-in” protest was also arranged by the 1958 fan group.However, it is expected that the conversion of these seats will allow the club to generate significant additional revenue, which would help minimise increases to season ticket prices.Other Premier League clubs have followed the same formula for the seats located over the dugouts.Read More on The SunChelsea are charging an extraordinary £12,500 for one ticket for their final two home games of the season against Liverpool and Man Utd at Stamford Bridge.The staggering prices for the Blues’ VIP dugout experience are a new record for the Prem – and will cost punters £139 for every minute of action on the pitch. More

A MANCHESTER UNITED star rang Paul Scholes and tried to confront him at the training ground over his negative TV comments.Scholes, 50, is not afraid to speak his mind in his role on The Overlap Fan Debate and as a pundit for TNT Sports.A Manchester United rang up Paul Scholes about his negative punditryCredit: YouTube/The OverlapThe unnamed player wanted to confront him at the training groundCredit: PABut his criticism got under the skin of one irked Red Devils squad member.Asked whether players react to comments made by pundits, Scholes revealed on The Overlap Fan Debate via Sky Bet one unnamed United man took matters into his own hands.He said: “Players can be a little bit touchy these days.“I had a player this year, who contacted me and wasn’t happy with some of the things I’d said. READ MORE ON MAN UTD”He wanted to meet me at the training ground.”I said, ‘Of course, no problem,’ and gave him my number but he never got back to me.“I would have done it. If I’m saying things I believe and he wants me to explain why, it wouldn’t have been a nice conversation.”But I said if they or anyone else has a problem, there’s my phone number.”Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old TraffordScholes refused to reveal the name of the individual in question in what has been another disappointing campaign for his former club – under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. But he reckons criticism from the media and former players is part and parcel of life as a professional footballer.’Gary Neville’s having a proper meltdown’ – Fans fear for Man Utd icon after he apologises for his derby co-commentaryThe United legend, though, thinks players should be able to brush off the comments – although that is easier said than done. Scholes added: “What we say as pundits shouldn’t affect a player. “The only people that should affect the players is what the manager thinks, the coaching staff, and their team-mates. “Whatever is said on TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.”I’m not even sure how many players these days watch football and watch what we’re saying. “There was one United player who obviously took a bit of offense to what I said, but you just deal with it. “If things need an explanation or a meeting over a tea or coffee, I’d be happy to give it.”I only do punditry for Manchester United games now. “I very rarely do other games because I want to watch United, and I want to be at the United games. “Ever since I’ve started doing it, the performances have not been great. Paul Scholes’ slams of the season”I don’t think I saw them win for a long time and you look terrible having a go at your club when that’s the club you played for, for 20 years – it’s the last thing you want. “It’d be so easy if you were a Manchester City player for the last ten years. “Where we are now, it makes you look like a bit of a villain.”Jamie Carragher then opened up on being called out by Daniel Sturridge for telling Liverpool to sell the forward.The Sky pundit said: “It was Daniel Sturridge. “You wouldn’t believe this, but when I stopped playing for a couple of years, Liverpool asked me and Steven Gerrard to go on an end of season game in Australia.“Liverpool couldn’t sell out the tickets to fill out this stadium in Australia, so they asked me, Stevie, and Steve McManaman to play with the team. “I’d said that they’d needed to sell Daniel Sturridge, and he confronted me in the dressing room when we got over there. “And I thought, ‘Fair play, good on you.’ Read More on The Sun”There is nothing worse than someone backing down, so I wasn’t going to. “Sometimes, if I was a player with a journalist, I might say something and they’d back down and say sorry, but no, just front it.”United have had another difficult season under Erik ten Hag and Ruben AmorimCredit: RexJamie Carragher told Liverpool to get rid of Daniel SturridgeCredit: Getty More