In the latest instalment of a series talking to Manchester United fans around the world, Andy Mitten travelled west from New York to San Diego to meet United supporters who’ve made California their home.
Others in the series:
Manchester United fans in New York and New Jersey
Manchester United fans in Jeddah
Manchester United fans in Islamabad
Manchester United fans in Oslo
Manchester United fans in Adelaide
Why United?
Steve Norby, 53: People say it’s a cliche to support Manchester United and it is, but they don’t know the individual stories. Yes, it’s the biggest club in the world but I grew up watching soccer with my dad in the ’70s — it gets me emotional thinking of that. There was only one game per week on TV in the U.S. — maybe Liverpool or a game from Germany or Italy. United or Leeds would occasionally be on. When I saw Manchester (United) play, I told my dad, “That’s the club I want to follow.” That was our connection.
My background is Danish — that’s where my parents are from. I read about United in a Danish newspaper we had delivered every week to San Diego and United would be covered. There was almost nothing in the U.S. media. Because of my background, my support was strengthened when Peter Schmeichel became goalkeeper.
Bryce Guzzetta, 31: I grew up in the ’90s and had access to games where Manchester United featured a lot. It took off when I went to university. I had a room-mate from San Francisco who was obsessed with United and all I heard were stories about Scholes and Best and Cantona and Charlton. After 10 months I got worn down and said, “I’ll watch a game with you.” It was Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season and the team I watched kept winning.
That has changed a lot in the past 10 years but I’ve held strong and I love United, it’s my religion. I’m part of the Red Devils Supporters Club San Diego and the bar opens for us whatever time the games start, even 4am (San Diego is eight hours behind the UK). United is the biggest supporters club in this town and we have our own bar.
The bar where Manchester United fans in San Diego congregate to watch matches – at 4am (Andy Mitten)
Tony Hughes: My mum was evacuated during the Second World War and ended up in Fleetwood, Lancashire. When nearby Blackpool played United in 1948, she went and wanted Man United to win. It was my mum who got me into United. She took me to Old Trafford on my birthday and seeing that pitch for the first time was the greatest moment of my life. When people talk about demolishing that stadium, please tell me you’ve been to Old Trafford before you do.
Tony Hughes has a long history of watching Manchester United (Andy Mitten)
We met a lot of the London Reds and started travelling to games regularly from London in the late ’60s. We saw all their games in London too. I moved to the United States in ’92 but I continued to watch United. Sometimes I’d fly from Atlanta to England twice a week so I got two million miles status on Delta very fast. I’ve seen United play in nearly 50 countries.
I had a business in collectibles and had the licence to sell videos of the 1963 FA Cup final and 1968 European Cup final. I met Sir Matt Busby, who had an interest in the souvenir shop with his son, Sandy. I felt privileged.
I moved to Vegas and then San Diego, one of the best places to live. I don’t go back as much now but I have so many memories. In ’99 I was fortunate to see United play in a lot of places which ended in ‘o’: Tokyo to be world champions, Monaco for the Super Cup. We sang about being champions of the world and I saw George Best, my hero, there. But when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored in ’99 I was sitting next to Wilf McGuinness. I hugged him and he said: “I’m shaking!” It can’t get better than that.
I went to Brazil for the World Club Championship the following year. I was in a cable car to see Christ the Redeemer with Paddy Crerand. Sir Alex was in it too and kept looking over. He thought I was paparazzi. It was getting uncomfortable. Crerand stuck up for me and explained I was a fan he’d known the years. To be fair, Fergie was being very protective over his players, especially David Beckham, on that trip. I lost my energy to take photos with players, but I still love Alex Ferguson.
My low point was giving up my season ticket when I was told the club needed more information from me. I couldn’t get to every game from America and would give the ticket to friends. That was an issue.
I stopped going properly to games around 2005. My last visit was in 2014 when (Radamel) Falcao and Angel Di Maria signed. I saw Falcao as the Messiah. I was wrong. I still go on pre-season tours.
Keith Wales: I’m originally from Romford, Essex. I’d watched United play in the FA Cup finals at Wembley in ’76 and ’77. I moved over in 1979 on a £100 Freddie Laker airline ticket and went to see George Best play for the LA Aztecs. I met him after and a few other times at his bar, Bestie’s, in Hermosa Beach. I was in there one day when Clyde Best came in. I had a picture with George and Clyde. The weather was the main reason I moved here and I still love it over here. You could plan things around the weather and there were a lot of Brits over when I came over. We had a football team out of Bestie’s bar.
I watched United when they played in Seattle in ’82 and got to know John Gidman — a real character. He’d come out to see us in future years.
I’ve been back for a lot of cup finals and went back for the Treble week in ’99. I make pins for the supporters clubs in the U.S. — I’ve done over 70.
Keith Wales and his daughter Nicola (Keith Wales)
Viken Astorian: I’m originally from Beirut (capital of the Lebanon, in the eastern Mediterranean) but now live in Los Angeles. I have supported United since 1964, when I was eight years old. My dad’s friend was a well-known footballer from Syria. He would play football with me and do tricks. He would call me the name ‘Bobby Charlton’. I learned about him and the Munich air crash and George Best became my idol.
I would listen to BBC World Service on a Saturday afternoon in Beirut and wait for the results or even the broadcast from the game. If we were lucky and the weather was good, we’d get a game from the British forces radio in (nearby) Cyprus. I remember the FA Cup finals and the 1966 World Cup finals.
I left Lebanon in 1978 during the civil war and moved to Los Angeles. There were dead bodies on the street on the way to the airport. We went first to Mexico City, then Los Angeles. I’d still listen to the BBC and watch games on satellite in the English pubs in LA. Now, you can watch it at home.
Viken with ex-United player and assistant manager Brian Kidd (Viken Astorian)
In 1981, I travelled on the team bus from Seattle to Vancouver. John Gidman asked Ron Atkinson and Martin Edwards if I could travel with them and they said yes. I trashed my airline ticket and travelled on the team bus. I said to Mr Edwards, “I want to feel part of the Manchester United family. I would like to buy some shares in the club.” After he returned to Manchester he sold 50 shares to me for £1.50 each. I have respect for that man. I sold them for £43 each when it went public in 1991, then rebought the shares. I held the shares until the Glazers took them from me. I didn’t want to sell them but a cheque arrived in the mail.
For my honeymoon, I went to Old Trafford in 1983. Ten years later, I saw my first game — versus Blackburn in 1993 when the team won the title for the first time since 1967.
How do you watch the team?
Steve: I go to the Liberty Call in Barrio Logan, near downtown San Diego. We’ll be there at 4am for a match, maybe 30 or 40 of us — my friends don’t understand why I do that — or 150 for a big game which starts at a more reasonable hour. We have a Danish flag in our bar and when Christian Eriksen scores we have a Danish tradition and all take a shot of Akvavit. I buy them from a company which imports them from Denmark. He did well and cost me quite a bit. If Rasmus Hojlund starts scoring I will have to start watering down the bottles!
There’s a diverse group in our bar. Mancunians, someone from Kenya, Hispanic members. San Diego is a melting pot and a lot of people move here because of the weather. It’s a sports city too, a hotbed for youth football.
I plan to make my pilgrimage to Old Trafford this season.
We’ve developed a family at the bar and I look forward to it twice a week, though I know that schedule is a little tough on the players. We can see every game now and see the team come to the U.S. on pre-season tours.
Top photo: Bryce Guzzetta, left, with fellow Manchester United fans; by Andy Mitten)
