MANCHESTER United will walk into a cauldron of hate when they step out at Ibrox tonight - to play a team they have never faced in a competitive match before.
United are used to the jealous loathing of English rivals and enemies, but, to most Reds, the spite of the Rangers fans is something of a mystery.
Why do fans of the Scottish champions "hate Man U" with a passion?
M.E.N. Sport's STUART BRENNAN takes a look at the history.
In the duller moments of the Seventies - and Lord knows, there were many - the Stretford End used to amuse itself with a little internal strife.
One section would chant "Celtic". And the reply would come, loud and clear, "Rangers".
It mattered not if those two Scottish teams were not playing each other that day, it was just a bit of fun.
Some fans would wear ski hats that bore the colours of United on one side, those of Celtic on the other. But others wore similar hats that were half-and-half with the blue of Rangers.
Violence
Many of the latter ditched those hats when Rangers came to town for a "friendly" match in 1974 - the violence was the worst Old Trafford has ever seen.
United's following were hardly angelic in those dark days, but the scenes on the terraces that night were truly shocking.
United are a club that tends to inspire dislike, some of it bordering on pathological, but many Reds are genuinely puzzled as to why a Scottish club, with no history of playing the Reds in meaningful matches, should jump on that particular bandwagon.
One reason, of course, is United's long history of association with Ireland.
They were the first English side to sign an Irish professional, when John Penden joined Newton Heath.
And by then, a large section of their support was drawn from Manchester's large Irish community - football was something that gave them a common bond with the indigenous people, a bond formed on the terraces.
That was underlined by the fact that, when they changed their name in 1902, they very nearly became Manchester Celtic.
Irish ties
The Irish link grew through the ages, fuelled by the fact that United tapped into the raw sporting talent of the Irish Republic, from Johnny Carey and Billy Whelan in the 1950s through to Johnny Giles, Shay Brennan, Noel Cantwell, Gerry Daly and then on to Frank Stapleton, Kevin Moran, Paul McGrath, Denis Irwin and Roy Keane.
In the Fifties, United were perceived as Manchester's "Catholic" club, just as Celtic were, indisputably, in Glasgow.
Matt Busby was a Scotsman of Irish descent; his influential assistant Jimmy Murphy was from Kilkenny. And United's scouting network included a large number of football-mad priests, in Britain and Ireland, who would proffer the best talents from their church teams for the club's perusal.
Some of Manchester's Protestant footballers complained that their denomination was working against them in their bid for the first team.
It was a complaint that held no water when a young Northern Ireland Protestant boy called George Best was introduced into the United team in 1963.
United became huge in Ireland in the Sixties, partly because of Best, partly because of the wave of sympathy from the Munich air crash, and partly because they were such a good, watchable team, something the Irish did not have.
Fan base
That link continues to this day. United, like Celtic, have a huge fan base in the Republic, while Rangers have big support among Northern Ireland's Protestant community.
Any lingering notion that United were a "Catholic" club was destroyed from the Sixties onwards as Northern Ireland Protestants like Best, Jimmy Nicholl and Norman Whiteside claimed regular places.
But many fans retain an affinity for Celtic, and the friendly links between United and Glasgow's "other" club are another reason that Rangers are not too fond of the Reds.
United have benefited from that link immeasurably - Pat Crerand, Lou Macari and Brian McClair all made the trip South and left indelible marks on United's history.
Of course, that was strictly business, but to Rangers fans it was another reason to resent United.
Cordial
When Celtic were forced to replay their 1984 Cup Winners' Cup clash with Rapid Vienna outside Scotland due to a crowd incident at Parkhead, they turned to United.
By contrast with Rangers' visit 10 years earlier, the atmosphere was cordial as tens of thousands of Celtic fans descended on Manchester and mingled freely with the locals.
At the Old Firm derby earlier this month, a flag reading "MUFC - Aberdeen Reds" appeared among the green and white at the Celtic end of the ground, confirming the Celtic links in the eyes of the Rangers faithful.
United are clearly no longer a "Catholic club" - if they were in the first place, and the fact that their most successful manager of all time is a Glaswegian Protestant, born in the shadow of Ibrox and a Rangers nut as a boy, emphasises the point.
But therein lies another sub-plot.
Fergie controversy
Fergie realised a boyhood ambition by playing for Rangers for two years in the Sixties, but left under a cloud.
There are claims that he was forced out for marrying a Catholic girl, claims that are strongly denied by Rangers fans to this day.
They point out that he was picked to play in the Scottish Cup final even when the club knew of his relationship with the girl - now his wife Cathy.
Whatever the reason, Fergie has described the way he left Rangers - after being demoted to third team football by manager Davie White - as the most painful moment in his 40 years in football, as player and manager.
One Rangers fanzine has accused Fergie of fostering bad blood between Rangers and Aberdeen when he was in charge at Pittodrie.
They say that his spell in charge of the Dons coincided with clashes on the field and off it, and an unpleasant relationship persists to this day.
He now confirms he has no allegiance to Rangers, another sin in the eyes of the Ibrox fans.
There will be no warm homecoming for Fergie tonight. He will love it.
Are Rangers just another ABU club? Have your say
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Comments
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Not just another A.B.U., but a throwback to the bad old days of football supporters,who have patholgical hatred full stop. It's a path that in England we are trying to shake off[another reason why we should not let in clubs who would take us back down the road to tribalism again]
Agreed. English football has done a lot of work in trying to keep racism out of football. The last thing we need is a load of idiots causing trouble because of what religion we may or may not believe in. We're hardly a religious country anway!
When the television and radio broadcasts begin, listen to the loudest song that the Rangers fans sing and then ask yourself - what does "our knees are deep in Fenian blood" have to do with football? Do we really need infantile rantings seeping down from the stands in this day and age? It's bizarre to think that Rangers fans would be totally opposed to the idea of Roy Keane signing for them simply because of his birthplace - but that is the nature of the beast.
I remember the friendly in the 70's with Rangers..if I remember correctly the result was 2-2. I happened to be sitting amongst the Rangers supporters. Absolutely frightening - it was the only time that I sat rooted to my seat when Utd scored! I remember in particular their absolute hate towards Willie Morgan, these fans were a different breed! So it'll be some experience to the Reds tonight.
Come on the Billy Boys!!!
MCFC- Rangers
Hang on a minute.... what about the piece removed from Utds OFFICIAL website prior to the Leeds game due to its unsavoury HATE fuelled nature?
I never actually saw that Windy. What did it say?
Wanna see a cauldron of hate in a stadium. Go to any NFL Eagles game in Philly. The people of the "City of Brotherly Love" cheered when Dallas' Michael Irvin got his neck broken then booed when he was stretchered off, brawl all over in and out the stadium, have their own magistrate and jail under the stands, and boo friggin Santa Claus. Lotta friggin class, my hometown.
I don't where the idiot responsible for this article gets his facts from. As a seaon ticket holder at Ibrox working in Manchester I believe I should have some knowledge of this subject. Rangers supporters in general do not "hate" Manchester United. If this was the case do you think the traders selling RFC/MUFC scarves outside Ibrox this season would still be there?
Any dislike towards MUFC from Rangers fans is more directed at Alex Ferguson who never lets an opportunity to have a go at the Rangers pass him by.
My particular dislike of Mr Ferguson stems from the time Eric Cantona broke Stephen Pressley's leg in a friendly at Ibrox. Rangers fans booed as the Frenchman received his marching orders. All Ferguson had to say about the incident was to call Rangers fans "immature boo boys".
Once again Stuart Brennan exposes himself as a paronoid red,most other football fans hate United because of what they are and not because of jealousy like he keeps on preaching,perhaps he can recall the days in the late seventies and eighties when Liverpool won The European cup FOUR TIMES,the title ELEVEN TIMES,along with a couple of FA and league cups,it was the United fans who were bitter and twisted with envy and only for HEYSEL Im sure another couple of European cups and league championships would have been added to their collection!
Jericho, the piece stated outright that it was the duty of every Utd fan going to Elland Road to taunt the Leeds Players/Fans extremely vocally concerning their present plight. Or in short, inciting a riot! We are led to believe that Leeds officials had to contact Utd to ask for the item to be removed and allegedly the people responsible have been internally disciplined... yeh right. And you wonder why the ABU supporters club is gaining members at such a rate?
Fair enough Windy, that was out of order, but do you really think it doesnt go both ways? Maybe not on "official" websites, but like last night for example, we knew our players were going to get hassled- it was all part of the build up. When O'Shea was booked early on, you could clearly see one Rangers fan making throat slitting gesture towards him.That aint right.
If your are going to write serious articles please at least use facts not fiction.
1. The manager in question is J.Scot Symond.
2. The quote is also wrong. Ferguson demanded to know why he was in the second team. The answer "because there is no third team
."
Jericho, agreed. But this was Manchester United Official Website! I haven't a problem with banter on fan sites, but this came from your club itself!
One only had to listed to the abuse "King Roy" got everytime he touched the ball to realise what BIGOTS they are those rangers fans
GOD BLESS PHIL NEVILLE AND OUR POPE.
As a fanatical Celtic fan you made my night on Wednesday. You played Rangers off the Park. Yes Celtic have an affinity with United, I've travelled down to Old Trafford many times for benefits games between our two great clubs with not a hint of bother.
I hope you gub them in two weeks and it was me who flew the United flag at Ibrox at the last Old Firm game just to wind them up.
Hail Hail the Celts are here.
Michael.
You have sussed the journalist out who wrote the garbish you are going on about,YES Stuart Brennan IS an idiot blinded by his MUFC BIAS!!!!
You state that Ferguson's relationship with Cathy was a problem when at Ibrox - it was hardly a relationship - he married her in 1966, a full year before going to Ibrox. Ferguson may have had a problem with one particular employee at Ibrox but the reason he was sold was purely down to football reasons, a direct replacement (and better player) Colin Stein was signed in 1968 and Ferguson's time at Ibrox was numbered, whether he was married to Rachel Welsh or Mother Theresa.<br>
As a bluenose, I have no particular problem with your club and still rate Barca 99 as one of football's finest moments. But considering the company youve been keeping for the last two decades its hardly surprising you're getting grief from other Bears. The same club that were singing the praises just last week in Belgium of an organisation that has caused more damage to your city than a 1000 visits by us would ever want to.
Hate is a strong word- personally I just despise the way Septic fans try to leech secondhand glory by associating themselves with MU. They did it with Liverpool in the 80's, and they'll do it with Chelsea soon enough.
The people of Manchester will experience first hand tomorrow night what we've had to put up with for decades. Bigotry, hatred, racism and intimidation. I hope you hammer the Huns and banish them back to where they belong.
Sure its a Grand Old team to play for......
Article lost all credibility when the statement was made that the Ski Hats Man Utd/Rangers were abandoned after the violence in 74. These ski hats only appeared and became fashionable in the early 80's long after the stretford end had been well and truly taken by Rangers
The more bigoted supporters of glasgow rangers hate man u cos they see them as the representatives of the irish catholic community in manchester even though uniteds fans would have many Protestants in their support indeed from northern ireland.
i am a rangers season ticket holder and lifelong fanatic,and i dont hate man u.there is only one side i hate celtic.i have to laugh when they go on about bigotry they are as bigoted as you will ever see.and dont let them kid you on.just read some of the comments posted here.pope,huns,tim fae timland.HYPOCRITES.i myself despise this bile as i have had to put up with it all my life because as a catholic and gers fan i have first hand experience of it.a catholic supporting rangers i have been told countless times by the non bigoted celtic fans i should have been drowned at birth.for supporting a protestant club,my family are all gers fans and proud of it.my english side is everton just incase you were wondering.