Manchester United fans launched complaints about the music being played at Old Trafford before matches and the club has now responded.
There has been a focus on revolutionising the atmosphere at Old Trafford since the Ineos takeover.
Last season, Old Trafford unveiled its first tifo in the Europa League and work began on an expansion to safe standing at the Theatre of Dreams.
United in Focus spoke exclusively to The Red Army about the ‘Reclaim the Stretford End campaign’, which has introduced flags, music and an improved fan culture.
Flags in the Stretford End from the Manchester derby
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Man Utd respond to Old Trafford music complaints
In the latest Manchester United Fan Forum held earlier this month, one question was aimed towards the half-time music at Old Trafford.
The question read: “Who decides what music is playing before/HT? The other day they were blasting Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, David Guetta. It’s embarrassing. Like ice hockey or something. Should be showcasing Manchester bands and old United classics. Hate to say it, but Elland road do this well.”
United responded: “The pre-match playlist is made up from a range of current songs in the UK charts, fan favourites, Manchester music icons and some player requests (during the warm up period).
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“Manchester bands such as the Stone Roses always feature heavily in the build up but we also have a very diverse crowd who will all have their own musical preferences.”
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Bruno Fernandes pushed for Man Utd ‘Country Roads’ music
In recent seasons, it has become a tradition for United to walk out to ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ at Old Trafford.
Speaking to club media, captain Bruno Fernandes explained his influence behind the decision.
“I think it’s a song that everyone knows in the dressing room, so it’s a popular song for us in the dressing room, and the understanding we had from the outside was that it’s one of the most popular songs for the club,” explains Fernandes with typical passion and detail,” Fernandes said.
“I think the lyrics, at home, work well, so everything together, we thought it would be a good thing.
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“Obviously, we don’t want to make it as something we do because other teams do it, but we felt it’s something that the players… we spoke with certain players and said ‘what do you think about this, how would you feel about having this before the game, would it give you a push, lift you a little bit, what are your thoughts?’
“Everyone in the stadium feels that song very much and it’s a song that resembles the United history as well. It was little mix of things that we thought might be a good thing to try.”
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