Over the last few decades, Man United have established themselves as one of the biggest and most well-known football teams in the world.
United have a number of nicknames – The Red Devils, Man United, The Mighty Reds, and more.
But if you do a Google Search of ‘Why is Man United’, there’s a chance the question ‘Which is Man United not called Man U?’ pops up in the search box.
That is because the nickname ‘Man U’ is one which the club’s supporters are infuriated by and there’s a major reason behind this.
Nickname origins
Man United started to gain popularity after the second world war as Matt Busby revolutionized the side and made them the best in England. However, the Munich disaster of 1958 – which claimed 23 lives – changed the club forever.
It was after the sensational rebuild was made that the nickname ‘The Red Devils’ stuck with Mat Busby’s side. This nickname was actually inspired from a local Salford rugby club who played at Old Trafford months after the Munich Tragedy – derived from the French word ‘Les Diables Rouges’
The hidden meaning behind ‘Man U’
While United have been widely called as ‘The Red Devils’ or even ‘The Reds’ as nicknames, the word ‘Man U’ was actually derived by West Bromwich Albion fans who mocked Duncan Edwards after his untimely death in the Munich disaster.
They chanted: “Duncan Edwards is manure, rotting in his grave, man you are manure—rotting in your grave,” after the incident.
This caught the attention of rival fans. The supporters of Liverpool and Leeds United decided to call Man United as ‘Man U’ to mock the Munich Tragedy.
They came up with their own chant that said: “Man U, Man U, went on a plane; Man U, Man U, never came back again. And Man U Never Intended Coming Home.”
As a result, the ‘Man U chant’ became a degrading one aimed to mock the Munich Disaster of 1958 by rival fans and get under the skins of the Red Devils’ supporters.
Combating the insults
Ever since it was made clear that the term ‘Man U’ was actually a deeply personal insult towards the club, the majority of those within football have stopped using it.
The pundits in English TV mostly called the club as ‘Man United or ‘The Red Devils’, while players and managers also refrain from using the ‘Man U’ term.
It’s still used at times by rival fans as a method to infuriate hardcore United supporters, who absolutely loathe the term.
That being said, it is still used by some fans - who mean no insult to the club. Some American pundits, like those in ESPN, also use the term while describing the club.
