As regular followers of my #ManUtdTheReligion YouTube Channel and Facebook Page will know, I’ve been pushing for Manchester United Football Club to agree to an Old Trafford tribute to honour Jimmy Murphy . . . whether that be a statue or the re naming of K Stand as the Jimmy Murphy Stand.
That campaign has resulted in a consortium of six organisations representing fans and former players coming together to lobby the football club.
Well, the good news is that dialogue has now begun, with Ed Woodward today opening the door to discussion.
In a letter received this morning the consortium have been advised that the club is “setting up a new committee, provisionally titled the Legacy & Heritage Committee, with a wider role to look at the topic of how we celebrate and commemorate our history.
“This will include how we refine, implement and oversee the club’s commemoration policy for Manchester United players and members of staff.
“Committee members will be drawn from across the club and will also include fan and and former player representatives. They will align the criteria and will bring forward recommendations to the board.”
In my humble opinion, after previous approaches have received no encouragement for so long this is great news and a major step forward.
The letter goes on to say that “we look forward to advancing discussions about how we honour our greatest players and club servants to ensure that their stories are preserved for future generations.”
This is only the start and I’m not going to draw any conclusions about how this will unfold. Other than to say, this is exactly what my next film is about.
At the very core of my upcoming documentary ‘We Will Never Die’ is exactly that theme . . . “how we honour our greatest players and club servants to ensure that their stories are preserved for future generations.”
In 2020 our football club has turned a corner both on and off the pitch.
While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is building something special with an emerging squad that will challenge for the biggest honours, behind the scenes the club is making huge advances too. And I’m not just talking about football related matters.
During lockdown our football club has led by example. Helping support the most vulnerable in our society, with sizeable donations to foodbanks, local charities and Greater Manchester hospitals.
First and foremost of course we are a football club. Success on the pitch is what we all want. And you only have to look at the way our first team squad has changed beyond all recognition in the past 18 months to see the progress being made.
I’ve always said that our history inspires our future. And hearing today that the football club is taking positive new steps to respect that, is hugely encouraging. Jimmy Murphy has a special place in our history that is long overdue being recognised with a fitting tribute at Old Trafford.
Of course, there are others too who we could and will talk about in the future. Meantime, the good news is that the whole discussion about honouring our heroes is about to begin. And with that thought let me leave you with this poem I’ve written about Jimmy Murphy:
He kept the red flag flying high.
Jimmy Murphy, what a guy.
He kept the red flag flying high.
Because we will never die.
Jimmy Murphy Jimmy Murphy
We all love Jimmy Murphy.
When the babes in tatters lay.
And the fans for Matt did pray
We are done the club did say.
But our Welshman he said nay!
Jimmy Murphy Jimmy Murphy
We all love Jimmy Murphy.
Busby’s Right hand man said I.
I’ll keep the red flag flying high
Because we will never die.
Jimmy Murphy was that guy.
BY JOHN GUBBA
