Man Utd great walks away from season ticket after 28 years - "Enough is enough"
Manchester United legend Norman Whiteside and his wife, Dee, have decided against renewing their season tickets at Old Trafford after more than 28 years
Manchester United legend Norman Whiteside has decided not to renew his season ticket at Old Trafford due to a series of issues, including the relocation of his seat, leading his wife to declare "enough is enough".
Whiteside, who joined United as a teenager in 1978 and made his way into the first team, scored 67 goals in 274 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Everton in 1989. The decision by Whiteside and his wife, Dee, to not renew their season tickets comes a year after they were forced to move their seats at Old Trafford to accommodate executive seating.
In a post on X, Dee Whiteside expressed her disappointment: "So, I've waited for a while to write this. It is with unbelievable sadness, that after more than 28 years of having season tickets at Old Trafford, @NormanWhiteside and I are not renewing next year.
"Having been forcibly relocated last season, "red carded" for not attending enough games, unable to give my "paid for" seat to my children... enough is enough.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
"And to cap it all, we've seen it all, we've won the lot, we're Man United and we're never gonna stop... except for so many seasons now, my match-going loyalty to my club has ended so sadly.
"I'll still be at games, I'm MUFC until I die, and I've seen worse times than now, but I'm not sure I've seen players less interested in pulling on our shirt for very many years. Times must change."
Whiteside and his wife, are platinum season ticket holders at Old Trafford, by virtue of having the seats for more than 25 years, but will now walk away. United's decision to move season ticket holders from block S122 at Old Trafford was reported by the MEN last year, a change that impacted the Whitesides.
A spokesperson for United acknowledged: "We have the greatest respect for Norman as a legend of the club, and understand the disappointment caused to him and other season ticket-holders by seat relocations.
"There are various reasons why this happens, including, next season, the moving of matchday hospitality seats into consolidated blocks to address fan concerns about them being dispersed around the stadium.
"Other changes next season include the removal of hospitality seating from the Stretford End and installation of further rail seating in the North-West Quadrant, bringing benefits to many fans but also causing some disruption.
"No additional hospitality seats are being created at the expense of season ticket-holders - in fact hospitality seating will reduce by more than 500 next season. We are committed to working with all season ticket-holders affected by relocations, including Norman, to find them the best possible alternative seats elsewhere in the ground."
During his tenure in Manchester, Whiteside set records as the youngest player to score in both FA Cup and League Cup finals. The Northern Irishman also surpassed Pele's record to become the youngest player to participate in a World Cup, representing his country at the tender age of 17 years and 40 days.
Injury forced Whiteside to retire at just 26, but he remains a beloved figure among fans for his contributions, particularly his match-winning goal against Everton in the 1985 FA Cup final.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool get boost in Guehi transfer chase with Crystal Palace talks imminent
Liverpool have quickly emerged as favourites in the race to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace this summer and the Premier League champions could now be in a position to act Liverpool are in a position to ramp up their interest in Marc Guehi after agreeing a £35million deal to sell their homegrown defender, Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen. The Reds have emerged as serious contenders in the race for Guehi's signature with the 24-year-old now approaching the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park. But there are other clubs lurking, too, including Arsenal and Newcastle, who saw substantial bids for the England star rejected last summer. It was outlined earlier this week that Liverpool were unlikely to pursue anything with Guehi until a deal for Quansah was done. And following a prompt resolution to negotiations with Leverkusen over a third transfer between the two clubs this summer, the Premier League champions are now, theoretically, in a position to make their move for Guehi. Mirror Football revealed on Friday that Crystal Palace are braced for an imminent approach for their star defender from their domestic rivals. But it's understood that Liverpool will not be held to ransom over a price for Guehi, who was valued in excess of £60million by the FA Cup holders last summer when Newcastle came calling. The Reds have already spent well over £100m this summer after completing deals for Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, who could end up costing a British record £116m. And with a further £40m swoop mooted for Milos Kerkez, the Bournemouth left-back, it's easy to see why Liverpool will not commit to big money for a player who could be available for free next summer. Join the debate! Would Guehi be a good signing for Liverpool? Let us know here It remains to be seen if Palace will play hardball and risk losing Guehi for nothing in 12 months time, particularly with the level of interest in him. Guehi is said to be keen on the idea of swapping Selhurst Park to Anfield but is also willing to see out the final year of his contract in south London if the move he desires fails to materialises over the coming weeks. Palace are already in discussions over a deal for Sporting Lisbon's highly-rated defender, Ousmane Diomande, who would, in theory, be Guehi's replacement should he be sold. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New Chelsea star details huge impact Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim had on his career
New Chelsea signing Dario Essugo has detailed the huge impact Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim had on his career during the pair's time together at Sporting Lisbon Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo has revealed his huge debt of gratitude to Ruben Amorim. It was the Manchester United boss who gave Essugo's career lift-off when they were together at Sporting Lisbon and made him one of Europe's most sought after young players. Former Sporting boss Amorim gave Essugo his debut in the Champions League when he was just 16 years and 268 days, making him the Portuguese club's youngest debutant in the competition. Essugo, 20, joined Chelsea in the summer for £18.5m and will always be grateful for Amorim for putting him in the first team after just ONE training session. Portugal under-21 star Essugo said: 'He brought me to the first team so he helped me a lot, to understand the game, to reach the level I am here now. 'I am grateful. He is so demanding. He is a demanding person. He likes to win every time so he has helped me a lot. I made one training session with the first team and the coach Ruben Amorim likes what he saw and he called me to play. 'I didn't expect to play because at this time there was Covid and I wasn't playing anything because the Champions League had stopped. We had good players like Manuel Ugarte, João Palhinha and now Morten Hjulmand. 'They are three big players. I had the opportunity to learn with one of them and of course this for me was a big opportunity.' Essugo says he learned a lot from those players and Amorim but also wants to be his own man rather than be compared to players like Claude Makelele or Michael Essien and N'Golo Kante who have obvious similarities. He said: 'To be honest, I never saw Makelele on TV but the people told me a lot about Makelele and say I have some similar parts of his game. They are big players. I want to make my own way but also like to see Makelele, Essien and Kante, to follow their steps. 'I always play as a midfielder but also I am a defensive midfielder but I also like to go forward with the ball, box to box. Of course it is good when they compare you with a very big player but it is a mix of both because I want to try to have my way, to achieve the top.' And when Chelsea came calling this summer, there was never any doubt in Essugo's mind about where to go. His dad now manages his career after a career in construction while his mum works in a kitchen. Now Essugo wants to cook up something special at Stamford Bridge and says Enzo Maresca has also been hugely positive since he arrived. He added: 'Chelsea helped my parents so many times. I feel very good. When my father said Chelsea want me to come here, of course I can't say no. 'I am learning with the coach, the players, the midfielders here. Enzo has a different idea of football like all the managers. But I always to try catch what he wants. Romeo Lavia is so calm I learn so much from him. 'It is a different level. The players are amazing. Before, when I was at Las Palmas and Sporting, they had very big players but for me it is an amazing feeling to be here.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Zlatan Ibrahimovic performs incredible stunt in swimming pool as former Man United and Barcelona star shows his ability is still intact
Former Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has shown that his ability remains intact by performing a spectacular swimming pool stunt. The 43-year-old, who retired in 2023, had a penchant for scoring acrobatic goals during his career. Perhaps his most memorable strike came for Sweden against England in 2012 when Ibrahimovic scored an unbelievable overhead kick from 30 yards out. Ibrahimovic evoked memories of that goal by performing an overhead kick in a swimming pool in a post on social media. Since December 2023, Ibrahimovic has worked as a senior advisor at his former club AC Milan. He represented a host of high-profile clubs during a trophy-laden career. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zlatan Ibrahimović (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) After starting out at Malmo, Ibrahimovic joined Ajax and later went on to play for Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona. In addition, he had two spells at AC Milan and also spent time at Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy. Despite his stellar reputation during his playing days, Ibrahimovic hasn't escaped criticism from AC Milan's ultras since becoming an advisor. Milan endured a disappointing campaign as they ended up finishing in eighth place in Serie A. Ahead of the final game of the season against Monza last month Milan ultras were seen holding banners and hurling insults in protest against the club's hierarchy. A statement from the Milan ultras read: 'This is the best response we could give, because there is no curva, club, red, orange: there are only Milanisti and Milanismo. Things that those in that building have forgotten a long time ago. 'We are back in this square three years after celebrating the best Scudetto ever. After celebrating the return to the Champions League along with Paolo Maldini.' The ultras reserved specific criticism for Ibrahimovic, who they claimed was responsible for the 'disaster' which saw Milan's reserve team suffer relegation to Serie D in their first season in professional football. Ibrahimovic is now working as an advisor for AC Milan but has faced criticism from some fans
