Man Utd Legends to return in Old Trafford charity game v Celtic (2024)

by

Nathan Thomas

This time, the opponents will come from north of the border, with legends from one half of the Old Firm – the famous Celtic – making the trip to M16. United and Celtic both have long and storied histories. The Reds, the first British team to take part in the European Cup, Celtic the first to win it in 1967, before United followed suit a year later with their own maiden triumph in that famous competition.

The clubs also share cultural connections with both having strong Irish roots. Celtic’s links to the Emerald Isle are well documented, having been originally founded to raise funds for the Irish immigrants of Glasgow back in 1888. To this day, the club still proudly wear the Irish four-leaf clover on their crest. Similarly, many of the railway workers who formed Manchester United - then known as Newton Heath, of course - were Irish immigrants.

In fact, their influence was so keenly felt that when it came to changing the name of Newton Heath, some have suggested that one of the possibilities was Manchester Celtic. In the end, the club settled on Manchester United, but this Irish influence, along with the strong Irish population of Manchester led many Reds of yesteryear to follow both United and Celtic. Despite these connections, it might surprise you to learn that the two teams have only met in competitive fixtures on four occasions in their entire histories. The most recent match-up came in the 2008/09 group stage phase of the Champions League, when a 3-0 home win for the Reds was followed up by a 1-1 draw in the return match at Celtic Park.

However, throughout the nineties and noughties, a number of testimonials were played against the Glaswegians, with Bryan Robson, Brian McClair, Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane all choosing the Hoops as their preferred opponents for their commemorative match. Each time, a sea of green-and-white clad Celtic fans descended on Manchester, and we’ll be hoping for the same again come 7 September, in what is sure to be an exciting match with some big names from both clubs!

At least one of those former Reds will be returning for this match as club icon Bryan Robson once again takes up the reins as manager. “Every time I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of these games the competitive edge has always been there,” Robbo said. “The players might have retired, but they all still desperately want to win and we’ve had some great games down the years. I’m delighted to be managing the team once again.”

He's quite right, and if United Legends matches from previous years are anything to go by, supporters will be in for a treat. Prior to the aforementioned Legends of the North clash, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our iconic Treble season when the fabled 1999 team took on Bayern Munich in a rematch of the legendary Champions League final of that year.

While that game was famously decided via the finest of margins, the 2019 rematch was a one-sided affair as the Reds ran out 5-0 victors in front of a packed Old Trafford. “We’re really excited for this latest match and are hoping to see United and Celtic fans out in force,” Bryan continued. “They can come to Old Trafford knowing that they will be in for a great afternoon, while also helping to support the Foundation and their amazing work.”

Last time out in May 2022, the match against local rivals Liverpool helped raise over £1.3 million, which went towards supporting our community projects and the work we do in schools across Greater Manchester and beyond. Echoing the words of our manager for the day, with your support, we’ll be looking to do the same again to ensure that the young people we work with continue to be offered the best opportunities to succeed in life.

For more information and to get your tickets, please visit here.

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