Paul Windridge & Linda Harvey 
A Seat in the Crowd 

‘A Seat in the Crowd’ is about travelling the length and breadth of
England and Europe in order to watch Manchester United. It is about
the lifelong journey of two supporters (with the help of one or two
friends along the way) who have been following their club for over 40
years each. A lifetime’s support which has enjoyed a renaissance over
the last decade due to the superb management of Alex Ferguson, who
has taken the team, and consequently us too, to heights never before
scaled.

At the start of any season no-one can possibly know the outcome.
Plenty think they do, but that is mere blind faith. It is an
adventure which happens every year and these last few years have been
very special to United supporters and most especially to us. Through
the internet and the Manchester United mailing lists some of us have
found friendship which will last the test of time. Apart from family,
none of us mentioned in this book knew each other four years ago, but
we are now a group of friends who have become an extended family.

‘A Seat in the Crowd’ is just as much about these people as it is
about the team on the pitch.

About the author

For 3 years Linda Harvey and Paul Windridge have been writing match reports and editorial for the two main Manchester United email mailing lists and for the biggest Manchester United fans’ website on the internet (www.mufc.simplenet.com). The Theatre of Dreams website is run by the two webmasters, Barry Leeming and Bill Mc Arthur, the Red Devils list is run by Dave Arnold and Sean Hennessey and the Listserve list is run by CP Cheah. We extend our special thanks to these five stalwart Reds and many others who contribute to the mailing lists and help to keep Manchester United supporters throughout the world informed. What began, via these contacts, as simple reports of the game, developed into more complex narratives, each telling the story of a day and the experience. Gradually they began to get reactions from people all over the world who craved for more because the ‘reports’ did two things for them. First, they represented how fans experience football – not just at the game, but the whole experience. The pre-match routines, the meetings with mates, the travelling to away grounds, the difficulties getting tickets, the people you meet along the way, the emotions you feel. And second, for those who can’t attend matches, they took them into the world of being a supporter – thus enabling them to ‘live the life’.