50 SHADES OF GREY

The day United changed their shirts at half-time... because they couldn’t pick each other out at The Dell!

SECOND HALF Giggs in United’s blue and white shirt

THERE have been precious few grey days for Manchester United on the road this season – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side having won every fixture they have played away from Old Trafford.

But mention Southampton at The Dell in April 1996, and the blues will descend on even the hardiest United fan.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side arrived on the south coast in a midst of a run of 11 wins in 12 matches – a record which helped them to erode the 12- point lead that Newcastle had built up by the turn of the year.

What followed would become the stuff of Premier League legend. For all the wrong reasons.

The visitors – who had been pipped to the league title by Blackburn Rovers the previous season – ran out in their now infamous grey shirts, confident that they could take another giant step towards the title.

As it was, Dave Merrington’s Southampton side stuck the boot in and left United’s grey shirted players red- faced with embarrassment.

And it wasn’t United’s No.7 Eric Cantona who was running the show, but the man known locally as ‘Le God’.

While the soon-to-becrowned champions squinted in the spring sunshine, Matt Le Tissier appeared to have 20/20 vision as the home side sprinted into a 3- 0 half-time lead.

It forced Fergie (above) to take dramatic action.

“The players said that they couldn’t pick each other out wearing the grey shirts,” he fumed at the final

FIRST HALF

Ryan Giggs in the troublesome grey shirts that caused a visual problem for the United players

whistle. “We’ve had a great relationship with Umbro and have had for many years now.

“But they said they were having difficulty finding each other.”

For 45 minutes it was the blind leading the blind.

“To be fair, we were ere excellent,” says Francis s Benali, who was part of an untroubled backline that afternoon. “They said they couldn’t see each other after, but they y wouldn’t have got near us in blue shirts, red shirts, purple shirts!”

Ken Monkou bagged the first before Neil Shipperley notched a second on 23 minutes. With two minutes to go before half-time, Le Tissier crowned his majestic first-half display with a third.

“When you have a player of his calibre scoring goals, it gives everybody else extra belief,” said Merrington. “The past three

GREY DAY Matthew Le Tissier ran the show for Southampton in 1996

seasons his goals have kept us in the Premier League. I want a team with Le Tiss in top form, a unit rather than a one-man band.”

With the Channel Islander at his mercurial best, the calls for him to be included in Terry Vena Venables’ England squad for E Euro 96 were reaching deafening proportions.

“I agreed with Kevin Keegan that we need players of quality because we can learn from them and improve,” said Merrington. “Matt is off the top shelf.”

Having run out after the break in blue and white shirts, things did improve marginally for United.

A goal from Ryan Giggs a minute from time, though, was scant consolation for the club’s travelling fans.

Their half-time switch resulted in a £10,000 fine from the FA. But by the time they had been crowned champions on the final day – courtesy of a 3- 0 win against Middlesbrough – that grey day had been consigned to history.

Fergie later described it as the best £10,000 he had ever spent.

Le Tissier, meanwhile, told Sky Sports TV after the game that he hadn’t even realised United had changed kits!