UNITED we stand
ERIC CANTONA looks at four decades of Manchester United’s history
NEW
SPORT
The United Way
Monday, Sky Documentaries, 9pm
MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL club has come a long way from its humble beginnings in England’s industrial north at the end of the 19th century.
While many famous players and managers have come and gone, the club’s most successful era began with the arrival of the charismatic and controversial striker Eric Cantona in1992. In The United Way, the Frenchman looks back over United’s modern history, from the tragedy of the1958 Munich air disaster to1999’s historic treble under manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Cantona, who turns 55 this week, also opens up about his football career. TV & Satellite Week caught up with him to find out more...
WHY DID YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS FILM? I think it’s important for the new generation to know the history of Manchester United. The club’s energy was inspired by a lot of things – it’s built on both tragedy and success, and this film is also the story of a city. Manchester is a working-class, industrial city, and it’s also an inspiring one for many musicians and artists.
HOW IMPORTANT WAS SIR ALEX FERGUSON IN PERSUADING YOU TO JOIN THE CLUB FROM LEEDS UNITED IN 1992? Sir Alex had confidence in me, and he helped me to be myself on the pitch, which helped the team to win.
WHAT DO YOU RECALL ABOUT THE 1998-99 TREBLE-WINNING SEASON? We won the league title for the first time in 26 years, and then we won the FA Cup, but the main goal was to win the Champions League.
MANCHESTER UNITED TRIED TO JOIN THE EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE RECENTLY. DO YOU FEEL ‘THE UNITED WAY’ IS BEING LOST? The decision to join the European Super League, it’s not at all the United Way. The United Way is the reaction of the fans, who need to be respected.
ANOTHER UNITED LEGEND IS PROFILED IN George Best: True Genius, WEDNESDAY, BT SPORT1 HD,10.45PM