Berwick branch of Manchester United's Supporters' Clubs gets VIP treatment on special day

Margaret Walker, far right, and other members of the supporters' club with Bryan Robson and the special commemorative shirt. Picture: Manchester United

The Berwick branch of Manchester United’s Supporters’ Clubs was invited pitchside to celebrate its 30-year anniversary before Manchester United’s home game against Wolves in May where they enjoyed a reception with ex-players Bryan Robson and Gary Pallister, before being presented with a special commemorative United shirt.

Branch secretary Margaret Walker has been with the group from the start and said the occasion was extra-special because a lot of the original group members were at the game.

The club also made a special video for the supporters featuring players past and present, which reduced Margaret to tears because she was “over-awed with emotion”.

The club came into being after supporters from the area realised they were going to games individually and it made more sense to hire a coach and go as a group.

The first meeting to gauge interest attracted more than 50 people, with the group becoming an official supporters club in 1993.

Margaret said: “We’ve got a cross-section of supporters – there are people that come from Scotland, because this is the best place to get a pick-up for them.

“I’ve got a lot of people from Ashington, where Bobby Charlton’s from.

“For a 3pm kick-off, we leave Berwick at about 7.30am, and then we’ve got an inordinate amount of stops. We don’t deviate off the A1 so people come to us.

“We’ll pick up at Washington, Stannington, Bosworth and even Wetherby, in Yorkshire.”

Margaret starts making plans for each trip two months in advance to make sure everything goes off without a hitch and said: “It’s a full-time job, with my other job.

“People might only come to one game a season; that doesn’t bother me, it’s the satisfaction you get when people who have come for years come back with their children and their grandchildren.”

She has high hopes for the new season and said: “We’ve got the right manager and we’re moving in the right direction, it’s onwards and upwards.”

People wishing to go to a game with BMUSC have to be a Manchester United member.

The club’s contact details are available on the website: www.manutd.com and it has a Facebook page Manchester United Supporters Club – Berwick Branch.