THE RED ARMY
manchester

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What are TRA are trying to achieve?We want to return the once famous atmosphere to Old Trafford and reclaim our title as the loudest fans in England. We believe that the only way to achieve this is to introduce a culture of loud, hostile support who are able to stand and sing together with their friends and like-minded Reds. In effect we would like to create an 'away fan' culture inside Old Trafford so that Reds can watch Utd next to their mates home one week, and away the next. We want this culture to be long lasting and available for future generations for many years to come. We are entirely independent from the club and all other supporters groups, trusts, fanzines and commercial organisations. To achieve our aims we make ourselves available to meet or talk with all key stakeholder groups and individuals who express a genuine interest in helping us improve the atmosphere. Our mantra is simple: Put your phone away, stand with your mates and sing for 90 minutes.
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What's the history of TRA?TRA has fought and won many battles with the club and continues to do so not just on behalf of the membership but the entire stadium. The aim is to future proof what we’ve built as we hand over to a younger generation of Reds in what we hope will become a self-sustaining, hostile atmosphere. Just some of TRA’s wins (among the hundreds of rejected requests by the club) are: - Drastically improving the atmosphere inside Old Trafford - Allowing groups of mates to stand together like they could years ago - Persuading the Club to allow standing for 90 minutes - Introducing cheap Youth Season Tickets (£15/match) - Slashing beer prices (stadium-wide) by introducing £3 pints - Reestablishing a genuine connection between fans and players - Subsidised local sports teams and donated to local charities - Created a community of passionate Legacy supporters inside the ground Throughout our existence, we have remained entirely independent from MUFC and are entirely self funded and managed.
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How is TRA funded?The TRA membership fee remains £5 for over 18s and free for u18s. How that money is utilised depends on membership numbers as always; surplus funds will be divided up between local good causes, TRA events and initiatives to improve the atmosphere.
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Where do TRA stand on the Glazers?TRA was formed in 2017 to try and improve the atmosphere inside OT and although we are all firmly against the Glazers’ ownership of the Club, continuing to improve the atmosphere remains the sole objective for those of us who run TRA. It’s important to understand that we aren’t in a position to claim that we represent the opinions of all our members and If anyone wants to protest against the Glazers then they are entirely within their rights to do so and this has always been the case. As has been demonstrated over the past few seasons and particularly of late, many of you have shown how you feel about the Glazers’ ownership of our Club & TRA have been by far the most vocal area within the ground during protests. This reiterates what we’ve always said - we have never been told by the Club what we can or cannot sing and protests, providing they are held within the ground regulations, are perfectly acceptable. In other words, if you want to protest peacefully and legally then there is nothing to prevent you doing so from within TRA. To summarise, those of us who run TRA are fully against the Glazer’s ownership of Utd and we have never met a single TRA member who felt differently. Because of their logo, many assumed that the 1958 group was run by us. We are not part of the 1958 but many of us have attended the protest marches that they organised. We have offered to help with their planning & ideas and will continue to support any group that is able to demonstrate a realistic, workable strategy that will result in the Glazers leaving the Club. We recommend that you direct all questions or ideas relating to the Glazers towards the 1958 group
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Do TRA get priority for Away Tickets?No, there is absolutely no truth in this rumour whatsoever. TRA have never approached The Club about receiving any type of priority for away tickets, we firmly believe that away ticket allocation should be handled by The Club and that the process should be done fairly and with no bias towards TRA or any other group or individual.
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TRA GroupsTRA members are able to watch the match alongside their mates, we manage this through the use of Groups. To create a Group a TRA member simply uses our online system to bring together their friends into a single Group. When a Group is successful in a TRA ballot, all members of the Group will be seated together. <link to video>
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Why is Filming banned in TRA?Filming IS not welcome in TRA areas since its inception in 2017. Filming inside a football ground is the antithesis of what TRA stand for, if you want to film yourself, your mates or the players then do not apply for TRA, you will not be made welcome as the vast majority of our members find the idea of filming at a football match highly offensive. Please respect the wishes of other TRA members and keep your phone away at all times.
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Can I bring my flag into SERSYes. The Club have finally agreed to TRA's request for an increase from the size of 2x1m to 3x3m flags that can be allowed into Old Trafford through the turnstiles on match-days. This means that providing your flag adheres to the rules outlined below, you may bring a flag up to 3x3m into the stadium through the turnstiles without having to first contact the Club. This makes Old Trafford the only stadium in Britain which allows flags of this size (all others set a limit of 2x1m) in through the turnstiles on match-day. This is a stadium wide change to existing ground regulations. Please note, all flags will be subject to a search & checks before being allowed entry. Club rules regarding flags Flags must not contain offensive, discriminatory, defamatory, illegal, commercial or political messaging / imagery. Flags must have a current fire safety certification attached and have a relevant fire compliance reference number
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Is there an age limit for TRA areas?TRA did set a lower age limit of 8 provided that children attend with a responsible adult due to the high likelihood of explicit language, aggressive nature of chants and often close physical proximity inside TRA areas but this is merely a guide, not a rule This season, all adults who wish to bring children aged under the age of 11 into TRA will be positioned together on one of the front rows of SERS. This is to ensure that children have an unobstructed view and to allow other members to enjoy being in TRA without having to worry about accidentally injuring a young child. If you are intending to attend with a child under the age of 11 please let us know using this link <>
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How many seats are in the TRA section & where is it?TRA are currently located in blocks W207-W205 in the Stretford End right-side (SERS) with an allocation of around 2500 seats. Until the 2024/25 season, TRA occupied 3800 seats in blocks W212-W206 but The Club took over 1000 seats away from TRA to create their own 'atmosphere' section, although this was almost certainly an attempt to control TRA, rather than to help improve the atmosphere and it came as no real surprise given the club's track record of only the atmosphere problem lip service. No doubt the club would dispute that though.
The Red Army: Returning a Formidable Atmosphere to Old Trafford
Manchester United’s fan culture and home atmosphere were once recognised and lauded by the media, fans, players and managers of Clubs across the world. As Manchester United’s largest independent fan group, made up of almost 6,000 Season Ticket holders and Club Members, we’re dedicated to helping return an authentic, sustainable, fan-led atmosphere back to Old Trafford and making it a fortress for our support once again.
Our Aim
To make Old Trafford the most vibrant, imposing, authentic football stadium in the Premier League. This can be achieved by a commitment to an “atmosphere-first” match-day between TRA, MUYSC, The Club and other significant Groups and individuals.
Authenticity & Tradition
We believe in a natural, sustainable atmosphere that is created and led entirely by the supporters. Utd fans pride themselves on originality and we want to continue leading, not following, when it comes to creating the best and most authentic football supporting environment in England.
Growth
TRA or similar sections should be at both ends of the stadium, including a significant presence adjacent to visiting supporters, ensuring that the home support dominates every corner of Old Trafford. The Club must continually help to reintroduce and grow the atmosphere across the entire stadium, whilst catering for the needs and wishes of United fans of all ages and backgrounds.
Youth
Priority should be given to the next generation of Reds to ensure that they are able to create their own, independent identity and lasting legacy, whilst staying true to our fan culture and traditions.
Dedicated Atmosphere Group
We would like to see the creation of a dedicated atmosphere group to submit, discuss and rule upon any suggestions or incentives relating to the atmosphere. The group should be able to respond to real-time decisions that the atmosphere often requires. The group would be comprised of representatives from TRA, MUYSC, and other relevant Groups or individuals and chaired by a Club employee well versed in the traditions and intricacies of our fan culture.
Match-Day Agreement
The Club should continue to respect and uphold the agreements in place regarding match-day operations relating to the atmosphere and the match-day ‘experience’. Regular post-match briefings should be used to discuss how the MDA is working in practice.
Collaboration
TRA are always open to working alongside groups or individuals who have the fans’ interests at heart and are prepared to share an honest and transparent dialogue.
MUFC Community
We use our position as a positive influence in the MUFC community wherever possible, supporting a number of charities, sponsoring local athletes and grass roots sports clubs, backing initiatives such as the Jimmy Murphy Statue campaign and the Duncan Edwards Museum and offering assistance to our members or any Reds who may require it.
Problem statement
The views of many supporters who care deeply about the atmosphere and the historical fan culture of match-going Manchester United fans, are not effectively or proportionally represented to The Club.
Proposal
A new position of Fan Culture & Atmosphere rep is created on the Fans Forum.
The new representative(s) primary role would be to ensure that the views of match-going and ‘time-served’ supporters, some of who may no longer attend matches but still have a deep attachment to The Club, are fully represented in any matters relating to the atmosphere and fan culture.
What is Fan Culture?
Each Club has its own unique and well established set of behaviours, personality and philosophies, grown organically by the supporters themselves over many generations.
Fan culture is extremely important, particularly to match going supporters and is an essential part of not just the match-day itself, but often extending into the lives of the supporters who view themselves as belonging to it. Fan culture should never be directly driven or influenced by The Club or anyone not directly part of the match-going fanbase, instead, The Club should encourage the protection of historical fan culture as well as the development of new ideas that are presented to them by the match-going supporters who consider fan culture & atmosphere to be a priority.
What about Manchester United Supoorters Trust (MUST)?
MUST’s position within The Club is both well established and well understood and we wish them well in their pursuit of representing not just the match-going supporters in certain areas, but also the opinions of the wider, international fanbase. Our requirement is for representation of a very particular type of supporter who care deeply about the atmosphere and United’s historical & future fan culture and who’s views are too important not to have their own, independent and dedicated representation with The Club.
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In April 2024, following growing concerns regarding the future of the atmosphere and fan culture inside Old Trafford and within the league in general, we contacted the Club’s Director of Fan Engagement to request his support in the creation of a new position on the Fans Forum for an ‘Atmosphere & Fan Culture rep’.
We were told that this was a decision that would require Omar’s approval and we would have to wait until he was able to address this request personally. As a compromise, we were offered one of the vacant ST rep roles but felt that doing so might lessen the chance of The Club doing what we considered to be the right thing in creating the much needed independent Atmosphere & Fan Culture position.
In the meantime, we reached out to MUST and requested that they support the idea of the new rep or reps, given that the atmosphere & fan culture feature so highly on the list of concerns of many match-going Reds. Their response was that whilst they did not believe they were in a position to influence such a decision, in principle they disagreed with it, citing that the atmosphere and fan culture were too important to have their own representative on the fans forum and that these two areas should instead be shared among all the existing reps.
Finally, after the positivity generated by Omar’s initial statement to the supporters that he was looking forward to working with all fan groups to ensure their views and feedback are heard, we contacted him direct and asked him to support our request
Last week TRA received a response from Omar ( below). Whilst our request has been refused at this stage, we remain optimistic that Omar won’t be discouraged from meeting with us to discuss our concerns and ideas for the atmosphere in the near future.
Thank you for your email, and for the support The Red Army give to the team. I know that will include many hours of unpaid effort each week and it is much appreciated.
Old Trafford should always have the best atmosphere in the country and it is important we keep working to facilitate it where we can. It makes a difference to on-field performance and if done in the right way also improves the matchday experience for fans. I would encourage you to keep working with the club, and other fan groups, to identify ways to improve things and to ensure all fans get a voice in this important area.
I believe fan culture and heritage is something that is the responsibility of all fans. And in specific relation to the Fans’ Forum, all fan representatives. I do not think it should fall on one person to solely advise or champion this and I think what makes Manchester United the greatest club in the world is our fanbase and the incredible loyalty and passion we have both here in Manchester but also all over the world. I believe all the current Fans’ Forum reps are long-standing season ticket holders / members (with a combined tenure of hundreds of years) and are all very passionate about preserving the legacy of the club as well as ensuring we move with the times in the right way. They all make up what our fan culture is and having many different aspects to that is what makes it so powerful.
Manchester United’s Fans’ Forum, and our Fans’ Advisory Board, has a very high reputation across the Premier League and I am looking forward to engaging with it and ensuring it retains the full support of the senior management team going forwards.
If there are specific projects or pieces of work where we need additional input from fan groups around fan/culture/legacy items – as I believe the club did with the Jimmy Murphy statue which TRA were part of along with other groups – then we can also pull together a working group to help shape that.
We will keep the composition of the Fans’ Forum under review and ensure it remains a representative and collaborative body.
I am looking forward to being at Old Trafford this week for our opening game and am sure The Red Army will be in full voice supporting the players and cheering us on to victory.
Best wishes
Omar
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In 2024, TRA we were given information that led us to believe TRA has been classified as a ‘risk group’.
We have been advised that any group being classified as ‘risk’ at football could have serious implications for the group or anyone who belongs to it as being branded as ‘risk’ in football only means one thing – ‘hooligan’. The implication being that as a member of a ‘risk’ group of football fans, you are now more likely to be subject to prejudicial treatment should you come to the attention of authorities at or around football, for any reason.
We take our members’ welfare very seriously and don’t believe you, your families or friends, deserve to be discriminated against merely because you want to passionately support United
On Tuesday night an emergency meeting was held at Hotel Football with 25 representatives of the 400+ Fixed Group members and a decision not to run TRA for the Crystal Palace League Cup and Galatasaray games, under present conditions, was voted for unanimously.
The Club warned us that they may instead attempt to run an ‘atmosphere section’ without TRA. We would prefer that instead of attempting to create their own ‘atmosphere’, they would support all of our, and your, ongoing efforts and initiatives to improve the atmosphere.
We’ll release more information as soon as we have it, in the meantime, TRA will be running for the remaining 8 league games as the seat moves for these games have already been processed by The Club. If you are a Youth ST holder and are concerned you may be split from a family member or someone you need to be seated with for these cup games, we’d advise that you contact The Club immediately.
We are currently waiting for a detailed explanation and satisfactory resolution in time for us to run the ballot for the Copenhagen match, which The Club require from us by the 18th September. We trust that the rest of you feel as strongly as we all do about TRA, trust this decision and stand with us for the longer term good of the atmosphere and, just as importantly, the perception of YOU as an individual and TRA as a group.
An emergency meeting was held at Hotel Football with 25 representatives of the 400+ Fixed Group members after TRA were once again classified as a ‘risk’ group. The decision not to run TRA for the Crystal Palace League Cup and Galatasaray games, under present conditions, was voted for unanimously.
This decision was taken against a long-standing backdrop of setbacks and refusals that have severely hindered our attempts to improve the atmosphere over the past 7 years.
We are currently waiting for a detailed explanation and satisfactory resolution in time for us to run the ballot for the Copenhagen match, which The Club require from us by the 18th September.
TRA were once again classed as a ‘risk group’ by the Licensing Authority. We take this extremely seriously because as many of you will know, being a member of a group of fans classed as ‘risk’ can only mean one thing in football and could have serious implications for the group or anyone who belongs to it. We take our members’ welfare very seriously and don’t believe you, your families or friends deserve to be discriminated against merely because you want to passionately support United.
TRA’s objective, as you should all know, has always been to return the atmosphere to the entire stadium and not just a single stand or area. It’s well known that the best atmosphere is created when two sets of fans are close to each other and 6 years ago, we requested for the first time that away fans should be relocated into ET2 and that L-Stand should be made available for Reds who wanted to help improve the atmosphere. Combining a loud presence in L-Stand with a reinvigorated Stretford End, both in SERS and in Tier 2, is an essential first step for anyone at The Club who is taking the atmosphere problem seriously.
Unfortunately, despite several successful ‘trials’ where TRA were in L-Stand and away fans in ET2, this option has since been mystifyingly ruled out due to ‘safety concerns’ and away fans, for the time being, remain in their current location directly above our disabled section and as a result, the atmosphere at the east end of the stadium continues to be dominated by the away fans.
Last season, we managed to persuade The Club to allow TRA use of A-Stand (S229) for the games against Bournemouth, Forest, Palace and Barcelona. Following the Barcelona match, TRA were classed as a ‘risk group’ by the local council on the advice of GMP.
As we were refused access to any of the conversations and people involved in the decision, we asked The Club to challenge it on our behalf and eventually received assurance that the ‘risk’ label had been removed and that A-stand would again be made available for all Cup games for the 23-24 season, irrespective of the opposition, which we viewed as a welcome, positive step towards reigniting the atmosphere at the east end of the stadium.
This season, Palace offered the first chance for TRA to use A-Stand, both in the league and in the Cup as they have failed to sell their allocation for both matches. However, we have been advised that the ‘licensing authority’ have once again refused TRA the use of A-Stand for the Palace & Galatasaray games.
The Club warned us that they may instead attempt to run an ‘atmosphere section’ without TRA. We would prefer that instead of attempting to create their own ‘atmosphere’, they would take an even firmer stand with the local authorities and support all of our, and your, ongoing efforts to improve the atmosphere.
We hope that the rest of you feel as strongly as we all do about TRA, trust this decision and stand with us for the longer term good of the atmosphere and, just as importantly, the perception of YOU as an individual and TRA as a group.
It is possible that you will receive an email from the club asking if you want to be moved into SERS for one of these games (they cannot move you without permission). Our ask of you is to ignore the call/email and fully support the unfortunate, but necessary stance we're having to take. We're proud of what we've achieved so far and like to think we have proven to you all that we know what we're doing over the past 7 seasons.
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In 2024, Premier League clubs voted on whether to scrap VAR.
We believed that whilst there may an argument for a future system that delivers an automated and instantaneous decision directly to the referee, any Club vote regarding VAR, or a system based on VAR must be against its continuation or introduction.
These are the reasons why:
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VAR was not asked for by the Fans
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The Fans were not consulted
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VAR is not wanted by the majority of Fans
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VAR is not needed
Beyond these facts though, the real damage that VAR has inflicted upon the game is that Fans are no longer able to celebrate a goal in the same manner that they were able to before VAR was imposed upon us. Without this intangible but powerful emotion attached to supporting a football club, many of us will continue to fall further out of love with the ‘beautiful game’ and ultimately, may walk away forever.
After polling thousands of our members, the results showed that over 95% of them wanted VAR to be scrapped.
We therefore urged Manchester United to vote ‘YES’ to scrapping VAR, unfortunately, as with almost all major decisions that impact the supporters, the club did not listen to the fans wishes.
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