When Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to give a 15-year-old youth academy player his Premiership debut at the back end of the 1999/00, he was thwarted by the Premier League suits. It was to be the first in a long list of disappointments to befall Darren Fletcher. Last week, Manchester United’s most improved player was forced to watch from the stand as Barcelona’s Xavi and Andreas Iniesta toyed with his team-mates. Many in the media wondered aloud how much he was missed, proving a remarkable turnaround for a much maligned figure at Old Trafford.

Fletcher carried the unenviable tag ‘the new David Beckham’, and at just 16 was a regular in United’s reserve team, drawing praise from all corners. Former United favourite Paddy Crerand even called him “the best thing to come out of Scotland in years”.

“The boy has wonderful vision. He can carry the ball, he can pass it and he can shoot. He scored one goal, a thundering effort, and there was hardly any back-lift before the shot. He has superb balance… he’s going to be huge,” the 1968 European Cup winner said.

Unfortunately a series of injuries, including a serious knee problem, rather than the weight of expectation, hampered his progress. His run to the first team arrived in 2002/03 with a couple of appearances from the substitutes bench in the Champions League, but it wasn’t until the 2003/04 season that Fletcher made his bow in the Premier League. He helped United to a 4-0 victory against Leicester City on debut and made 22 league appearances. He also finished his breakthrough season with an FA Cup winner’s medal.

The tragedy throughout Fletcher’s career has been the fan’s reactions. They didn’t share Ferguson’s enthusiasm for consistently including him in the team, and Roy Keane even singled him out for criticism during his infamous canned MUTV interview. “I can’t understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher,” Keane said in the wake of United’s 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. Fletcher went some way to proving his critics wrong by scoring the goal that ended Chelsea’s 40-match unbeaten league run. But in the three seasons since breaking into the first team he had few fans, despite notching up 18, 27 and 24 league appearances.

It was during the 7-1 victory over Roma in the 2006/07 Champions League that Fletcher showed glimpses of his ability to be the fulcrum in midfield. Always a good passer, he rarely wasted a ball and hassled and harried all over the pitch, disturbing Roma’s rhythm. However, the arrival of Owen Hargreaves and Anderson seemed to suggest his squad status was diminishing, as Ferguson added steel to the midfield. There was talk of a transfer to Everton, but nothing materialised. Instead, he waited patiently and grasped every opportunity given. His finest performance in a United shirt up to that point was undoubtedly the FA Cup Fourth Round victory over Arsenal. Not only did he score two goals in the 4-0 route, but he had Cesc Fabregas chasing his shadow for 90 minutes.No meant feat.

This season Fletcher really emerged, turning those glimpses of authority into a feature of his game. He emerged as United’s most consistent central midfielder, not afraid to get stuck in and do the hard yards. He developed a ruthless tenacity and fighting qualities that had been missing; rushing at opponents, closing space, and providing drive in possession. In the embryonic stages of this season he scored the goals that earned a misfiring United four valuable early points - an opening day equaliser against Newcastle and the only strike in the win at Portsmouth. It’s drawing a long bow to say Fletcher’s goals won United the title, but their importance cannot be understated.

Nor can his absence from the Champions League final line-up. It’s a brave man who suggests United would have won had Fletcher played, but it’s safe to say he would have chased down every pass, put pressure on Barcelona’s midfield duo and, most importantly, would have sought to deny them the space they relished to play ‘tic-tac’. Ferguson’s belief in his fellow Scot paid off this season, and his emergence as an important cog in the Manchester United machine had even the most ardent critics woofing down humble pie.

As Question marks remain over Hargreaves’ fitness, and doubts over Anderson linger following his feeble no show in Rome, the mantle of United’s chief midfield destroyer is now Fletcher’s to lose. Given the way he fought back to win his place in the starting XI, and put in the fantastic performances that kept him there, it’s a fairly safe bet we’ll be seeing more of the same next season.

We are pleased to confirm that MUSC WA headquarters will be opening its doors at midnight on Wednesday May 27th, with the final kicking off at 02:45 (May 28th) local time.

As per usual, this will be members and members’ guests only. Memberships will be available on the night.

Where: 11 Spring Park Road, Midland, WA
When: 27th/28th May 2009. Doors open midnight, kick-off 02:45pm WST

With the early kick-off suiting the Perth timezone, the supporters group will be getting together for the home game against Liverpool.

When: March 14th 2009, 9pm (ish)
Where: MUSC WA Headquarters, Midland

We want to build a meaningful supporters branch for WA-based Reds, and the Midland HQ is a part of that vision. Instead of fighting for space with bands, opposition supporters, part-timers and hangers-on, we are aiming to create a culture of “members and members guests - including the occasional away fan”, providing a genuinely exclusive environment for members.

We are also seeking feedback from supporters about the potential of running a bus to make the trip to Midland a little easier. The venue is a short walk from Midland train station, but the idea of a bus was suggested recently.

Assuming we have the numbers, and assuming we can choose a suitably convenient location for a large number of people (The Old Bailey in Joondalup is current favourite) - there is potential to have a bus leave Joondalup about an hour before kick-off, and return after the game. It has been suggested that we might be able to achieve this for somewhere betwen $10 and $20 per head. I don’t know about you, but that’s cheaper than my train and taxi costs for a typical night in Northbridge.

We would maybe look at this as an ongoing thing, and maybe even getting a better price because of that - but we need people to get involved and let their opinions be known.

I encourage all supporters to head over to our Facebook pages now, and discuss these issues.

Keep the Faith!

Next gathering of MUSC WA will be for the away game against ciddy at the Boo Camp

When: 30 November 2008 at 22:00 approx.
Where: Carbon Sports Bar, Burswood Casino

See you there! UNITED!

With the celebrations from May fading slowly into past memories, season 08/09 is upon us already.

While we have been a little slow off the mark, MUSCWA is alive, kicking, and organising a get-together for the away game to the scousers.

Details are currently being sorted, but we’re trying to set something up with the Lucky Shag, down by the Perth foreshore.

All being well, we should have a reasonable gathering, and membership forms available on the night!
This will be our first experience of a non-exclusive venue, so fingers crossed all goes well. Who knows, we may even get some friendly banter with some deluded scouse supporters!

Where: TBA
When: Sep 13th. Kick off is 12:45pm BST - 19:45 WST

We are pleased to confirm that MUSC WA headquarters will be opening its doors at midnight on May 21st, with the final kicking off at 02:45 (May 22nd).

The plan is to get into the mood with the Treble season video (or something similar), so it’ll be great to see a good crowd building well before kick-off.

Get your memberships sorted now and it’ll make things a little more straightforward on the night. There will be membership forms floating around at the venue, so don’t panic if you forget.

Opposition fans, or neutrals are welcome to come along as guests of branch members (or those who will become members) - but they need to be aware that this is a United venue. We certainly won’t be encouraging random walk-ups of individuals or groups of chelski supporters!

Where: 11 Spring Park Road, Midland, WA
When: 21st/22nd May 2008. Doors open midnight, kick-off 02:45pm WST

We’ve created the MUSCWA Facebook group, so come and join us for online discussion, picture/video sharing, and all that jazz.

Membership fees for the supporters club have been set at $10 for individuals, and $15 for families, where generally a family will consist of Dad, Mum and kids.

Members will also need to join the main membership scheme, One United. This aspect is essential from our club’s perspective as it is only through One United enrolments that we can achieve official status.
One United membership provides various benefits to members, including an annual membership pack which generally includes the Man Utd season book and a few other goodies.

As we are almost at the end of the current season, branch members are encouraged to take out One United membership for next season.
Achieving official status will allow us, in the future, to apply for One United memebrship renewals with a single bulk application.
This should make life a little easier for everyone.

To join the branch, please download the application form here and either bring it along on April 26th, or send it to the PO Box address.

Please support the branch, and remember that the more people that join, the sooner we will become a full-fledged branch recognised by the club we all love.

United supporters are cordially invited to gather together for the game against Chelsea later this month. As a potential “title decider” this will be one of our big games at the business end of the season. This is also the first opportunity for local Reds to show their support for the team, and the supporters group.

What: Chelsea v Manchester United
Where: 11 Spring Park Road, Midland, WA
When: 26th April 2008. Kick-off 7:45pm WST

We will be there from around 6:30pm, so come and be part of the pre-match atmosphere. Hope to see you there!

N.B. Chelsea fans willing to engage in friendly banter are welcome, so bring along any sad chelski mates you have.

Grab a flyer here and help spread the word.

Following the recent gathering to commemorate the Munich Air Crash 50th Anniversary, and several subsequent discussions, Western Australia has a Manchester United Supporters group again. Initially on an unofficial basis, our aim is to meet the criteria necessary to become an official branch affiliated with Manchester United.

For now, the plan is to get together to watch United games, have a laugh and a beer with fellow Reds, and build from there.

Minutes from the initial meeting are available here.