Some info about Natalie Burrell from the MU Women Supporters Club who joined us on the podcast this week:
https://offsiderulepodcast.com/2019...one-fans-commitment-to-help-make-it-possible/
Burrell remembers her first experience supporting the girls at Leigh Sports Village, right back at the very start of the season in their first home game against Reading. Although the team didn’t win that day, it was the players’ engagement with the fans that caught Burrell’s attention. At the end of the game, the players came over to thank the fans personally – something Burrell had never witnessed during a football game before.
“I thought ‘this is a bit strange’ because you don’t get that in a men’s game. You don’t get that interaction.”
And it wasn’t just a first game appreciation from the girls – the players continued to interact with fans at matches and across social media, replying to tweets and sharing fans’ own photos. It’s become common occurrence for both the coaches and the players to approach the fans, showing their appreciation both on and off the pitch.
“Whether it’s your first time or your fifth time or whether you’re there every game, they come over and chat to everyone” she assures.
“It’s more engagement and that’s why I go all the time – that’s why I feel more connected to them.”
Bringing a new team into an environment where there is already a significant lack of support can be a challenging task for anyone. And in terms of the fanbase, there was an uncertainty in how it would all come together.
“Because it’s a new team, no one knew anyone” Burrell admits – it wasn’t like the men’s where becoming a part of the community is as easy as going down to the local pub.”
Therefore, Burrell’s first task was to attempt to transfer any men’s team supporters over to support the women’s team, as well as adding in any newcomers to the existing fanbase.
She was pleasantly surprised at how many ‘hardcore reds’ were quickly taking a liking for the women’s side and it became apparent that the passionate united supporters would gather at any given opportunity to support their club – men or women. Soon, more and more people wanted to get involved in the action and Burrell started organising the transport for away matches to see the girls.
“It just started off as five of us in a car” Burrell admits, but now there’s enough for her to organise mini buses of around 18 people, and she doesn’t expect the number to stop there.
If you do happen to follow United’s women’s team, then you’ve most certainly come across the term ‘barmy army’ – a nickname used to describe the support system the women now currently have. Of course, it was Burrell who was responsible in bringing the first ever barmy army flag to the women’s matches which read ‘Sam Platt’s barmy army’ after an old matchday pub. Since then, the name has stuck and all the women supporters, as well as the players themselves, have joyfully adopted the nickname.
“For the women’s side that’s what we call each other” Burrell confirms, “because we’re just mad- we’re barmy!”
