Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Bahraini ‘die-hard’ Manchester United fans are rallying followers on the island to form an official supporters club.
The mighty English Premier League champions, known as The Red Devils, has not only won the title 12 times but the hearts of many in the kingdom, particularly school chums Hisham Al Kooheji, 24, and Bader Radhi, 26.
Al Kooheji has been an avid fan since 2003 and he thought it was about time Bahrain had an official club for all United fanatics to share.
He said: “I got injured while playing football with my friends so I had a lot of free time on my hands during which I started reading about supporters’ clubs in other countries. There are more than 200 clubs around the world with privileges to ticket access, monthly newsletters and more.
“I also found out that if you gathered 100 supporters together you can apply for a visit from a player or representative of the club. I know there are a lot of fans in Bahrain and I thought we should have a proper club where we can all meet under one roof and support the team we love.”
Al Kooheji contacted Manchester United executives in the UK to find out the details of how to form an official club and then created a Facebook group to gather more support. He added: “For us to become recognised as an official club, we need a minimum of 50 United members or season ticket holders. You can become a registered United member by logging on to their website.
“Once we have gathered enough constituents we then will send a proposal and explain why we want to be a club and what we hope to accomplish.”
Radhi came across the Facebook group and immediately volunteered to help in any way he could. He said: “Initially I thought Al Kooheji was just trying to get people together to watch the games but then I realised he was actually working on setting up an official supporters club.
“This was an opportunity I could not pass up. I have been a true red since 1997, even though my father is an Arsenal supporter.
“I love the club’s rich history, their style of football and the way the players always gel together as a team. Even when new young players join they don’t take long to settle in.
“I am one of the lucky ones because I had the chance to visit the club’s Old Trafford stadium in England. It was such an amazing feeling and I got a huge adrenaline rush. There were more than 75,000 fans sharing the same level of passion and love for the team, all singing the same anthem. It was a crazy feeling to be part of such a huge following. I would love to see the same level of passion and enthusiasm here.”
Al Kooheji, the chairman, and Radhi, the treasurer of the Manchester United Bahrain Supporters Club, are still on the hunt for a few more members in order to become officially recognised. Al Kooheji said: “We currently have 40 members as well as a few that have given us their details and are in the process of registering. All-in-all, it’s looking very promising.
“Our members are of different nationalities such as Bahraini, Indian, Jordanian, Turkish and British. We also have a mix of guys and girls, my wife Nadia Noor, included! We are forming a Manchester United community and we do not discriminate. As long as you love the team you are welcome to join.”
The club will offer monthly newsletters from Manchester United and aim to organise local football tournaments and events. Radhi explained: “It’s truly worthwhile and will have so much fun. We hope to form group trips and even end-of-the-season functions like barbecues and gatherings.
“We will also be able to notify fans of future happenings in Bahrain such as the recent VIVA promotion in which football enthusiasts had the chance of meeting two of United’s legends at Bahrain City Centre.”
Manchester United fans waited for hours to meet retired star striker Andrew Cole and recent visitor, defender Denis Irwin, who has travelled to Bahrain on a similar promotional tour.
Radhi added: “Although I was in line for an hour, I had no problems waiting for this opportunity and would have waited longer!”
Al Kooheji’s cousin Mohammed, 24, who has volunteered to be secretary of the supporters club in Bahrain, was one of the three lucky VIVA raffle winners to receive a signed Manchester United jersey.
He said: “I have been a fan of the team since I was 12. It feels good to be able to shake the players’ hands and while you may have so much to say to them that isn’t always possible when you meet them in person because you get completely tongue-tied, as I was!”
For more information on how to become a member of the Manchester United Bahrain Supporters Club email muscbh@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/manutdbahrain
