United-City shirt swap for Children in Need
Posted: Friday, 18th November 2011
Brian, Des and Marion swap shirts
DIEHARD football fans from the Business School are risking wrath and ridicule by stripping off their team colours and donning their rivals’ shirts to raise money for Children in Need today.
For true-blue Manchester City fans Brian Leigh and Marion Cadwallader, and hardcore Manchester United devotee Des O’Brien, crossing the divide and pulling on ‘that’ shirt will take more than just a sharp intake of breath.
Brian, a senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance, has been a City fan for four decades and supported them resolutely through the good (but mostly bad) times. Neither he, nor his two sons, ever wear anything red and do not patronise any of United’s sponsors.
“I didn’t force them into supporting City, but they knew what was right from an early age,” said Prestwich Blue Brian. “When he was eight, one of my sons did go along to a junior school training day at United and broke his finger so he learnt the hard way that only pain and misery can come from Old Trafford.”
Donations to dull the suffering!
Accounting and Finance assistant administrator Marion from Didsbury is putting 35 years of City loving, United hating, devotion behind her to wear the emblem of her foes for the first – and definitely last - time.
“I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than put the United shirt on,” said Marion. “But for a good cause like Children in Need I’ll do it for just one working day - 8.45am to 4.30pm and no longer!”
Meanwhile United-loving house foreman Des O’Brien is going to suffer in Blue for the day: “I grew up in Moss Side not a stone’s throw from Maine Road. I used to see City one week and United the next but soon saw the light. I have to wear a blue shirt as part of my uniform and it kills me but I’ve loved giving Brian and Marion plenty of stick over the years, and long may it continue!”
Together, Brian, Marion and Des are hoping to raise £200 for Children in Need and will start to wear their opponent’s shirt once that target has been reached. Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/aytounderby or by making a donation at reception or the Student Information Point at Aytoun.