There’s been a lot of talk (maybe, maybe too much talk) outside Salford Lads Club about whether or not the big chinned Mancunian is a United supporter. Whilst he’s never really said either way, it’s fair to say that United played a fair part in Stephen Patrick’s life. During the early says of The Smiths, the Stretford born singer told NME: "I once bought a Manchester United hat, which I think was 12 shillings, and somebody ran up behind me and pulled it off and just ran ahead. I thought, 'It's a very cruel world, I'm not prepared for this'. And I decided to get my revenge on society."

Moz’s dad was apparently quite a player in his day and a big United fan. Moz attended Old Trafford with his father and was on good terms with some junior players who lodged next door. It’s reported in Johnny Rogan’s excellent Smith’s book The Severed Alliance, that soon after Munich, Moz senior was rebuked by his Dublin buddies for not taking trials with United when they were seen to need players of his quality. He’d already passed trials at Bury.

The last time Moz went to Old Trafford was in 1993. Unfortunately it was nothing to do with United but was to see Benn boxing Eubank. Also, it’s difficult to take seriously claims that Moz is a United fan due to the fact that during his Boxers tour of 1995 he was seen to wear, on different nights, a 60’ style Sheffield Wednesday shirt, a 70’s style Blackburn shirt (in Blackpool for some reason), a vintage Newcastle United shirt and has been seen wearing old-style West Ham shirts all over the place.

When asked by infamous scouse media whore Janice Long, late last year, “So what do you think about Man U?” Moz replied, very matter of fact, “I’m just not interested”. Moz does however claim to be into football having enthused in 1997,
"Football is actually one of those things that make you shiver, an out-of-the-body feeling, that makes me float in a very childish way. If I have an ambition, that is being more interested in sports, I think it’s fantastic."

Mark E Smith has accused Morrissey of getting into football because it was trendy to do so – The Fall lead singer had had a go at Morrissey’s song, ‘We’ll Let You Know’ (from 1992’s album Your Arsenal) - a song seemingly about football fans (sample line: “We're all smiles/Then, honest, I swear, it's the turnstiles/That make us hostile”). Smith was quoted as saying people like Morrissey and the ‘suits’ in the industry all claimed to love football in the 90’s but these same people turned their noses up at him for going to the match in the 70’s and 80’s. But, rather rumly, Morrissey appeared to borrow this very sentiment from Mark E Smith when he complained in 1998, "It has become so trendy, loving football, everybody writes football books and make football movies. Suddenly I meet people who are trying to be sophisticated pop-musicologians and talk about ‘the scent of grass.’"

If it’s uncertain whether or not Moz has a fondness for United, it’s definite that Moz was a great admirer of Eric. On his Boxers tour of 1993, Moz wrote both ‘Eric’ and ‘Cantona’ on his tambourine and stated from the stage at his London gig, “Since you keep mentioning him, I thought he was completely innocent, however….I could be completely wrong.”

One thing is certain though – the lowest chart entry Moz has ever had for single was his 1997 release Roy’s Keen – the track was also used on Keane’s DVD, ‘As I See it’.

Conrad Murray
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• Related item: Morrissey featured in United We Stand football fanzine - Mar. 5, 2003