Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he and his teammates approved the song ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ to be played before matches at Old Trafford, as they thought it would help improve the atmosphere. This season, United have often played the song just before kick-off, a change that fans have embraced, joining in with some passionate renditions. United fans have sung the song for years, but this season, the decision to play it at Old Trafford has paid off.
The adapted lyrics – “Take me home, United Road, to the place I belong. To Old Trafford, to see United, take me home, United Road” – have struck a chord with supporters. Fernandes spoke at a Q&A session with fans and explained the key role he played in the radical shift in United’s pre-match routine. The skipper said, “I think it’s a song that everyone knows in the dressing room, so it’s a popular song for us in the dressing room, and the understanding we had from the outside was that it’s one of the most popular songs for the club. I think the lyrics, at home, work well, so everything together, we thought it would be a good thing.”
He continued, “Obviously, we don’t want to make it as something we do because other teams do it, but we felt it’s something that the players… we spoke with certain players and said ‘what do you think about this, how would you feel about having this before the game, would it give you a push, lift you a little bit, what are your thoughts?'”
Fernandes emphasized the significance of the song, drawing parallels to his experiences in Portugal, where unique anthems are common. “For example, in Portugal, it is very natural that everyone has their own song, we call it an anthem. Everyone puts the song before the game starts and, as the referee whistles, they put the song down and the fans carry on singing. I was watching the Sporting game the other night and they didn’t even end up singing the song, because Sporting scored after 50 seconds!”
He added, “But it’s a moment where every fan lifts up. Everyone in the stadium feels that song very much and it’s a song that resembles the United history as well. It was little mix of things that we thought might be a good thing to try.”
Fernandes noted that he has often found himself singing the song while in the tunnel before matches. Reflecting on the emotional connection to the song, he shared, “Our main thing in the beginning was that we don’t want the song to be on by itself, we want the fans to get that. We put the song on, it starts and then the fans can carry on, we don’t need the song to be there. We don’t need to be the loudest, it’s a moment of union between the team and the fans, because it’s a song that means a lot to the fans and we know that. So it’s a moment we want the fans to take on for them but it’s going to go to the pitch.”
He also revealed that when the Red Devils won the FA Cup last term, ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ was the first song club staff broke into to celebrate the momentous occasion. “It’s a song I like personally, the people of the dressing room like it, it’s a song that when we won the FA Cup, straightaway in the dressing room it was the first song that came on, from the kit-men, from the physios, people that have been in the club, fans from the club, that have been supporting the club since they were young, like you guys.”
Fernandes explained that the decision to introduce the song was not made solely by the players. “They were also part of the choice for the song. We wanted to understand from the point of view of a fan, what they thought about it. They said, 'if we have to choose one, this is the song for you guys and, for us, that makes sense'.”
As Manchester United prepares for their next match, the excitement is palpable. The club is back in action later this evening when they take on Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST, and it’s almost guaranteed that Old Trafford will be buzzing, with ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ on everyone’s lips.
In addition to the song, Manchester United is set to unveil a first-ever ‘tifo’ banner in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand during this match. The club collaborated with fan representatives on the design and image, ensuring that it resonates with the supporters. The ‘tifo’ will be raised from the ground to the roof, in front of the halfway line, creating a spectacular moment ahead of kick-off. The exact design of the ‘tifo’ is being kept under wraps to maintain an element of surprise and inspiration for the fans.
As the team gears up for this crucial match, the atmosphere at Old Trafford is expected to be electric. With the combination of the beloved song and the unveiling of the tifo, fans will undoubtedly feel a sense of unity and excitement as they rally behind their team.
Bruno Fernandes’ initiative to incorporate ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ into the pre-match routine not only highlights the bond between the players and fans but also reflects the deep-rooted traditions of Manchester United. As the club continues to strive for success on the pitch, the connection fostered through music and shared experiences will undoubtedly play a vital role in their journey.
