Abstract
The aim of this essay is to challenge a widely accepted belief about English football. In the popular consciousness, there is a commonly held view that there exists a particularly close affinity between Manchester United Football Club and the Irish, not only in Ireland itself but also within Manchester Irish immigrant population. Based on interviews with Manchester City supporters from an Irish background, this essay confronts that idea. In keeping with existing literature on football fan identities, the evidence suggests that locality and community are the key determinants for supporting Manchester City and that a strong identification with, and embodied experiences of, being Irish are insufficient to persuade fans that Manchester United should be their team. Manchester United is not regarded as the city's equivalent of Glasgow's Celtic Football Club and, thus, fans encounter no apparent difficulties in reconciling their Irishness with their support for Manchester City.
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