Beloved Manchester United superfan Kevin Peek has sadly passed away at the age of 65 as hordes of fellow fans join in paying tribute to a legendary lifelong Red.
The well-known supporter had been going to watch Man United games home, away and even abroad since the 1972/73 season and was a popular and dedicated face among the Disabled Supporters’ Association (MUDSA) for several decades.
Born in Eccles in Salford, Peek watched on from the disabled section at Old Trafford every week and has appeared in many official videos down the years as an advocate for the club. He is said to have died on Monday this week, though the exact nature of his death is yet to be fully confirmed.
With matchday fans and supporters groups from all around the world recognising his unmistakable, unshakeable smile and paying tribute to him online, it’s clear the club have lost a truly special member of the Manchester United family.
As you can see, United We Stand (UWS) founder and editor Andy Mitten is one of countless who have paid tribute to the iconic Red, noting how he appeared in the outlet’s podcast multiple times and will receive a “full obituary in the next UWS” issue.
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Whether it’s former players like David May or fans who came across him around the stadium, week in, week out, they’ve all made clear how he touched their lives and wore his colours on his sleeve. He also used to run a computer workshop in Patricroft, holding classes and teaching computer skills to locals,
He then went on to open up legendary caff and catering company, Porky Pig over in Salford which, as well as serving locals in the area for decades, has long been posting up outside Old Trafford to serve the matchday masses.
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Writing in a Salford Media post, reporter and historian Tony Flynn remembered him fondly as “a remarkable character who didn’t let his physical disabilities hold him back”, having been diagnosed with brittle bone disease, and who could be regularly found “playing pool and loving life” with his local team in Eccles.
Issuing a heartfelt statement following the news of his death, the club noted how how ‘Little Kev’ being one of “only a handful of disabled fans made the trip to Barcelona for the 1999 treble-winning Champions League final and, although the trip was plagued with difficulties, Kev remembered a moment that summed up the glory of football to him.”
He was known for travelling to every game he possibly could even when there wasn’t proper disabled access, famously telling tales of how groups of supporters would “pick [him] up and put the wheelchair in the back” of the minibus on their way to European games away against the likes of Legia Warsaw.
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Well-known to Sir Alex Ferguson, he and Peek would regularly chat in the middle of games back in the day and MUDSA secretary Chas Banks said that the die-hard Red Devil epitomised the dedication to the club’s disabled community and vice-versa, insisting that “Kev spent his whole life doing that”.
Rest in peace to a legend, he will be dearly missed. Our thoughts go out to his friends, family and all the United faithful he came across down the years.
Phil Foden picks up Premier League Player of the Year for 2023/24
Danny Jones
Manchester City forward Phil Foden has picked up the Premier League’s Player of the Year award for the 2023/24 season.
Having enjoyed the best statistical campaign to date, with two games still left to play, the Stockport-born star City and England star has swept up his first-ever Premier League POTY award at the age of 23.
The attacking midfielder has already swept up Young Player of the Year twice in his career (2021 and 2022), which was awarded to former teammate Cole Palmer on Friday, and this accolade just goes to show how much of a first-team star he’s become over the past couple of years.
With both awards going to Manc footballers and Foden being the first Englishman to win it since Jamie Vardy in 2015/16, you’ll hear no complaints from us.
Foden has 25 goals and 11 assists this season, his highest tally ever, and with the chance of a domestic double still looming, he could be set for another unreal 12 months in sky blue.
Pep Guardiola’s side simply needs to beat West Ham this Sunday to win their fourth consecutive Premier League title and with a Manchester derby FA Cup final waiting for them next week, the local lad has a big fortnight ahead of him.
Having already become a treble winner with Man City last season, not to mention emerging as one of the first names on the team sheet for the Three Lions, he’s graduated from one of the most talented youngsters to one of the most impressive in Europe – and he’s got the stats to back it up.
Here’s hoping he can round off this year with some more silverware while wearing an England shirt. Here are some of his highlights from this season:
A huge congratulations to Phil Foden on winning the 23/24 Premier League Player of the Year; regardless of who you support, you can’t deny he’s been unreal this season.
In fact, his emergence as a senior figure and somewhat of a leader in this current City side has given us a lot faith for the summer and we’re more convinced than ever that Gareth Southgate must try and build around him if we stand a chance of going for in Euro 2024.
Is it coming home and will a lad from Stockport play a big part in bringing it here?
Cole Palmer wins Premier League’s Young Player of the Year for 2023/24
Danny Jones
Manchester-born and bred footballer, Cole Palmer, has won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award for 2023/24 following a spectacular breakthrough campaign.
The ex-Manchester City youth product made his big-money move to Chelsea at the start of this season and has been comfortably one of the best players in the league this year, once again proving the old adage that if you’re good enough you’re old enough.
Sitting second in the race for the Golden Boot behind former teammate Erling Haaland and shining as one of the most creative midfielders in Europe in his first full season, you could have banked on him winning it months ago.
🔵⭐️ OFFICIAL: Cole Palmer wins the award as Premier League Young Player of the Year. 🧊
Chelsea star has scored 22 goals and provided 10 assists in Premier League this season. pic.twitter.com/HYpthQiOU3
Having bagged a hattrick in Chelsea’s remarkable turnaround against Manchester United as well as bagging four against Everton, just to name a couple of his most impressive performances over the past 12 months, he doesn’t like a player who only made a handful of appearances last year.
With the 22-year-old fittingly netting 22 goals not to mention 10 assists and quickly establishing himself as Mauricio Pochettino’s main man, despite the multi-billion squad assembled around him, it’s been nothing short of a remarkable emergence onto the biggest stage.
Having earned his first senior international call-up through his efforts too, he now looks set to be one the players England fans are dying to see start at the Euros – the point where many Blues are now wondering whether they made a mistake letting him go.
Congratulations to the Wythenshawe native on his well-deserved award and we sincerely look forward to seeing what he does in an England shirt this summer.
As for who will pick up the outright Premier League Player of the Year, surely Palmer picking up the youth award means that Phil Foden is set to mop up the main prize?
A clean sweep for Manc footballers. We like the sound of that.