Man Utd High Peak supporters club reflects on 25 year anniversary

Fittingly, when we call branch secretary Keith Udale at his home in Glossop, on a cold day in early February, the first thing he mentions is snow. “The garage roof is getting white,” he grimaces.

Living in the Peak District means weather conditions directly impact daily life in a more profound way than they do in, say, Manchester city centre. And when the white stuff moves in, M16 can feel a long, long way away from home.

“Sometimes the buses haven’t made it,” Keith says, with a rueful chuckle. “Last winter, we were coming back from Old Trafford and the lad who drove us was the only person to get through! There were trucks, cars, buses all stopped and abandoned on the road. People just had to wait for the gritters to come out – it takes four hours to get home sometimes. But that’s what you do to support United!”