Manchester United are contemplating providing song sheets to their spectators and equipping select supporters with megaphones in a bid to improve stadium atmosphere during matches at Old Trafford, BBC reported.
United manager Jose Mourinho has said a number of times that the home support is not vocal enough. After first ticking off supporters following a home win against Leicester back in August, and then in programme notes before a clash with Everton a month later, Mourinho had said following a win against Huddersfield last month that Old Trafford is “not Portsmouth”.
“I remember Portsmouth in the Premier League. It was such a small stadium that the atmosphere there was incredible. Here the atmosphere is a bit quieter, ours is not very enthusiastic but the players love playing here,” he had said.
Manchester United were then asked at a fans’ forum if song sheets could be distributed to supporters while entering the stadium, the BBC report said. However, the plan is highly unlikely to be implemented, the report added.
Manchester United fan groups are also looking into the possibility of providing certain supporters with megaphones so that they can egg others on. This model exists in countries such as France, Germany and Italy. The club did introduce a singing section at Old Trafford but it did not have any impact.
Manchester United on Thursday also applied to form a professional women’s team in the second tier of England’s Women’s Super League. The club has long been criticised for not having a women’s team like its rivals Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.