MAN U. PROFESSIONAL SPORTS' MOST RENOWNED FRANCHISE COMES TO L.A. NEXT WEEK - ARE YOU READY?

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

They play in a stadium known as the ``Theatre Of Dreams,'' a moniker that would seem to befit the home of ancient, gallant warriors, not a group of men kicking around an inflated ball, a mere soccer team.

But in the eyes of millions of supporters worldwide, there are no more noble warriors than the ones who wear the red and yellow of Manchester United, the wealthiest and most recognized professional sports franchise in the world.

No team, in any sport, in any country, can match the combined mystique, star power, fan support and success of the ``Red Devils,'' who are adored by their fans and despised by everybody else's. They are the New York Yankees, a team that polarizes its sport's fans and seemingly will stop at no cost in order to enjoy sustained victory.

``That comparison only goes so far,'' said Peter Holland, the founder of the team's only official supporters' club in the United States. ``If the Yankees went over to Europe to play a series of games, would 9,000 Americans go over there to watch?''

Likely not, although that's how many English fans are expected in America over the next two weeks to watch Manchester United play four games, including one at the Coliseum next Sunday against Club America, a Mexican club team.

This trip to ``the States'' is not merely a money-making venture, although the tour is almost certain to help the club top its 2002 total of $50.3 million in profits - this while American sports owners regularly complain about losing money.

More importantly, the tour is about expanding Manchester United's fan base. A story in Business Week estimated that just 4 million of the club's 53 million fans worldwide live in the United States, making this a market ripe for fan and sponsorship growth.

``In most markets other than the U.S., we are the Beatles meets Michael Jackson meets the New York Yankees,'' Peter Draper, the team's marketing director, told the Associated Press.

Last month's news that superstar David Beckham had been transferred to Spanish club Real Madrid barely raised an eyebrow in America, but it seemed to stop time in its place in England.

In England, Manchester United players and coaches are treated like royalty, for better or worse. Their every movement is chronicled and heralded or criticized, and star players from George Best to Eric Cantona, and everyone in between, have come under the unrelenting scrutiny of fans and media.

Even the name of the club's stadium, Old Trafford, a piece of land damaged by German bombing during World War II, evokes visions of something mystical.

``When we do something, it's more illustrious,'' said team manager Alex Ferguson, who holds a position Americans would consider a hybrid of head coach and general manager. ``When we fail at something, it's the most degrading. We get the most sensational headlines. In that respect, that's where you see the similarities between Manchester United and the Yankees.''

And what makes both teams special is the rabid support of their fans. For Manchester United, winning has become an entitlement since manager Matt Busby arrived in 1945 and the era of the ``Busby Boys'' began.

To that point, Manchester United, founded in 1878, had enjoyed moderate success, including league championships in 1908 and 1911. But over the subsequent 30 years the club was beset at various times by poor play and financial problems.

Busby brought league championships to Manchester in 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965 and 1967, and captured the hearts of soccer fans throughout England.

``When I was 6 years old, my brother John sat me down one day and explained that I was to cheer for Manchester United,'' said Holland, 47, a Manchester native who came to America in 1977 and eventually started the Manchester United Supporters Club USA.

In the midst of that success came great tragedy. On Feb. 6, 1958, the team plane crashed while attempting to take off from Munich, Germany, eventually killing eight players.

``A lot of the Manchester United mystique boils down to Munich,'' Holland said. ``Eight regular guys, eight great players, perished, and the whole of England and the rest of Europe was just dumbfounded.

``But a sense of romance came from the tragedy. Those men were taken away at the height of their lives, but new players were brought up and the club continued to win with great support. The fans seemed to embrace the club more than ever.''

Even during the down times, after Busby's retirement and when the Red Devils went 26 years between league championships, the support remained, and the modern era of Manchester United dominance coincided with the 1986 hiring of Ferguson as manager after a run of five unsuccessful predecessors.

Ferguson reworked the roster in his own image and took Manchester United back to the top of the English standings in 1993, which quite fortuitously coincided with a significant increase in television revenue.

With its success under Ferguson, Manchester United established a broad fan base, which led to heavy sponsorship and merchandise sales and had Old Trafford packed to the rafters and tickets almost impossible to come by.

That allowed the club to sign some of Europe's best players and win Premiership league titles again in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2003, with the 1999 squad being the first English club to accomplish the rare ``treble'' of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup championships.

Of course, the club is not universally loved. Manchester United fans are despised in some circles for their perceived arrogance, and, not surprisingly, Red Devils boosters feel it's simply a case of winning breeding contempt.

``When you're on top, everybody wants to knock you off,'' Holland said. ``You either love Manchester United or you hate them.

``Some fans feel as though we're only as good as our last game,'' Holland said. ``The fans can be fickle. If the club scores one goal, they want two. If they win 5-0, it's not good enough. For the majority, Manchester United is expected to win every game.''

Unreasonable, yes, but given the amount of talent on the current squad, losses are infrequent. Beckham is gone, but a talented group remains, including top scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ryan Giggs and captain Roy Keane.

They will bring their talents to America over the next two weeks, and perhaps make Manchester United even more of an international phenomenon.

``We want to make football very popular (in America),'' van Nistelrooy told the AP. ``It's not about conquering the States, it's about having a good time, showing that football is a great sport.''

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

MANCHESTER UNITED vs. CLUB AMERICA

4 p.m., July 27 at the Coliseum

THE MYSTIQUE BEHIND MANCHESTER UNITED

Time Stands Still

The Munich plane crash that killed eight Manchester United players (pictured at right) on Feb. 6, 1958, received something of an eerie permanent tribute.

A clock outside the team's Old Trafford stadium was stopped at 3:39, the exact time the team plane failed to take off and crashed into a nearby house.

Club manager Matt Busby suffered significant injuries and twice was read last rites, but he survived and rebuilt the team, which won the FA Cup five years later and won the league championship again in 1965.

Simply the Best

Perhaps the most famous, and infamous, of all Manchester United players was George Best, a hard-playing, hard-living forward known for his outstanding soccer skills and penchant for drunken activity away from the stadium.

Best scored 178 goals in 466 games with Manchester United and became something of a cult hero because of his self-described ``peanuts and lager'' diet, his unabashed womanizing and his ownership of several nightclubs.

Best fell out of favor with Manchester United in 1974 and eventually came to America and the North American Soccer League, including two years with the Los Angeles Aztecs.

Soccer's Kings

The height of Manchester United's recent success came in 1999, when the club accomplished the ``treble'' with league, FA Cup and European Cup championships.

The dramatic end came against German club Bayern Munich in the European Cup final, when the Red Devils scored twice in stoppage time to pull out the 2-1 victory.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored off a corner kick to give the Red Devils the treble.

Busby's Babes

Busby had a penchant for giving significant playing time to youngsters, and when the inexperienced Jackie Blanchflower and Roger Byrne started a game in 1951, a newspaper reporter referred to them as ``babes.''

The name stuck, and as the manager included more and more young players, his teams began to be known as ``Busby's Babes.''

Match Not Made

Rupert Murdoch made a reported bid of $950 million to purchase Manchester United in 1998, sparking seven months of heated debate, as many club supporters were opposed to the purchase.

The British government ultimately rejected Murdoch's purchase plan because his BskyB network broadcast Premier League games, which was seen as a conflict of interest.

`Theater of Dreams'

Manchester United's stadium opened in 1910, and became known as Old Trafford because of its location at Trafford Park.

The stadium drew rave reviews because of its inclusion of, among other amenities, a gymnasium and massage rooms.

Old Trafford was damaged in 1941 because of German bombing during World War II and did not officially reopen until 1949.

American Invasion?

Manchester United, the pride of England, soon could have an American in goal.

The club recently signed Tim Howard out of Major League Soccer, and Howard is expected to unseat current goalie Fabien Barthez.

``It's a fantasy, really, to even think of playing here,'' Howard told the Associated Press after he visited Old Trafford for the first time.

Nonstop Exposure

Manchester United is everywhere. American fans can catch almost every Red Devils game with a full-size satellite dish, and there's no shortage of exposure in England.

The club has its own radio station, an extensive Web site that features several fee-based subscription services, and perhaps most impressive, Manchester United has its own four-channel pay-per-view satellite service, called ManU.tv, which broadcasts highlights and interviews six hours a day, seven days a week.

- Rich Hammond

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Manchester United star Ruud Van Nistelrooy hoists the English Premier League trophy with his teammates after claiming the championship in May. The team has won eight league titles since 1992.

Martin Rickett/Associated Press

(2) The Munich plane crash that killed eight Manchester United players (pictured at right) on Feb. 6, 1958, received something of an eerie permanent tribute.

(3) The club recently signed Tim Howard out of Major League Soccer, and Howard is expected to unseat current goalie Fabien Barthez.

Associated Press

Box:

THE MYSTIQUE BEHIND MANCHESTER UNITED (see text)