Observer Peter Hook on Manchester United

MY TEAM

PETER HOOK, NEW ORDER MANCHESTER UNITED

AS A KID I used to live near Old Trafford. We couldn’t afford to go in, but we used to hang round the stadium. I was about 14 when I went to my first match. It was when the Stretford End used to riot. You spent most of the time watching the fans rather than the match. None of my family supported United and my mates in Salford were City fans. We used to go to the derbies together - there was always a lot of trouble. My God, it was frightening. I guess that was what stopped me from going, and once I got into the band I lost the passion for it. It’s only recently that I’ve been settled enough to buy a season ticket.

When I’m on tour, I always watch United’s matches on TV. Football is such a big part of my life. There’s a misconception that New Order are all mad about football because we did the World Cup song. We are supporters but we’re not rabid. It was great to do World In Motion’ and meet the 1990 England team. Gazza drank three bottles of champagne in 15 minutes. He didn’t even bother with a glass!

I used to see Beckham in all the Manchester clubs. He’d be there with Giggs and Andy Cole, and he always used to chat to me about music. My son never believes me. ‘Beckham talking to you, dad? No chance!’ I haven’t seen him in a while, obviously, but my mate told me that when Fergie kicked the boot that hit him on the head, he [Beckham] came home so pissed-off that he took it out on his bodyguards by sending them out to the garden centre in Alderley Edge, where my mate works, to buy tonnes of gravel to fill all the holes in his drive.

My favourite player is George Best. I got his old job at the Manchester Ship Canal Company. He was there as a junior. The guy in the office said to me on my first day: ‘George Best used to sit there. You’ve got his desk’. Later, we did the theme tune to his television series (Best and Marsh: The Perfect Match). I plucked up the courage to meet Best after my girlfriend had been nagging me for ages. I went over and said: ‘Hiya George, I’m Peter Hook from New Order, we did the theme to your series.’ He said ‘I know’ and then turned away. It was awful. I’ll never do anything like that again. I’ll stick to watching my football heroes instead.

‘True to Form’ hy Hybrid and Peter Hook (Distinctive Records) is out on 8 Sept. Interview by Victoria Barrett