Manchester United & City Fans

1976-1977

Photographs by Iain S. P. Reid

This series of black and white photographs by the late Iain S. P. Reid (1949–2000) was made at Maine Road and Old Trafford during the 1976–77 seasons. Supported by an Arts Council England grant, Reid turned his attention to the supporters — the people who shaped the mood and identity of match day long before football’s rapid commercial shift.

His photographs sit at a pivotal moment in British football culture, when the game was still tied to area identity and working-class life. The pictures record the styles and emerging terrace codes of the period: butcher coats, flared trousers, adidas trainers, painted scarves and the atmosphere of a Saturday afternoon in a city working through wider economic change.

Among the most distinctive images are Reid’s photographs of Manchester City’s “Kool Kats” (or “Cool Cats”), a group of young supporters, many from Moss Side and Hulme, known for their attention to style and confident presence outside the ground. Their mix of attitude and togetherness marks an early expression of the fashion-aware supporter that would later grow into terrace and casual culture. Reid photographed them at Maine Road in 1977, capturing both their individuality and the pride they brought to the terraces.

Today, these photographs stand as one of the most vivid visual records of Manchester United and Manchester City supporters in the 1970s. Reid often carried prints to share with the people he photographed — a simple gesture that built trust and helped shape the direct, open quality of the work.

British Culture Archive was the first organisation to give this series a major public platform, presenting the collection in 2017 and highlighting its importance within the wider story of football, style and social history.

"These photographs are a vivid piece of British football history at a time when music and fashion started to spill onto the terraces. The late seventies saw the emergence of Punk and Perry Boys within the space of a couple of years, changing the style and attitude of fans across the North West of England."

“We were all from Wythenshawe. I’m the first one from the left. We are all Reds, apart from the lad on the right. He’s a lifelong Blue!” – John Williams.

"The chief interest in the body of work was the way in which the football supporters of Manchester United and Manchester City used to dress and treat the whole match as if it were a carnival. Despite all the press reports, there was very little violence, and the fans helpful in assisting with the project. They were always aware of the angle I was taking with the work. I carried around copies of the photos that I was going to use to show them that I was not exploiting them or misrepresenting them in any way."

- Iain S.P Reid