Brian McClair has recalled how Sir Alex Ferguson once “lost his temper” as the Manchester United legend doubled down on his claim over the ‘This Is the One’ song.
The Red Devils launched a collaboration with popular Manchester rock band The Stone Roses and Adidas for a range of different merchandise in 2024.
The Stone Roses have a close connection with Manchester United, with their track ‘This Is the One’ being used as the walkout song at Old Trafford.
Gary Neville, who inherited the captain’s armband at United after Roy Keane’s exit, claimed that he was responsible for picking The Stone Roses’ track at Old Trafford.
Old Trafford stadium announcer Alan Keegan has backed up Gary Neville’s claim, while Jonny Evans also suggested that the United legend was responsible for the pick.
However, Brian McClair has previously called out Neville’s claim and insisted that he was the man responsible for choosing Old Trafford’s entrance music.
McClair on furious Ferguson’s reaction
Speaking to the Celtic media team, Manchester United legend Brian McClair claimed that there “appears to be two truths” behind the origins of the Old Trafford walkout music.
McClair, who played for United during the late 1980s and the 1990s, claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson had his own choice in mind for Old Trafford’s entrance song.
However, Ferguson was far from impressed when the 60-year-old former United star claimed his music sounded more like a funeral sound than a football one.
McClair added that the legendary former United manager lost his temper at him and told him to pick the song after hitting back at him with an X-rated response.
The United legend said his exchange with Ferguson was “another little thing” he remembered, with McClair claiming he then picked ‘This Is the One.’
“I’m not going to be decrying what went on, you know, so we don’t go with United stopped going out to ‘Simply the Best’ because I thought it would be amusing to tell the manager that Rangers came out to that,” McClair said.
“We had a little debate about what it should be and he [Ferguson] loved, still does I imagine, crooners of the fifties you know, all these people like Dean Martin, Sammy Davies Jr and all that Rat Pack and all these other people he kept mentioning.
“I’m like, ‘It seems like something you’d get buried to, gaffer, not go out on a football pitch’ and he lost his temper.
“He just told me, ‘You f*****g pick it then,’ so it’s another little thing you remember.”
He added: “So, I picked ‘This Is the One,’ which I was listening to when I was here [at Celtic].”
Neville talks Man Utd and ‘This Is the One’
Neville claimed that he was responsible for changing the Old Trafford walkout music, saying that he wanted to move away from the Rocky theme.
The Sky Sports pundit added that the reason behind the music change was to create a more “authentic” experience and connect United closer to their Manchester roots.
“When I changed it all those years ago, we were listening to [the theme from the film] Rocky,” Neville told Manchester United’s official website in February.
“I mean, I love Rocky, don’t get me wrong, what a hero Rocky is, but he’s from Philadelphia. He isn’t from Manchester. We have to have something here that’s authentic.
“Authenticity is everything in this city, and we’ve got great musicians and great songs, and that one is perfect for Old Trafford.
“Our dressing room had a group of local lads who were in love with this club and love with this city, but then you had people from all around the country that felt the same, and then you had people from all around Europe and the world who came here and became Mancs.
“The manager used to say to us, immerse yourself in this club, immerse yourself in this city.
“So, this idea that you’re Mancunian, you’re from the Greater Manchester area, you’re a local lad and you’ve got a song that’s so important, with lyrics that are amazing.”
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