Old Trafford Stadium

Lonely Planet review

Here's a paradox: the world's most famous and supported football club, beloved of fans from Bangkok to Buenos Aires, is the most hated club in England and has a smaller fan base in Manchester than its far less successful cross-town rivals, Manchester City. United fans snigger and dismiss this as small-minded jealousy, while treating the Old Trafford stadium like holy ground and the stars (not hard to get when you have the money...) that play there like minor deities.

Such arrogance is enough to turn the rest of us into ABUs (Anyone But United). And although Manchester United recently equalled Liverpool's (their most bitter rivals) record of 18 league championships, they still lag behind them in terms of the pinnacle of world club football: European Cups. Liverpool have won five. Man U have won only three.