Fans of a certain age will remember a time before Fred the Red, but even they will feel like our anthropomorphic mascot has been around forever. He’s part of the scenery at Old Trafford these days.
We all love Fred. When I see him on the touchline waving and dancing and misbehaving it always makes me grin. It’s a throwback to my childhood, and it’s great to see kids these days still engaging with him, throwing high fives and going mad for a picture with him.
Despite that, and despite Fred wearing the number 55 at Manchester United matches for three decades, a lot of people don’t actually know much about him. That’s probably because there isn’t a single, neatly packaged origin story. But there is still plenty worth knowing.
Having been a fan since before Fred ‘signed’ for United, I wanted to dedicate this little corner of the internet to our long serving mascot. I’ll tell you where Fred the Red came from, why he was created, what his official role is at the club, and also share a few highlights that have made the real life red devil part of Manchester United folklore.
When Fred the Red First Appeared
United have had mascots before, but many were temporary, and for a long period before Fred the Red first appeared, there wasn’t a mascot at all.
This coincided with the rise in hooliganism around football, and for a while, the game lost its family friendly feel. Thankfully, lots of new legislation was introduced to discourage hooligans from being quite so willing to spoil the game for everyone else. Long prison sentences made running with a firm a risk no longer worth taking. The ‘hobby’ died down, and what was left going underground.
Now, football clubs needed to change their image to become family friendly again. This is why Manchester United created Fred the Red in 1994.
He was created for the kids. The chubby little devil was slapped all over merchandise, and was always available on matchdays to do a bit of entertaining. You could (and still can) book kids birthday parties at Old Trafford too, and he would show up at those to meet the children. His appearance also coincided with the rise of Fergie’s Fledglings, or the Class of ’92, which gives him a special place in the hearts and minds of young fans from around that time.
Ever since 1994, Fred has been there on matchdays and promoting the club the rest of the time. For example, he teamed up with the BBC to do a 6 times tables music video. I assume they chose the 6 times tables because he’s a red devil and the number 6 has associations…
As a side note, the Red Devils nickname is actually stolen.
After the Munich Air Disaster, Sir Matt Busby was rebuilding the squad but also needed to rebuild the club, and wanted to give them an identity that was not associated with tragedy. The Busby Babes no longer felt appropriate. He liked the name of a Salford rugby club, the Salford Red Devils, so he pinched it.
It also linked in with the club’s history. When United were still called Newton Heath, they were known as the Heathens, both because of the ‘heath’ in the name, and because they were one of the first clubs to play on a Sunday. This was still seen as taboo in the 1800s.
The Red Devils name stuck, and in the early 1970s, the red devil was incorporated into the logo and made its first appearance on a Manchester United shirt. That was two decades before Fred the Red came along and brought that devil to life.
Fred’s Best Moments
Given his longevity and his cheeky behaviour, there have been some memorable moments from our Fred.
Such as the time he went in for a high five with Roy “It’s his job” Keane. Do you think Keano went for it? No. He left Fred hanging. But Fred was persistent, and grabbed Roy for a cuddle instead. Even Roy Keane, possibly the grumpiest man in football, couldn’t help breaking character and smiling. He even hugged Fred back.
@manutdfoundation Keano left Fred hanging for a sec 😅❤️ #FredTheRed #RoyKeane #ManUtd #ManUtdFoundation #MUFoundation #OldTrafford #Keano #FootballMascot #EmiratesFACup #FACup #MUNLIV ♬ original sound – Masons View
Then there was the time he trolled Leeds United fans during a pre-season ‘friendly’ – if such a thing can exist between Man Utd and Leeds – by bending over and showing them his bottom.
Despite the fact he was a mascot, and despite the fact it was a friendly, Leeds fans were unimpressed. Much shouting, jeering, and gesturing followed, and one fan even threw a drink over Fred in response!
He has even won an award. Yes, Fred the Red is Manchester United’s most successful ever number 55. In 2011, he won Match magazine’s award for “Favourite Mascot”, as voted for by readers.
So there you go, he is officially the best mascot in the country.
On top of that, there are plenty of rumours about who is inside, or has been inside, the suit.
People love to share myths about club legends who had a go, but the truth is, it’s usually been an internal staff member, or someone brought in specifically for the job.
The only name that has been shared publicly is Steve Smith, and that only came about because when Jose Mourinho took charge in 2016, he promised staff changes. Steve Smith got the idea this meant Fred the Red was being retired, but Mourinho personally assured him that his role was far too important to be scrapped. The story made the papers, which is why we know about Steve.
The other myth is that the number 55 which Fred wears has some sort of hidden meaning. The truth is much more boring: it’s simply a number so high that no player is ever going to need it, so it’s safe for Fred to wear without fear of losing it.
So as you can see, Fred the Red served his purpose and then some. He has become irreplaceable, known to United fans worldwide, and loved by all of them. Go on Fred!