HomeSouth

Claudine Berrisford is an Australian with Maltese heritage living in the north of England. She is married to Ian, a fan of London team Queens Park Rangers. In this piece she wrote for a football fanzine, she recalled her Maltese grandfather who was proud to be 'English' and also a Manchester United supporter. Many people in contemporary Malta share the same syndrome. From HomeSouth:

My grandfather's name was Robert Peel. He was born in Malta to an English father and a Maltese mother. He married my grandmother in Malta and later dragged her, my Mother and her seven siblings to Australia in 1965 to start a new life. Although he spoke the language fluently, he was reluctant to call himself 'Maltese'. Having said that, he was a great advocate for elderly immigrants in his later life and while at home last year, I found an article about him at my Grandmother's.

In it he states that he was 'born in England'. "He was not," I said to my Grandmother in surprise. "Oh, he always told people he was and I never asked him why," she replied. Sadly, I never got to ask him either but I suspect his love of English football, cricket and the odd pint was part of a culture, although far away, quite dear to him. And somehow, part of it he left to me.

Unfortunately (I only found out how unfortunate later!) he was a Manchester United supporter - something else I'd like to ask him why! So when I arrived in London in early 2000 and started seeing Ian, my dyed-in-the-wool QPR fan boyfriend (now husband), I quickly learned that to follow in my Grandfather's footsteps in this regard would result in me being single again. Cheers love.

The Universe is talking to Claudy

Claudine's brother in Australia, Stephen Said, blogs here

The oldest Manchester United supporters club is in Malta