IT'S been a long summer. But now it's well underway again. Football that is.

Suddenly the streets are awash with young men — and not so young, who should know better — sporting the shirts of their favourite football team.

Chances are that every second fan you see will be wearing a shirt emblazoned with the sponsor, Vodafone, and in the blood-red colours of Manchester United.

Who are these people? And why do they support Man U?

Simple. In recent years Man Utd have been simply the best team around. Twenty years ago that description applied to Liverpool and the fairweather fans were out and about in that red get-up. Now it is Sir Alex Ferguson's band who are the undisputed masters of the beautiful game — early signs of a leaky defence notwithstanding.

That Manchester must have one hell of a maternity hospital. For I hold this truth to be self-evident: you do not choose to support a football team, you are lumbered (or blessed) by birth.

I was born in West London, just a Rodney Marsh mazy run away from the hallowed ground of Loftus Road. Queen's Park Rangers are my team.

Now, if mum had chanced a day trip to Southend back when I was about to make my entrance then I would be a dedicated fan of the Shrimpers. But, no, despite having lived in the far West Country for almost 30 years, QPR it is. I have blue and white hooped blood in my veins.

But I'll be honest. If QPR relied on me to fill their coffers then they would be even more cash-strapped than they are. As it is, two loyal fans are paying the wages and accommodation of their latest signing, the splendidly named Aziana Ebeli Mbombo. Obviously a future Irish international.

How boring to be a Man U fan. Your team are expected to win everything and, sadly, over the last decade, invariably have.

But to be a fan of a lower club — QPR are, of course, newly-relegated to division 2 — is the stuff on which dreams are made. There is always hope.

And one finds an affinity with those who support teams that have known the long hard road. A former reporter with this newspaper, Andy Phelan, now sports editor of the Evening Herald, supports Hull City.

Why? Because he was born there, of course. Now, after years of following them, his loyalty may be returned. Hull are favourites for promotion to the dizzy heights of division 2. The biggest thing they have had to cheer about since that stunning goal-less draw with Lincoln City in August 1946.

Tavistock auctioneer Robin Fenner may put much energy into his beloved Lambs, aka Tavistock AFC. But at national level his heart is with the Saddlers, alias Walsall. Why? Because Robin is originally from Walsall.

Tavistock town councillor Ted Sherrell is that ardent an Argyle fan it's a wonder he hasn't dyed his hair green. Ted knows what it is to suffer. But, oh, the joy when his team recently won 3-2 in an away thriller against the mighty Rushden and Diamonds.

How many Manchester United fans were actually born in Manchester? Precious few. The TV chef Gary Rhodes as the subject of This is Your Life was overjoyed when his favourite football team appeared. What team? Manchester United. Gary is from Kent.

TV personality Angus Deayton is another Man U fan. Well, his accent sounds just like that Liam Gallagher's.

For Liam Gallagher, and his brother, Noel, are Manchester boys.

And they are living proof that if you are a Mancunian then the chances are you will support the real Manchester team: Manchester City, and all the frustration and angst that goes with following a side who have had more ups and downs than a dotcom stock.

I have a sneaking admiration for Man City fans. They have turned hatred into an art form. Several seasons ago their fans even had a terrace chant celebrating their German striker, Uwe Rosler: 'Uwe, Uwe's Dad, Uwe's Dad bombed Old Trafford!' So the fans of one Manchester team celebrated the fact that their own city was bombed in world war two. That took 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' to a new extreme.

How many Manchester United fans have actually been to Manchester, let alone Old Trafford?

How many Manchester United fans will still be Manchester United fans when the day dawns, as it surely will, that their reign ends? Where will they go?

Simple. Watch the sale of red shirts emblazoned with the sponsor, Carlsberg, suddenly soar. Liverpool will regain and hold the championship. And these 'new' Liverpool fans will whine, 'Oh, I've always liked Liverpool . . . '

Until Gerard Houllier's men, too, have their day

. . . and the young Lochinvars of Loftus Road step forward to claim the crown.

Dream on, you say.

Yes, yes, that's the whole point.