Louis Rocca dedicated 55 years of his life to Manchester United and those who do know of him consider him the ‘father’ or ‘grandfather’ of the club. From a 12-year-old teaboy to kit man to groundsmen to chief scout to manager, the second-generation Italian immigration is one of the most influential individuals in the club’s history and marks the start of United Through Time, the new podcast looking back at Manchester United’s long and famed history.

Rocca will be episode one as we start with a man who is criminally unknown given that he helped to keep the club afloat on not one but two occasions, he may have been involved with the naming of the club, he created the country’s first ever organised scouting network, he helped to found the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club, the predecessor to the ‘academy’. All of that, but also the fact that it was he who brought Sir Matt Busby to the club, then just Matt Busby, in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. 

Going in chronological order, United Through Time will be looking at the most important individuals at Manchester United since the club was founded in 1878. With Harry Robinson as your host, you'll be hearing from author of “Sir Matt Busby – the definitive biography” and former-Football Correspondent of The Times, Guardian, Telegraph and Independent: Paddy Barclay. We’ll also be talking to Tony Rea, the definitive authority on Italian immigration in Manchester and author of “Manchester’s Ancoats – Little Italy”

So, tune in in a couple of weeks as we begin with Louis Rocca, the ‘father’ of Manchester United Football Club…

Music: bensound.com

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