Manchester United Gifts: 9 Ideas Sorted by Who You're Buying For

Most gift guides start with the product. This one starts with the person: whether you're buying for your dad, a teenager, a partner or a colleague, the same United-branded object will be either an excellent present or a bad one.

Nine ideas, sorted by who's receiving them.

For your dad or grandad

Something dated to his era

A retro shirt, a ball from the right decade, a newspaper from the morning after a match he watched. The criterion isn't the value of the object, it's the precision of the date. A genuine newspaper at £25 lands harder than a new shirt at £100.

If you don't know which era, ask about his first match. The answer arrives in two seconds, with a date attached.

Two tickets

With you. It's the only gift on this list that contains time spent together, and it's almost always the one that gets remembered. Check which end he prefers before booking — a regular has very fixed habits.

For a teenager

The chant, as an object

A 10 × 10 cm magnet that plays the real chant recorded inside the ground. This works better on this age group than almost anything else, for a simple reason: it can be shown off. A teenager won't put a scarf on his desk, but he'll play a chant to his mates. Under £20.

Manchester United

Chant magnet · under £20

Hear it

Vintage edition

For the nostalgic · under £20

Hear it

A shirt printed with his own name

The only version of the shirt worth buying at that age. Unprinted it's interchangeable; printed it's his. Check the size — it's the single most common mistake in this whole category.

For a partner

Something that works in a living room

This is the specific constraint here: the object will live in shared space. A typographic print, a screenprint of the ground, framed coordinates — no badge, no loud colours. It allows him to display without imposing.

An experience rather than an object

A stadium tour, or a weekend built around an away trip. It takes up no space and it's shared.

For a colleague or Secret Santa

The chant magnet

This is the price bracket where standard merchandise is at its weakest, and where something unexpected at under £20 stands out far more than a £12 mug. It also has the advantage of being obviously chosen rather than grabbed.

A paperback on the club's history

Understated, inexpensive, and it doesn't end up in a cupboard. A good option for someone whose allegiance you know without knowing the details.

The decision table

What to avoid

The current shirt unprinted — he's got it. Poorly made merchandise, which supporters spot instantly. Anything in the colours of the other club in the city, however it's framed — that joke has never worked and Christmas doesn't improve it. And for a partner, anything bulky that will colonise a shared room without having been discussed first.

Ordering in time for Christmas

Anything made or personalised to order needs production time before shipping, so aim for the first week of December rather than the third. Check the dispatch country before you pay. Delivery estimates are shown on each product page.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best United gift under £20?

The chant magnet. In this bracket the standard merchandise is uniformly disappointing, so something unexpected carries much further.

What if I don't know his favourite chant?

Pick the one the whole ground sings. He associates it with being there rather than with a specific memory, so it can't be the wrong choice.

Are football gifts for women any different?

No, and assuming otherwise is the mistake. Watered-down or pink versions of existing products are poorly received. Use the same table: recipient, budget, what she hasn't already got.

Read next: Football gifts for men: the complete guide