Man United fans’ campaign to get Paul Hardcastle’s 19 to number one

Manchester United fans have set up a campaign to get Paul Hardcastle’s iconic hit ’19’ to number one.

The Red Devils need one point from their remaining two games to secure a record 19th championship – overtaking bitter rivals Liverpool in the process.

They want to celebrate the historic moment by downloading the 1985 song more than 30,000 times to top the charts on Sunday.

United supporters took to Twitter and club message boards to spread the word, although some Liverpool fans vowed to fight back by getting their club anthem, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ to the top spot.

However, some criticism has been levelled at a campaign to get a song about the average age of an American soldier during a bloody war to the top of the charts in an attempt to wind up their rivals.

One person wrote on the Man United club site: ”It’s a pity the song is about the poor soldiers who were basically kids fighting (and dying) in Vietnam.

”In which case I don’t think it’s particularly appropriate.”

When Hardcastle’s song was released in May 1985 it reached number one where it remained for four weeks.

Ironically it was knocked off the top of the charts by a charity version of You’ll Never Walk Alone – performed by a number of celebrities to raise money following the Bradford stadium tragedy.

Hardcastle, a Chelsea fan who had to watch his side succumb to United on Sunday, has requested proceeds from any downloads go to charity.

The 53-year-old said: ”My twitter has exploded today, been getting tons of new fan mail all from Manu fans.

”So the challenge to the MU fans is get it back in the charts then, works for me.”